OFF TO THE UNKNOWN.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17297, 8 November 1921, Page 8

OFF TO THE UNKNOWN.

THE STOUT LITTLE QUEST. FABEWELL ITtOM LONDON. (IXOM OTTB OWN CORRBSrONDKIfT.) LONDON, September 20. Right up to the last hour of sailing there was something to be done on the Quest; on the morning of the day previous one wondered if she vould bo ready in time, for every kintf of work seemed to be in progress on deck, below deck and undersea,, where was as busy as anyone. The whole of Saturday morning Sir Ernest Shackleton was busy making final arrangements for getting off, and one could see how relieved he would bo to start away, for everyone remarked that he looked much harassed, and only a few privileged Press people and photographers were allowed by him to be aboard. The whole time I was on the deck the leader of the expedition was receiving telegrams sent from all parts of Europe. After a while ho postponed opening them till a more placid opportunity should occur, for while trying to read the message he was sure to be interrupted by people begging for valedictory utterances, or else he was giving instructions for huge blocks of unwanted ice to be heaved overboard—too much had been sent down for the ship's refrigerator, and general merriment was caused by a wag ashore calling out, "Thought you'd have enough of that stuff." Among those telegrams which he did read was one from the Royal Colonial Institute, and one from Geneva from the High Commissioner of New Zealand. He promised to wireless a message to the nation later on. Queen Alexandra wished the expedition ] God-speed, the bust of good fortune, and a prosperous voyage. All the ship's company, too, had shoals of wires, and mascots innumerable. One man was perturbed—someone had given him a horseshoe of white heather "for luck," but he did not know what to do with it, for, it seems, Shackleton is dead set against white heather; he regards it as the unluckiest stuff there ever was. The puzzle was where- to stow it out of sight, for the Quest is only a very small ship, like a whaler—lllft in length, beam 23ft, depth 12ft —and there is not much space to hide anything I From oarly morning till one o'clock the wharves round St. Katharine's Dock were thronged with interested well-wishers, who perched themselves on bales and any other vantage point avnilagle, while the Port of London Authority mndo surveys at intervals and warned the people not to put too much pressure on the chains if they did not want to get their feet wet in the dock water. Evoryone, too, was equipped with a camera. The autograph-hunters had a gratifying morning, for all the company stopped momentarily in thoir hurried excursions inland and wrote their names in dozens of books. Half an hour before sailing time the privileged few had scuttled ashore at Sir Ernest's peremptory order, and at one o'clock came the instruction from him to cast off. Just previously the Union Jack from the King had been run up over the crow's nest on the foremast by the two Scouts. Evoryone of the crew was in trim uniform—their "posh" clothes for South Africa and New Zealand—except Sir Ernest, who was in a well-worn lounge suit and soft felt hat. Just before the vessel cast off Sir Ernest Shackleton gave the following message to one pressman:—"The Quest is the tightest ship that ever ventured into Polar seas. She is by far the best-equipped in every way, so in one respect we are tho luckiest explorers that ever went out into the lonely places. If we have ordinary luck we who go in her should be able to wrest many of the Antarctic's grimly-held secrets. There are such vast tracts of land and ice and water round the South Pole that no one knows anything about, and in the two years of voyaging and research before us it is our hope to do much towards making thes<> regions more familiar to those who follow us. It is very gratifying to us to realise what great interest is taken in Polar exploration." To another he commented:—"A good ship, good comrades, good equipment, and plenty of good work to do. What more can a man want?" My Last Trip. . To another:—"My mind is so full of detail, I can't take a long view at the moment or express properly all I feel about this expedition. When tho prow cleaves the Southern Seas I shall get back my vision. Just now I have to think about salt pork and tin plates. If we do all we hope to do this time I am singing my swan song. This is to be my last trip." He laughed and added:—"That is what I say now. This is my life, and the call of far places gets into the blood. To-day, as we go out, as you see, tho Quest loaded up with scientific instruments, but there comes a time e ven to-day with modern scientific men, when there is nothing beween you and God but a piece of speedy decision. Nothing ii worth anything unless there is hardship and trouble in it. In spite of all our gadgets, we come in time to the fundamental things in the character of Man. Those lines I have had engraved below the bridgeare three verses from Kipling's If.' They are there for the young men, and they'll do for the old ones too. There may come a time when the. seas break over us, and we shall wipe the salt water out of our eyes and read them. That's why I put them there. I am proud of the Quest. She is a wonderful ship." ■ M It was undoubtedly a magnincent. send-off, for the terrific cheering from those in the dock was echoed by the crowds on Tower Bridge, who Were waiting to see the ship enter the river, and they cheered long before. they saw her. A dingy little tug called the ' Adder came alongside and fixed her towropes, and with a note oh her siren she steamed out with the gallant little Quest behind her—Sir Ernest below the bridge, Commander Worsley right in the bows. Mr J. Q. Rowett was on the bridge with Mr J. Bee Mason (photographer and cinematographer), who seemed to be making his first film by registering the cheering crowds who were in the dock sheds. Passing under Tower Bridge the ship continued up stream to London Bridge, where more cheering thousands had and then she slowly turned. She dropped the tug there, and then came slowly down under her own steam. It takes some enthusiasm to cheer at a little ship 200 yards off, but all the way down from London Bridge and through Tower Bridge the spectators on each side cheered lustily and waved their handkerchiefs. Sir Ernest and the officers replied by raising their hats, and as they passed the ancient Tower she dipped her white ensign at the stern. At 1.30, on the turning tide, she passed through the Tower Bridge and went away down river with the Stanton, the Raold Jarl, the Maasstroom, and half a dozen other much less famous ships. She was the smallest of them all. but she had the biggest journey in front of her Perfectly Equipped,

The ship is described as a glorified trawler, and special appreciation is accorded to Engineer-Lieutenant L. K~ Rickinson, R.N., in adapting the vessel to the requirements of the expedition. This officer has had the experience of Antarctic exploration, for he was a member of the Enuuranoe party, and he has applied the lessons learned. He looks upon the Quest as the best of the vessels which have hitherto been em-

ployed in the work, and accounts her smallness a distinct advantage. He confessed that, having equipped the vessel, he felt regret that he was not accompanying the expedition. . "I think the 'boss' is pleased with her," he said. "That's good enough for me. I feel awfully sick to think I am staying behind. But I wasn't married when I went exploring before. I know everything that's in the Quest, and I can say that never before has a ship set out to do what she is to do more perfectly equipped for her job." An interesting feature of the vessel is the covered-in bridge, the windows of which are of triplex glass. Two of the latest clear vision screens, with special heating apparatus, have been provided. Two sets of wireless apparatus are carried, one with a range of 150 miles and the other much more powerful, thus ensuring that the expedition will remain in touch with civilisation throughout its voyage. The wireless coll letters of the vessel are G.S.Z.V. The wireless telophone will also be used, lind it is expected that this will prove of great value in allowing the landing parties to be in constant communication witli the ship. Fnr landing on the various islands a surf boat is car and there are in addition two collapsible boats nnd a special boat made by Saunders, of Cowes, which, owing to its lightness, can be transported by a couple of men Aft accommodation has been provided for 10 members of tho expedition, and this will also serve as the mess-room Forward there is a dark room and stores for the various specimens whirli the scientific members of the party collect. Commander D. H. Jeffrey, the navigator, displayed great pride in some new electric 1.3 mps. They have dry accumulators, and bulbs between springs —and they can be thrown about_ anywhere with out 'pucting ou l -. the light. Sir Ernest actually dropped one from the top window of a Northumberland avenue hotel on to the pavement —and still the light burned happily. One of the last things to arrive was a snecial apparatus for obtaining samples" of water from various depths. An empty bottle is lowered upside down on a long winch. V hen it reaches a certain depth the bottle is turned right side- up and filled with water. It is drawn quiikly to the surface, and the temperature and character of the water at tho depth at which it was taken can be easily ascertained. Sir Ernest Shackleton.whois-47, as third lieutenant of the late Captain Seott's Discovery (1901), accompanied Captain Scott and Dr. Wilson on the journey farthest south. He led his own Antarctic expedition in the Nimrod (1907-IM)9) and rlis:overcl tho South Magnetic Pole and climbed Mount Erel.us. He' took out the Endurance to the Antarctic (1914-1917). when the f-hip was crushed in.the ice and part of the crew marooned on Elephant Island, where, after several attempts *-hev were-rescued by Sir Eraest. On his'return from tho Polar regions he Tent as a major to tho North Russian Expeditionary Fotx. During his journey from Central Africa to join, Captain Frank A. Wild swam three rapid rivers and walked 100 miles in water that was knee deep, or more. With him was Dr, J. Mclllroy. .Captain Wild jocularly said that he had been on four Antarctic expeditions, compared with Sir Ernest Shackleton s three, and he wanted to come on this expedition in order that he might keep ahead of "the boss." "I was at Blantyre. in Nyasaland, when I received Sir Ernest Shackleton's telegram asking me to join the expedition," he said. "The most objectionable feature of swimming the river was the presence of snakes in the water. Some were five feet or so long. It was very unpleasant, particularly when you felt something touch your leg and wind round it, even though you discovered it was merely a weed." Captain Wild and Dr. Mclllroy had started a cotton plantation. At some stages of their journey they travelled 40 to 50 miles on foot in a day. The chief declares Captain Wild to be "merriest when threewiuarters frozen and thousands of miles from a decent home." Health in Extreme Gold. Conversation with veteran members of the expedition dispelled any idea of monotony and idleness in the coming years among the ice. There is much work to do. Everyone has his own special job, and also takes his share in such common tasks as scrubbing down floors, tables, etc. "Everyone gets too healthily tired to brood," said Major Macklin. "Besides, we are all picked men. There's good food and plenty of opportunity for sleep, which is always sound down there. Indeed, men are healthier in the extreme cold than in England. There are no germs in the dry, cold air. But when we open bales of clothing the germs which they have brought from England give some of us colds and coughs." On the strictly scientific side of the expedition, Captain Wilkins, the naturalist, hopes and believes that entirely new forms of life may be discovered. On the recent Imperial British Antarctic Expedition he found two hitherto unknown species of spiders and a mite upon which thev feed. But his great ambition is to discover new species of animals or birds. For some the only recreation in spare time is bridge. Others never touch cards. The gramaphone is called "The Parrot," and the records range from George Robey and jazz dances to grand opera, Clara Butt and Caruso, with carols for Christmas. Some of the men play the concertina, banjo, and mouthorgan A novelty in indoor games is the table version of cricket represented by Mr Bobbie Binns, who has named his invention ~"Crickette." The library is both big and varied. "We have plenty to read—novels, plays, poetry, history, biography," said Captain Hussey, assistant surgeon, meteorologist, and O.C. of amusements, "and Mr K. E. Cooley has sent us the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' in the small volume size. It will be the most read book of all—it will give us all the facts for our arguments and settle any point." Aft the bridge was to be found Cook C. J. Green, who in his galley (a minature affair) has been experimenting with an oil stove which he hopes to use instead of coal. Until the ship is well 6outh of the Cape, meals will be as usual. The colder the climate the greater the need and appetite for fats and oily foods. "If you know how," said this chef, speaking from his knowledge, "vou can cook a whale so that you would scarcely know it from beef. Bat you must use dripping. Blusher's

no good. It makes it too oily. Seal and penguin are all right, too. A seaweed pudding I made was a great favourite." There is a brown sort of seaweed which, when you cook it in water slowly, looks like arrowroot, but if you cook it by itself it turns a clear green-like creme de mentlie. But it all depends on wliere you are. If you had luxuries you could not eat whale meat. If you are right on tlio ice you want more whale meat and blubber than you can have. Yes, it's quite true that down there you can eat tablespoonfuls of lard just as you enjoy Devonshire cream here." Green, after his last expedition under Sir Ernest, 6erved three years in the Watchful destroyer, in the Grand Fleet of the North Sea.