SOUTHWARD HO!

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 76, 23 December 1907, Page 8

SOUTHWARD HO!

THE PKEffIEEAND'THE'NIMRODj

■'■;'" TLAG •;"' '.:..' (BT TEtEGItAPH—I-BESS .ASSOCIATION.) Christchurcri, Decembor 22! ; Sir, Joseph'and Lady Ward ■ paid a visit to-the Antarctic exploring ship Himrod'at Lyttolton this- morning, and wero introduced' . ■ io the officers and J staff.',- In. the' course of 'a' brief-.and--felicitous.' address ''to,. Lieutenant Shacklefon and '..Captain-England and- other members of, the, expedition, Sir Joseph, Ward presented• the party with a, miniaturo -silken - Dominion flag, ■upon .which' 1 were Embroidered - ' : his.iriitialsY Lady. Ward's,, and "those" of their family. , Ho'wished'the' undertaking every; .success, and said; lip .would be,;delighted'.to' tear that tho flag had been planted-at,the' South: Pole. Ho also presented autographed photographs -of himself and ; Lady Ward;' which he desired -should bb' placed irr tho base of the hut during the two years which - pre to"be-spent;in. Antarctic regions!!' 1 . .''•" "";•■"•' i' PONIES AND DOGS.. : : -;;•;,INCIDENTSvOF ;BREA,KTNG;vIN<!';';,.' ■'; ~'~. '■'■ polar-fascination:.r:. T ; C:- • -'(bt' tblegeaph—SPEClAL '- ;•' GhristchurchV December 22.", ;■ . When Mr. W..H. Tubman was.'engaged to . fireak in the Manchurian ponies intended _fpr . „iise oh the 'Antarctic expedition,! : an admirer claimed, that, if necessary, he'-'cbuld'teach . them, to';cJinib..'.the,South' Pole'.;.,Ho, has riot. got quite so far as'this in his task, butafter; :a! strenuous -week!he! has~ done-.wonders. with . them.. When released/on: Quail'lsland they were',.! wild, arid 'cxcit'able', :i ;arid' 1 liberty.'ih'ade! , them" even mqre.dillicult to.handle.,;.lri fact,', Mr.; .TnbDiaii admitted to a " Press " :.rer porter]that.they were a proppsi-. tiph" than anything he :had had .to ..do with ■''■' foj^a-lorig ; tiine^i v ' ;,„,!:i; " •.] '^'.-'!.-! ~'!!,•■■ •,- the - : -i'; ■ 'A.' little white' pony ;was particularly '.yicious; vhen.taken in;hand. ' /'.He "rushed.' at^.Dr.'; .-■'■• Mafakay," said ' Mr'.'"Tubman,-'; " with- ; Ppen, ni'outh, and ; that gentlemah's only charice of escaping .the beasvs hoofs' and .teeth was-by. throTnrig himself, over,the fencb,'which, ho, did |with remarkable"agility,. We roped;the little beast'downon his knees with his'mduth qhj.tbo ground, .and even. thon'.h6',kioked.liko' a.-mad. beast." ;;. Mr. Tubman adopted jPro;, /.. fessar'Litchwark's .style in breaking in the 'i animals. !-He spbke.warmly of the valuablb • assistancp! given, him''by is, now.,ablp ;to.;ridp'.or drive..any 0n0,0f.-the, fifteen ponies.■"-'. ,; ■■'.-.-.-' ,', •' ; Tho fifteen ponies wore all handled by.Mr.' Tubman and Dr. Maclcay,. but, as .pnly ten . .takenpon the Nimrod, thesp.-have, been "specially ';.br'okon in and<.trainebVfor. !' sledge,work. They.-were.a'.particularlyrtvicious lot; always fighting,and kicking among th'pmselves,' and :always ready')to rush .and. at--tempt to kick' their traces. . Now they are Mr. .Tubman ,is,: quite prepared.to dhve ; : any .of theni thrpiigh the; streets ,of .Christchuich..... -..,;„.... ; ., .;,.•'...■...•,' '.'-,._. ■;;.';":■•■■■ PULLING POWER: ■■•:-. } '.:■.■-: ( ~ . .'j.rao.'selected.ten'aro^splendid.a for-their 'size,.' are rbmarkably','powerful.' Any. .'- one,.of.'them can pull a,,lbaded sledge', ;^yeigh-:: ing.half a ton,' through.thb.^sand,"on" tho :| beach'at.Quail'lsland, arid,'.on.'the ice,,'Mf.: Tubman,thinks they should each'prbve,equal to drawing ;two sledges!, He considers,,that, they!. ; aro .eminently, adapted r for,, tho;-work- '-,'■- ■wKi6h'.Ues'.'ahe^'';bf./thom.'-w';ithe^.'Antarbiic;'; ' "'■■ and-he. confident that'thGy;;.will:.pr6y'e' a;tro'raendous!:suc6ess.- ■•..-..,■■;.' ;,',,'-.'...:;';,.,, N are - used to liard .living 1 in"'!, their.' iiativci.'country',".,:said hp,'.."and ;.they"will 6tand:lots of hard w;ork arid hard living down! -South. 'The best'.bj tho -crowd; is" : thp, little, whitb. ortOj" and 'for .that .reason, we! have ; ": named.him Shackletori.".. !,':.'...'! '...' ~-! . •.;'..

- ;ESQIiIMAI!X DOGSL ;;;> !' : U ,'When Sir Newnes'a'Soutliern .Cross'' expedition, under''"'Mr. Borchgrovinck; ■ re- • turned to tho'Bluff from the Antarctic some eight years agb.'lsevfmty-uvo'EsVtiimaux'dbgs were entrusted to Mr.'Tr'aill,- of Beinga] Reiqga, StewarV' Island;, "'All" these haysK since died, and "'of''their : descendants ' eleven have been retained at Stewart Island, '. and nine aro being; selected by Mr. Joyce, of i tho Nimrod 'expedition;' for eledge work in the Antarctic... "" " . / ... . These. niho;'dogs arrived in Chxistchurch on ■ Friday'.night,', and 'were taken on to' Qriail ' Island .until the time "comes f6r: .the Nimrod : ifi'- leave'.' : : They' are not- ; depended'•'upon;'to'. 'dp' the sledging'iwork,Vowing tb'tlj-eir having .-- been bred'and■ born.m a'temperate-"climate:,: It is anticipated, that'by February nexfc\somo thirty-five-puppies"will"hive'come, intd' a world of iice, and snow; and that .by the jsucceeding November these- youngsterswill ;b£ fit for the strenuous life. 1 " '-::■"-' "It is' possible;''however;, that-"one 6ledga team may 1 be compiled' from;the" adult; dogs fchat.aro being;taken down. ; Alllof.the pre- -■ sont':. lot; have been hardened off by Mr" Traill, ; ;ahd not;'only -have they; : become habituated to a diet- of ■ penguins- and:'fish,' ! but they have been put through a conr-so of. solid training by drawing a. sledge from the beach to :Mi\ Traill's 'distance of about ~ half 7a mile. [<:}''■ -■■"•'IHAVE YOt' HEARD 'THE POLe' 1 ' i. ;'"";"."/,'■ ,-": ; /,;// -,;/'; :>Mr. Joyce, who is:to-have charge of them; told, a ", " Press reporter ": that ,'. on • reaching home, after.;- tho return' of, Captain Scott's 1 expedition, he tookup his duties in the Navy, again, ;and wasiattadied-to.'the-Whalo Inland ' gunnery-.experimental organisation:; Latterly fie was in oharge'bf the boom defence conGibraltar. .'•/-.. .•'..'■ u- .." I bought out of tho Navy: to join .Lieut; Shackleton," he continued;' "but endeavoured to join--;tho. Wellman North 'Polar,'Cx- , peditibn (by -airship)", l -:but' was' I ,thirty-five hours too late-to-secure a berth. lam glad -now I was not. successful, because, after all, there is something:in being attached to a - party'of all-British explorers. "Yes, there is something attractive in tho Polar regions whpn:.a. Man/has ;.been-there once and can stand tho strain of it all. Look at Peary.- ■ Ho'goes north as a'regular _inatter- ; of-:habit.;'-.':-','• • -:"'"■■"'[■ .SOMBRE SILENCE.'/ '' ' k ;."-The sUence istho:worst'.thing-to become accustomed .to'. You go but into:.the,,'dark-t n'e.ss of the Polar night alone, but .cannot . cover more than, fifty .yards, beforo you turn back again. At-first hear nothing. Tho silence almost roars in , your -ears. ■■ Or then, perhapsi,thjo ; shrill,,,whistle:, of. a ..seal ■ below the ico sends your ;heart;;into. your mouth!'- ':-'.',' '-:.~ '-■■■: ■'••'; ''. '-'.■ '■' •'. v ','-. '. "Thb seal bumps,: bumps on the ice, and you .feel somehow, that : ypu want human society, and .you,:make tracks back.to.your churns almost in a panic. :. But-.- once you h'aveV tasted:-the. life,-you' hanker "fb. ~--. again."';,-. ,:>;..,. ...i,...-..•'..■.'.-',,■.',.';,.,'. : ....,'..,,-