TERRA NOVA SAILS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 162, 11 July 1910, Page 4

TERRA NOVA SAILS.

-, - .■•■;- - FAREWELL SCENES- AT LOND.ON DOCKS. '•' '■ (Prom Our Special Cgrresftonaenf,) '.} LONDON, June 3. " God-speed, good luck, a- 'successful expedition, and a return to you ____i the men on board." With these cheery words, of'farewell Lady Bridgeinan " broke" the white 'ci sigh on board the. Antarctic sbigQJenj. Nova, ere that stout vessel left I_ndm on Wednesday afternoon to" begin"; ju historic voyage, amidst rounds aflec round of cheers. Those on hoard'te. 6ppnded with a ' wild cheer foj; "Okt England." For days before her depariurg fr#n London the Terra Nova had been tie centre of much activity while gtojea were being taken ahoard. The stowing of the curiously assorted eajcgo witljin the narrow limits imposed by a bpst; of the type of the Terra Nova has beea carried out with skill and ingenuity. Sixty sledges and the materials, carefully numbered and arranged, for the building of. two large huts for the landing parties are packed away in a bold of very/modest dimensions. The lamp rooni:anjcl■•tip instrument room are two "of the smallest in. the ship. The living 'and ""glegpjig quarters of both officers and men'loqjc somewhat cramped, -though-cosy... Ita forecastle, with the men's' hammocks, is quite as cpmfortable as that of a warship, and the wardroom •Iqbkg-.'rery siijig.. A piano, with an automatic *rrangeinen'i for non-players, has been placed In.tha ward-room, together \v/t_ ..» : library oi 200 volumes. "

The piano and books, like inpmy other little luxuries with which the officers aid men will "beguile the tedium of i"he long Antarctic winter,, are gifSr \?&®&. have also taken the form of food and tobacco, 35,000 cigars have been sent to the Terra . .ova, and a huge case;contaraing half a ton of tobacco was taken on board. ' Confectionery' has been • receffcf in large quantities, and among the cas9 taken are a number .containing pasmlea plum puddings.' ' Visitors Were surprised to find blocks of ice being <*rried: 00 board;" it'seemed" like carrying coalsi<s. Newcastle to take ice on "an:__-u-cij! expedition. But the explanation wai, simple; the ice was needed to provide tie expedition with fresh meat on the voyage through the tropics. ~ „• " The crew," said a member of it, i* composed of service men from the Rpyal Navy, and, with the exception of twoor three able seamen and stokers, eyery, man was a petty officer before he.joujM the Terra Nova. We signed on yesterday for a four years' voyage, Pss%M have niissed going for anythhigr*"?" even to be married. One doesn't get » chance of an adventure like ttis , o *s nowadays. Thousands volunteered -M it but' word went romid' amongst W officers that such and such were. goM men, and that's how we were diosep; NEW ZEAI__ND'S Just before the Terra Nova left tha docks, Captain Scott made a tion to the Press, in which he §mj hope that the total cost of the a®& tion will come within my mate of £50,000- Of this sujn»_»W be remembered that I asked from this country, hoping to get'til? njainder from the Overseas Pppnn'''** Personally i am not leaving England W another six weeks, my main object in remaining being to see that the financ" affairs of the expedition are m orae The only support we have hitherto w ceived outside this country, has been ?*7 New Zealand, whose Government J« contributed £100 Q. I am hopeful, no« ever, that when. I visit Soirth,4]nc and Australia, T shall be able_to ffigSg their peoples, in my cause, mmv the reserve certainly will. »# ?KF; 7t complete the work of the «I"* dl JPg|r must be remembered that- one w. in the Antarctic means two senee, and. naturally, I do »S|rS?k,: look forward to a period of deDP.._■»"• have among my staff representaWes all parts of tho Empire, I am Jfflftfg guine that the expedition wdl come V regarded as a venture, not the British Isles. . It should appeal *°. those who live under the Bntjsh.fiag-. "As to the success of our only say that I am entirely sM*Mg»|ag my equipment, and with the men *g"£ to work with r* I do **. would be possible to collect a «« r ... a more able set of men.: I &MM good to. be setting forth prospects to uphold the e#«|jj ditions of our race, and P** ovm s J* ' spirit of enterprise is still very - alive."