PREPARING FOR FINAL DASH

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 79, 2 April 1912, Page 3

PREPARING FOR FINAL DASH

150 MILES FROM THE POLE FIVE MEN GOING ON. 3rd January, 1912. Lat. 87.32 Height about 9800 ft. After leaving the upper glacier depot, south of Mount Darwin, *I steered southwest for two days. This did not keep, us clear of the pressure of the ridges and crevasses, which occurred frequently. At first this gave some trouble, but we rose rapidly in altitude. Probably, the difficult places were more snowcovered than further eastward. The advantage of this course was mainly felt on the third and. fourth days, when, owiug to our altitude, we got a splendid view of the distribution of the land masses fringing the ice sheet, and the arrangement of the ice-falls. Since leaving the<.depot our marches have averaged over fifteen statute miles a day. On Christmas Day we were close up to the 86th parallel. The prospect of Christmas fare gave us an excellent march of seventeen miles, but the effect was not so happy on the following day. The surface grew more difficult as we approached the 87th parallel. On New Year's Eve, in latitude 86,56, we fixed a depot of two units of provisions and rebuilt our sledges with new short Timners, which was a remarkable piece of work, performed by the seamen of the party under the most adverse conditions. Although it cost us nearly a day's the change amply repaid us, and we have been able" to keep up our average. PERSONNEL OF ADVANCE PARTY We are now within 150 miles of the Pole. lam going forward with a party of five men, and am sending three back under Lieutenant Evans with this note. The names and descriptions of the advance party aro :—: — Captain Scott, Royal Navy. Doctor Wilson, Chief of 'the Scientist Staff. Captain Oates, Inniskillen Dragoons, in charge of ponies and mules of expedition. Lieut. Bowers', Royal Indian Marine, Commissariat Officer Petty Officer Evans, Royal Navy, in charge of hedges and equipment. The advance party goes forward with a month's provisions. The prospect of success seems good, providing the weather holds and no unforeseen obstacles arise. It has been very difficult to choose the advance party, as every one is fit and able to go forward. Those who return are. naturally much disappointed. Everyone has worked his hardest. The weather on tjjo plateau has been good on the whole. The sun has never deserted us, but the temperatures are low (now about minus twenty degrees) and the wind pretty constant. • However, we are excellently equipped for such conditions. The wind undoubtedly improves the surface. So far all arrangements have worked out most satisfactorily. It is more than probable that no further news will be received from us this year, as our return must necessarily be lak-. . (Signed) R. SCOTT. [Further details of the work of the Expedition appear on | kta; paza iv this ' WPS." 1 "