ON BOARD THE POLAR BOAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 5

ON BOARD THE POLAR BOAT.

DATS OF BTJSTLE. • -. (By Teleirrapli.—Press Association.) Christchurch, November 17. The Terra Nova is at present a hive of industry. . To-day practically all stores lor the western landing party irero check-, cd and stowed on board. The work of loading the stores o£ the eastern party, the sledges, and tho remainder of the equipment, will bo finished by Saturday. The balance of the coal supplies to be taken from Lyttelton will be loaded on Monday and Tuesday next. Carpenters were busily engaged all day in dismantling the frameworks of the huts for the landing parties, and the sections were all carefully packed in specially marked and numbered bundles to facilitate re-erec-tion at the Antarctic bases. Shipwrights were also engaged to-day, in caulking seams in the top of the icehouse, the interior and insulation of which are also being overhauled. Other incn are engaged in making minor alterations and repairs about the decks, while painters are busy. giving tho finishing touches to the top, sides and deck structures of the S To-day two deep-sea sounding machines were unpacked and overhauled by Lieut. H E. De P. Rennick. They are both compact little machines with a gauge marking up to 2000 fathoms each. The wire used on each is of tho very best and strongest steel, and there m are altogether 5500 fathoms of wire. The'.spools of wire have been given a coating of white lead.to prevent damage by rust A rumour gained currency to-day tnat, sinco the coal and stores wero taken aboard, they had put the vessel deeper in the water, and tho leak in tho bow was again, giving trouble. Lieut. Pennell, however, states that there is not the slightest foundation for tho rumour. It was true that tho coal taken in on Wednesday had put the vessel two or three feet deeper .by the stern, and thero was a slight "weep" through some of the seams in the vessel's sides which had become dry through being out of the water for some time. 'Ihese, however, would "take up" after a-little while. Tho Terra Nova will be practically ready for sea on Wednesday nest, and on Saturday, November 20, at i p.m., she will cast off from the wharf, and steam out of Lyttelton, "southward bound."