ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 179, 29 July 1907, Page 7

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

grasfs I-BOM 2CEW ZEALAND IN

-Our. Special Correspondent.)

LCXNDON, June 21. ■ JUr. w ho was second incojn--jnand of the ilorning, which -went to itJie jelisf of the Discovery, in the last " Antarctic expedition, has been appointed < -captain of the Kimrod, the vessel chartered for Lieutenant Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. «jjjst let- mc say a word about the gjjm," he said to. a Press representative todaj. "She has been engaged in sealing from Newfoundland, and her record' is nearly 400,000 seals, and she has gfcood the beat of jnany a gale. She i≤ •in-erery way-suited for a voyage. Her ■-oaken walls mil ■withstand such pressure, .and whereas an iron-plated ship would be crushed by the impact of a collision "with ithe ice, she would escape prflCtieally undamaged. She is at preaent but will be altered $0 -»■ barijuemiiie , . Uve preparations are wefl advanced, and: the provisions and equipment are ready to gp on board. "We'"tope to reach New Zealand in Kovember, ■where we shall take on txjaad -the scientiflc party, who will be Bnder, I believe, Sir Philip Brocklehurst. ■ yfe .shall. then make for King Edward ! jVH. Land —a place which has been ■ dsigbied, on a previous occasion, but has jxeyer. Jbeen explored. This is to be the > Jese-from which the future operations jriH be conducted. "We shall build huts, .:«fl -after all preparations .have been made at "this spot the Endurance -will, •letnm to Sew Zealand, and tweleve ' -jiottfhs 3ater return fpr the explorers. sanguine of the success .of , ..fhe .expedition. Though it is not primir3y a flash ior the South Pole, but driefly for "the purposes of geographical piry.ey.and discovery, J am, of course/ itqjefjil that we may, if not actually isach -"the Pole itself, at least come_ neaier to it than has ever before been done. Tfo? I&cpvery, I "would point intj got "within 465 miles. "There -is one striking innovation : jffcichiwe are making in Antarctic -ex- ' -and that is of availing ourselves of a motor-car. Bxe vehicle will *~ lie specially constructed, with the view 'of "its adaptability to the conditions of i&ese legions. It can, ior instance, be " eoirrerted into a sledge. "Then we are taking a sramber of "'famous sturdy Manehuxian ponies inr£he -place , of dogs. Doge have not been .entirely sneeessfni, as, for example, in ■'fife ease of the Discovery they all sne-- ■: cnmbed "to ■tbe.rigour and' terrible strain -necessarily imposed upon them. W«', ' hope "that "the ponies "will be more suitable -ier--=work'Tm the icefieldsi M The Nimrod vnSl be re-christened the Endurance. She has only just arrived J: from-St.- John's, Sewfotmdland, and' after discharging her cargo of petrol, jrill be Ttfrydocked for a thorough overfcsnlijig, au4 to be fitted out for the expedßxßi-' Sβ will probably leave the Thames JOT Lyttetton 3 2few Zealand, at the end of. Jnly, and will there pick up tile «sjfciing pac^r. ■ 3SES£2iPna?r of the nimeoix

;. 33iB r "3ainrod arrived in -the Thajnes fins, week voyage across the

■ffTiif*}i "was pro&otnged. i>y D&d fifteen days. The conduct of imiiig- iim voyage .gave every -.- iiifs&pfiqn. and Captam Ibq»ert Eng-idwvhas-iiow taken overitlte oom- -. be&ves that:, ttie Ninirod will ■ tfjiwe T»dl adapted to •withstand Hie psr- ~ ■*-'$&■-of tile Soatii Polar seas. Captain

■ '-:-'' Engfend, Tffco will be the commander <rf ■• r fie stop as distinct from the leader of . •'"■' the. expediton., is a lieutenant in the .-■ vlicyail.iiaval Beserve, and has made two . voyages to ties wt™ part of the South >ifti}aT area to which the course of the S Siniod srill he directed, la-ying served 7 as'chief officer on board the relief ship Homing in connectinn with the Discov--ery expefli fr*oix. J ':_ J Ue;K3mrod js smaller fh"--" thp. >Mnrn- ■ ing, bat very strongly built. She is of 334 jjross 'tonnage, and 227 tons net register; compared with the 4M tons gros3 t and 297 tons net of the Morning. In - length sne measures 136 it. and' in , - treadih 26ft. At present she may be ' described 'as a s«3ioaaei>rigged -vessel ; xifch aamßary steam -power,, capable of . Be»ai knots per -hour. The engines, though BmaH—frran 50 to 60 horse-power—grg-TTtgnod condffinn, aoid -will xfmajn in the ship, bat in. other ways - sererai aJ±erstioDS toH Prob■Uy one mast tsoll ira*x; to come oat, - : . .«ui,&e =ship ■will sail trigged as a barajnenSne,, , IS* present daddranse (will .',■ te-ajenxoßßd enfedy, and xeplaeed by a • pool containing as liberal accommodation as possible for the' ererc. Altogetizer, -the landing party, 1 there- Trail prnbaSy be tliriy-ons or thir- -. vj* «on boszu. t-u I >**t< tile gx- ; Effifls from New Zealand early & See Kew Yeai. There is very little time to eSeet the various alteratious if - &Q. to sail horn the Thmnps "by y» -end of JnJyi but arrangements for carrying out the -vrork at BhwisraH as . lapidly as possible hare been already etanpieted. The ship% name is to be. i:> that-Tje-J fore jgriirrw £or the far* •south she- shiii! - seV-rfrcliristeiied ihe- T^nflii r^m'A,