THE ANTARCTIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 102, 23 January 1908, Page 3

THE ANTARCTIC.

TOWING .THE; NIMROD. . ,; ■ HEAVY GALES AND SQUALtS. ■ : iiULWARKS'WASHED AWAY. (iiy. lELEOKAru—rnEss, association.)' ' buriedln, January 22.The Union." Company's, steamer- ' Koonya, which left- Lytteltpn on-'New .Year.'s Djy totow -the' exploring iship Nirarod. to;tho Antarctic, ...reached -Pbrt : Chalmers early . tlnis morning:.;. - , ':Rbporting -..on ; tho tow, Com-' mander Shaekleton says:—Heavy gales prevailed from January 1 till January. 13. . Ou January 3 a galo prevented the Koonya from towing moro than a knot ,an hour. Up to January 4 neither Captain England nor himself, had their clothes off, and no sleep. Tho Nimrod proved a splendid seaboat.. .... On' January 5 ho; signalled "tho Koonya to pour oil on the water,which was done, with satisfactory ' results. One pony fell on his back and had to bo shot. . .. BULWARKS DAMAGED. January 7 was tho worst day, squalls of hurricane force being.frequent. Commander ShacklotDii expressed the opinion that no other vessel 'of her size, would have dono so well as the Nimrod.; On January's a heavy gale with terrific* squalls and high seas continued, stoving .in. part of the bulwarks forward. Ho had to use oil throughout' tho day. A On January 9 there was a moderate wind with- a high, confuscd sea, and the vessels were ablo to go-full speed, but in tho afternoon tho wind increased, with squalls of hurricano : force and vory high seas.' Moro bulwarks woro washed away. Towards nigijt tho weather moderated.

"My admiration of tho way in which all hands do their work under trying/ circumstances is great," says Commander Shacklcton. "Captain England simply .lives on the bridge." • Caro of the ponies under' such -adverse conditions was a serious piece'of work. • Thoro was continuous rain on. January 10, but, the wind moderating, most : of the party recovered from tho " pickling " thoy had had during the preceding wook. On January 11 -there was a strong; and increasing wind, and ii-.nsiiig soa,._which 1 causod ..anxiety, but tho Nimrod proved a wonderful seaboat. .Towards midnight tho .weather moderated, and on the evening of January'; were ablo to steer south again.' : '/■ . . Tho staff had been increased • by, the birth at sea. of five, white, puppies. " 1 The, Kponyadid very, well in '.the bad weather,-:owing to.tho seamanship of.Captpin Evans, who had,an,anxious;time. On January 1 13. tliero was- a ' gentle' breeze from the eastward.' ;.• / /ICEBERGS. ; '. On January H,' a fine; clear day,' the ship passed '-two-; icebergs.'. Tho weather was rapidly growing. .colder. ." • . . j A pack was sighted on • tho port' bow at' 9 o'clock o'n. tho /morning .of . January 15, when, in misty iweather,' tho Nimrod.oast off, and tho-'Ko'onya ■ started''•■oil': lier return voyage., ■■ '_ ■ ■ '.

Captain Evans,-in his 1 report,.states'that • th», Nimrod held- slowly .'southward .until the sea became dotted' with immense icebcrgs. - Hero tho .Koonya's -position- courted- - - as, in. addition, to 'tho. innumerable icebergs, ; a shoal ,of their-" pnlves," as tho - whalers say, .'floated, about- in close vicinity to : the steamer. Captain Evan's signalled tho Nimrod to' prepare for : discorinpcting, tho tow lines. , The preparations, fraught, with grctit danger, wero carried oi)t, 'under extreme difficulties."' Captain England' left the Ninirbd in a whaleboat, arid. boarded the Koonya. Ho hold a hurried consultation with Captain • Evans, arranged fails' for the disconnection, and t|ien ret-utn'<xl tp tho Nimrod, which had been towed 1500, miles,: and was how but one niije'fronv tho ice; 'Thojact of tbelftmrod being' towerl this distance .'.represents .an advanco of 1423 miles on Lieutenant Shackleton's objective. ■ . :,'■ ■:, Lieutenant, Shacldeton's • men, through 7a roariijg giile, cheered. the Jvoonya crew for successfully' performing 'the tiisl;. FAREWELL SIGNAL. ' Lieutenant Shackleton's farewell signal was.l'-r " Deeply gratoful for thorough manner Koonya performed .hov arduous task. All woll, ami oonfldent of SUOCCES." Tho Koonya's'-' return to this ' port wa3 ; marke!d. by, bad weather. Slip called at the .'Cajnph'ell's,'. visiting tho. depot "to look for eastaways. ' Two shcep-farniors reported that there" were no castaways arid that everything was well on tho island. Mr:-Buckley returned by tho steamer. The Koonya's mon: aro all in perfect health.- • i