THE NIMROD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13377, 19 March 1909, Page 7

THE NIMROD.

(press association teleqbam.) AUCKLAND, March 18. In view of some anxiety being felt regarding tho non-arrival of the Nianrod, a "Herald" representative to-day interviewed Mr H. J. Bull, of Christiania, Sweden, who is at present ia Auckland, and w.ho was commercial leadox of tho expedition in the steamer Antarctica in 1894-5. Mr Bull, in reply to a nuestion as to whether the Nimrod could be expected to keep to definite date- of arrival, eaid tho very nature of the vessel's mission rendered it very unlikely that she could mako Lytteltcn on any one particular day. Tho vessel might not turn up for weeks, and yet be perfectly safe, for much depended on tho pack ice. Speaking of his own experience, he eaid the steam whaler Antarctica entered th© pack ice, which pavod the open way, on December 6th, 1894, but did not succeed in penetrating this formidable obstacle until January 15th, 1895. On the re-turn voyage the Antarctica was off Oape Adare on January 26th. but did not got through the pack ice till February 2nd. arriving in Melbourne on March 12th. Tho honie passage from entering the pack ice till arrival in Melbourne thus occupied no less than 45 days, -and the getting through on tho south-bound journey occupied 39 dtiys, t*o that it ought to be .readily understood that with vessels of the Antarctica end Nimrod typo, one could never, even with the smallest degree of accuracy, count upon the date such a vceeol could return.