WILL FEED WELL

Evening Star, Issue 20028, 20 November 1928, Page 6

WILL FEED WELL

POUR REGION CATERING EXPEDITION'S STOCKED COMMISSARIAT DEHRYDRATED CARROTS TO STRAWBERRIES Tinned shrimps? Hmin! Tinned sardines? Hmm! Tinned Yorkshire pudding? Oh! Tinned marmalade? This little list of canned delicacies is rend from the menu by tho adventuress Patricia in ‘ Other .Men’s Wives,’ and Miss Margaret Bannermun, in a brilliantly naive way, added last night: “That is the sort of things they give to people who go to the South Pole.’’ in tho audience were thirty members of tho Byrd Antarctic expedition, and they showed ‘heir appreciation of Miss Bannornum’s wit. Dehydrated vegetables and preserved foods from pork and beans to cranberries are being taken in tens of Urns to the Polar regions. Yesterday the transhipping of the stores iron) the ior’ard hold ot the Eleanor Boling to the shed was hastened. Thousands of cases of foodstuff were stored, and when tho two ships the Eleanor Boling and tho City of’ New York finally clear from Otago for tho Ross Sea great quantities of locally-treated eggs, meat, and vegetables will also he shipped. “ Wo will feed just as you would at homo,” said the cook, Mr Teiment, who has had charge of tho ordering of all the provisions. For the ship's crew twenty-nine tons of fresh meat will be taken" south. Rut coffee will lie one of tho principal foods consumed. The Americans are notorious coffee drinkers, and two and a-half tons will be taken. Beans are another favourite dish, and broad beans, lima beans, and beams of all shapes and sizes, weighing two tons, will be stored in the commissariat. Two tons of dehydrated potatoes and a big quantity of carrots will also be shipped. “Here arc some of your own potatoes,” said Mr Teiment, a» a produce merchant’s van backed to the f-hip s side and discharged a number of sacks of new season’s potatoes. “Vo me going to take a big supply, for we will feed well.”

Pommican would be one ol the main foods in the ice regions, explained the chef. Tins was prepared by pressing cooked moat. The pommican could be made into stew or any other dish. Everything has been ordered in the way ol’ supplies for tho party which will spend the winter at the base on tho ice and the party which will bring tbo Eleanor Boling back to Dunedin for the winter mouths. DELICACIES GALORE. Here is a list of the hundreds of cases of foodstuffs stored in the wharf shed;— Pepper. Tea. Lemon extract. Coffee. Cheese. Evaporated milk Powdered milk. Maple syrup. Pork and beans, . SaltTomato puree Onions. Potatoes. White cabbage, Rhubarb. Rice. Brown bread. Codfish. Cranberries. Sauerkraut. ’Condensed milk. Fruit salad. Strawberries. Whole- wheat (lour. Grape juice.

Honey. And most of the stall is presence!. Napoleon said an army marches on its stomach, and when the explorers sot out on their treks and work about the base their inner men will be completely fortified. Mr Brophy declares that Mr lennent is tho best cook hi the world, and with such delicacies in his pantry no should be able to serve dishes, the mere aroma of which would make the aveiage mau ravenously hungry. There is no possibility oi the commissariat becoming exhausted. Throughout the dark winter in the Far South the base will be in communication with the store ship at Dunedin, and a call for supplies will ensure the ship clearing for the south as soon as the ice barrier above the Ross Sea commences to break up. But sufficient Food will be taken to the base to keep the party well satisfied for three years.

INSECT EXTERMINATORS, TOO. In the store many tons of oilier material are under shelter. 'Jhere is one crate of 4,000 cups, several buses of Flit sprayers for killing bugs and files, four crates of outboard motors, a huge box of Nniol. a hundredweight or so of cleanser, diamond dyes and fireworks from the fanning house or Pains. In the photographic lino the expedition has been well supplied, but one crate of developer was badly damaged when it was opened up in the shed.

Hunting, too, will be one oi the side lines of the expedition, and several cases of ammunition have been landed. Motor spirit and radio batteries, skis and sledges and wire mattresses take up a big part of the floor space. WANTED, A COOK.

A cook is wanted for the Eleanor Boling. The applicants should give up any hope of winning their way into a place in the expedition, Air Brophy explained yesterday. The cook is wanted to take a trip for a week. “ Tennent is the best cook in the world,” enthusiastically declared tho business manager, “ and wo want him to cook for us down on the ice. But everything has been ordered in the way of food, and we want him to sort out the quantities for the ice party and tho Dunedin winter parly. Wo would like you to find us a cook who will take the trip to Wellington and back and provide meals for twenty-nine men. Ho will have assistance, of course.” This morning two men applied for the job, but at 11 o’clock Air Tennent had not decided who would be his deputy. Tho Eleanor Boling, it was proposed., should leave Dunedin this afternoon for Wellington, but as a good deal of workstill has to he carried out aboard her it is doubtful if she will get away till to-morrow morning. After loading the aeroplanes at Wellington, the Eleanor Boling will sail for the Ea.st Coast, off which she hopes to pick up the sailing ship City of New York and take her in tow for Dunedin. Tho City of New York is expected here about November 23, and on December 1 she will head for the south. She is a much slower craft than the Eleanor Boling, and in consequence the steamer will not say “ An revoir ” to civilisation till December 21. CITY OF NEW YORK'S PROGRESS. Under sail tho City of New York has been sailing across the Pacific irom New York via Panama, and throughout tho journey she has been in constant communication by radio with the Eleanor Boling, In the twenty-four hours from noon on Sunday the City of New York, favoured by good wind, had covered 150 miles, ami she was then about LOW miles oil' the New Zealand cpiist.

At a conference attended by Mr .R. G. Brophy (business manager of the expedition), Mr 11. L. Tapley, Mr H. E. Mollcr (chairman of the Harbour Board), Mr W. J. Bardsley (secretary), Mr J. H. Duncan (manager for Messrs H. L. Tapley and Co.), Captain J. Maclean (harbour master), and Captain G. L. Browu (commander of the Eleanor Boling) matters in connection with the arrival of tho City of New York were discussed. The vessel’s present position m the Pacfiic was a matter for conjecture, and the nautical men estimated that she should be in the vicinity of East Cape about the end of this week. As arrangements have been made to despatch the City of New York from Dunedin on or about December 1 for the ice barrier, it is necessary for the ship to reach this harbour at the earliest possible date. .She is under sail only, and may be delayed owing to baffling winds. Taking these circumstances into consideration, the conference practically decided that in ail probability the Eleanor Boling will leave Wellington about- Friday for East Capo for the purpose of picking up tbo City of New York and towing her to Dunedin. Should the City of New Y’ork show tip off East Cape at the time set down by the nautitieal men, both ships arc expected to roach Dunedin early next week. DUE ON SATURDAY. ■ Since their arrival in the dominion by the whaling ship C. A. Larson Commander Byrd and his advance party have been located in Wellington, but they are expected to arrive in Dunedin on Saturday. With tho arrival of tho commander preparations for the departure of the expedition, will be finalised Of the men on board the Eleanor Boling six accompanied Byrd on his expedition to the North Polar regions. They were Joe do Granal, .Sutton, Caster," the cook (G. Teiment), Haines (the meteorologist), and Fritscn. For three months they were in the frozen north. One of the most interesting personalities is Do Granal, who is a member of the Naval Reserve of Aviation and a reporter. Ho is one of the pilots, and on the Eleanor Boling ranks as second mate. He was a. reporter on the New York ‘ Tribune,’ the 1 New Haven Register,’ the ‘ White Plains Reporter,’ and the New York ‘Herald.’ He is special representative for the New York ‘ Times ’ on tho Eleanor Boling, and attends to all nows from that vessel. Tho staff man from the ‘Times,’ Mr Owen Russell, is at present in Wellington. ELEANOR “ BOLING ” OR “ BOLLING.” “ Sure,’’ remarked Captain _ Brown, when he was asked whether his ship's correct name was “ Eleanor Boling.” 1 n the advance reports tho name was given as Eleanor Bulling, and the report has been made that the signwriters responsible for painting the name on the vessel had made a mistake. Captain Brown’s word is final. FLOATING POST OFFICES. The first postal clerks appointed by the'General Post Office- at Washington for the Antarctic. That is the honour which has fallen on Captain Brown and Captain Melville (of the City ol Now York). Authority has been given them to act as postmasters, and the ships aro floating post offices. From above the bridge of the Eleanor Boling, there flies a bine flag emblazoned with tho letters “U.5..M.,” which,;; means “ United States -Mail.” All letter» pasted will carry tho New Zealand stamp, and will be tinted with a stamp “ s.s. Eleanor Boling. ' Across tho envelop l as, the captain-clerks will stamp the place, of posting, graphically described picturially by a stamp lueasnr ing 4in long and 2in wide. A, sailing ship is shown caught in the ice floes, with the sun in the background, and ica hummocks and an igloo and tent in tho foreground. Over the ship fly two planes. An interesting feature ol flic painting of the ship is the expedition’s .standard —a green globe, encircled with a band inscribed “ Byrd Antarctic Expedition,” surmounted by a big plane flying over the ceiling of the worldon the- tunnel. A flag carrying the same design is also flown aft. STUDY OF AMERICANS.

Last night the crew-, of the Eleanor Boling wore the guests of Miss Margaret Bannoman at His Majesty's Theatre. Miss Banncrmau and several members of her company were entertained at an early lunch on board ship to-day, and later lett lor Quarantine Island to see the polar dogs. Miss Kerr Kelly, who plays an American part in ‘ Our Betters.’ has made several visits to the ship 'to study the American twang and actions, said Mr Brophy, ami she and Aliss Banncrmau were exceedingly popular with all the bojs with whom they chatted. The action of the Harbour Board in extending every lacility to the expedition has won approval. "Captain' AFLean is doing everything lie can to help us,” said Captain Brown this morning, " and the Harbour Board is leaning us a cable to use in taking the Cite (if New York in low. AERIAL SURVEY TRIAL.

Captain APKinlay, the aerial .surveyor. will not go north on the Eleanor .Boling. Ho proposes to make a hurried trip to Christehureh and arrange vvit.it tin.- Wigram aerodrome authorities >or a Hight/' over tho plains to try out nis survey cameras. Professor Gould, the geologist, and Mr Haines, the meteorologist, arc al-o staying in Dunedin while the Eleanor Boling is in northern waters.