METHODS TO BE FOLLOWED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12970, 25 November 1907, Page 8

METHODS TO BE FOLLOWED.

THE WOBE OP THE PONIES.

The methods to be followed in the dash, for the Pole, -which is the main object of the expedition, were detailed by Lieut. Shackioton in. the course iot an interview before he left England. "For our attempt to reach the South Pole -with sledges/ he aaid, "we are taking Marichurian ponies and a motor car. The. work of the ponies will be to draw the sledgef. We shall .take some dogs with us, but not for the journey to the Pole. A pony drags aa much as eighteen dogs and consumes only lllbs of. food per day, aa against 361bs of food required by 18 d6g». Thi* means a great saving of food on the jobrnej. The ■ motor car will Si. .oeedas far as possible, to relieve the poaiea on the first stage of tWdaab for tKe Pole. It is level ground, and the motor should be able to negotiate it. AJophoi will.be weed instead of petrol, and, special- ■'arrangement*^arevt© , ■be , -made for keeping theenginethotT The.»•*>*} ■will drag , , a 'row ■of sledge ponies walk on only/ three men \ ing the car, and>ta* other two travelling on : aniliee".••■.'•<> iey^hljnLV^Tui; 1 ; ' fathioe^-ra* , ponies would :k«ep , about- v . two '•.Jhwjawjv journey ahead'of Ahe-anatt; and choose the route for him. JBtwry 100 ■'miles a 1 sledge will -tyitocpjkAy. with its load of r ptwfiek>ni f "atoa aT'delpbt formed, so that there may be a*J.ii>» of retreat right from/tb* ; south back id "our;* qnarUtaC; The' distance from the winter quartern to the South Pale is about 781 mika, and on t o4ir skidgrog: trip; rVotnrithe :IM.s^Very'^we : crow flies. ;■„% ,Jbelie*»v that the:i 'tnbtor: car iriU be able to corer that 270 aiilat without <mr haring to fa¥fbacion> tke ponies'. When the <»r break* down, and we can get it no further, we J wiU kar« at a depot and switch off tiie eledges «q tq-thewriup.-,; There will be three; or : "fo.ur;rofj-tb» j '-->^>: ? e*cfc;o;<j|i ' them --«an;v:draw^a' ; W« had only SOOOIb of ster«« when we from ;-'=the Disoo»*ry olr# owr eledging trip, bul we shall be afcl* to take a larger quantity "this time, and with Jew trouble as regards; haulage. The ponies shotold do 15 or 90 mike *» day for, the remainder of the distance. If; it is; possible to reach the Pole cV ■ level ground j ii;will; : <be':. mountains intervene/which there is a chance of, the poniee win be left be-, Mud"' if ."the elopes of the glaciers are for them to climb. TTjey are sure-footed littlo animals : and great heighte, snppceirig' there are any : ehsllJißTe to leare them behind and ourselves haul;: the sledges op fon to the plkteau ■■"Oβ",the,"top-'.of;;;toeriiaoun-;- : tains.*- ■ In.' way -they Mien■'■ wifl? start. frdm* 'there :as faronrably t nlsoad aa though starting from the Vestp^.V.Cliipi' v -' tain Scott went 84 days' journey over Che mountaina/to the west of the winter quarters.. If we oaijnot get, over the mountains, then; they * wifl: be. inaccessible for "anyone that tries; i>O*' course we : do ''net- ■"k|i«!r''. : s*t;virlwMier there will be- any monntaina across par path., On the sledge journey :.«juth with Captain floott the mountains we sighted ran northi md south and ■we travelled over > level surfaoe the whole j wajr. Whether the surface oontinqei level ali the way to the-" Pole remains to ''be. seen. -, Aβ the crpw', flies wemust ; travel about twice as far .southl as W did on that" trip if we want to Teach tho pole, which is',7Jfl ; mile* , from?O«r.j winter, , qiiartere. '3ut i; although w» o«'y eot 270 milee due" south on that tripj, we" actually : 960-miles itti the 93 days we were travelling, ':. because for a .month t we had to do eaoih stage of the iourney three times over; Owing to the breakdown of the:dogs we liad to; drag halfv a load on ahead and then return for the other half, and do this day after day. If we r do 20 mile* a day this trip, we should get -to; the .Pole in 35 days, supposing no obstacles intervene: .Of course'it i» not only to reach the Pole, but also for general purposes of geographical discovery that we shall make the journey." ..■••■'