ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 6

ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

THE EXPECTED RETURN OF THE NIMKOD. (BI rSI,EORAPK—PBESB ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, March 18. In view of some anxiety being felt regarding the non-arrival of the Nimrod, a "Herald" representative to-day sought an interview with Mr. H. J. Bull, of Christiania, Sweden, who is at, present in Auckland, and who was commercial leader of the expedition in the steamer Antarctica in 1894-5. Mr. .Bull, in reply .to a question as to whether the Nimrod could be cxpcctcd to .keep to a definite date of arrival, said the very nature of the vessel's mission rendered it very unlikely that she could make Lyttelton on any one particular ,day. The vessel might not turn up for weeks, and yet be perfectly safe, for much depended on the pack ice. Speaking of his own experience, hp said the steam whaler Antarctica entered the pack ice oil December 6, 189-1, biit did not succcod in penetrating this formidable obstacle until January 15, 1895. On the return voyage the Antarctical was off Cape Adair on January--26, but did not got through the pack ice till February 2, arriving ,in Melbourne on March 12. The home passage from entering tho pack ice till arrival in Mclbourno thus occupied no fower than >15 days, and tho getting through tho south-bound journey occupied 39 days, so that it ought to be readily .understood that with vessels of the Antarctica and Nimrod typo one could never, even with the smallest degree of accuracy, count upon the date sucli a vessel could return.; ■ " ' ,