THE ANTARCTIC

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 140, 7 March 1908, Page 5

THE ANTARCTIC

:.'/'. r ' RETURN OF THE NIMROD. - THREE MEMBERS OF THE PARTY ON BOARD.' ■. A PAINFUL ACCIDENT.. (DV TEI.EGItArn~rr.ESS ABSCCIATION.) ■ ■■ ' y:: Dunedin, March 6. Early this morning'a strange.vessel was ; observed, standing'in; towards Capo Saundors under'both steam and sail, her identity being somewhat doubtful for a time, as 'vessels ; ofythafc , 'Hg' aro' now somewhat'.raro! visitors .to our coasts. About 10 a.m. the stranger was close enough inshoro >to~ have her signals interpreted,- and from these' sho proved to bo 4 V tile'A'ritdrctiV. exploring party's' vessel Nimr :// rod,/,whichrhas .returiiedWto'ithe .Dominion after <; .landing Lieut. - Shackleton and his . . shore party , on the/Antarctic 'Continent;, / '. . Hor apt>Qarancc ofL.the-. coast, gavo rise to V •: a ; : rumbur : ;tliat: tlieV Nimrod .Was in tow of vi' another'vessel, and. for a tirno.it'was feared _ in , somo .quarters that the vessel had met with: somo .'inishap, especially/when coupled with the. fact -of her. early: return to our shores."- . She signalled for • a .pilot; and Captain Thomson at onco despatched, the Koputai to tender the Nimrod in company 1 with . tho .pilot .boat iiom .tho Heads. Threo members ,of .tho expedition having transferred to.'.tlie.ytug,/the; latter'vessel stood 'inwards, arid tho Njmrod bore away, to tha eastward: ' 1 THREE VOYACER3 RETURN. . j-About. half-past:,two. the Koputai steamed , up to Port Chalmers, and-as sho made .fast . r/-to/the whprfthree .'gentlomen'.stepped off her . paddle-box on to,the wliarf, after a thirteen ./. ijfrpm./the /Antarctic' rogioins; r ;/ ' .-As \the. Koputai f neared ■ the wharf it was • ■/ Byident/'that/.the;: threo/voyagers,'; on.Vthe • bridge.wero hale and hearty in spite of the . pinch of . tho Antarctic and the pitiless whips of • tho storm. One; however,: was. seen Ito ; bate his head bandaged with linen;,,, Tho : threo' gentlemen' on arrival were found to. bo Dr. ;:Michell, Mr. Mackintosh, and Mr.- Cotton, who informed ■■.represcnta- ■ tivcs' :that'they:'had: solemnly' > undertaken to: give no ■ information whatever , until .the Nimrod had ,berthed at.Lyttolton; \.Tho" gentlcmanv.with -.the:, bandaged, head turnedi out' to be Mr. Mackintosh, who, met a / feared; may_ result m the loss of one' of. his eyes. ' A..fish-hook at the end' of. a line was hang-:ingi-dpwn tholiood 'of the companion • /ladder, ■; and when. going/below''Mr.' Maukin- . / lice forcibly a'gainst/tlip/hdok,: with !tho" result 'that/the : barb entered the eyeVaJl. - : , i,Except''; for,/ this /'painful.j and' unfortunate occurrence,/all :scems,.to have gone wonderfully • well in spito" of the storms that smote; the vessel since parting with .the-Koonya. ANTARCTIC 3LIZZARB3. \ The expedition -was also, treated to one . or-two Antarctic; blizzards, oi wmcb.it.may / be' said that they* are rather worse than, i those that strike across the'ice wastes, of tho Arctio. . i ■ Before the'expedition started some anxiety ■v- was voiced as to how. t{io. ponies would stand • the Voyage, and as tolhow they "would work, in such ■ intense cold: - All doubts on this point, however, seem to,'have been without .foundation.' The pomes'are reported to have i stood the voyago wonderfully, and, 'as far as could bo judged, to bo shaping remarkably . .well.. ",, ; /;'/'". '' /'/' : : ''/ ; ''.''A The; members of tho expedition are said to be: in good. fettle,. and hopo. seems. high in ihe camp, .and that which is * better than ' hopo, confidence.- Of courso, the formation i: of the land is volcanic, and Iho point of Ending is described: as rugged'brown' rock ■ appearing hero. and-there through tho-snow. ■ ■ Seals Handsea-: birds aro-:.to be.-met-with, especially penguins. l , BLOCKED WITH ICE. . ■ . v-Wlien the -Nimrod arrived: at her southerly destination tho harbour was found to be , blocked with, ice, which,-ihowever, cracked -, aud parted, and camo floating out in masses. . So in an incredibly short space of timo tho ■. entrance' was:■ comparatively clear, and: tho ,; Nimrod was enabled -to pick hor way in. ■ -.- The landing of the expedition and its supplies and . implements would: seem' to have been effected without any gravo mishap,"and . tho' first camp was made ' at, ' a reasonablo <. distance from tho landing place. It will bo remembered that tho party carry their own them, :.and from what' can bo • gathered; it would '• seem : -.that/this! first-' camp on a" long, and perhaps a, terrible,' lino of ;. inarch is—%Kat may': bo expectcd .from ; such /old' explorers—as cosy and as convenient as ' possible .under the circumstances.' : / The Nimrod mado "excellent.time on her return. phder sail' and ' steam, and sighted -Cape: Saunders when only. thirteen days from the ice. ' : '/' /•-/; ■:: i- 'Dr.' 'Michell; and Messrs:' Mackintosh - and ; Cotton- caught the Monowai off -Port'iClial-. mers for' Lyttelt-on'- this; afternoon. Tho Nimrod,is .expected to arrive at. Lyttolton to-morrow evening. :