THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 81, 5 April 1916, Page 4

THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

ARRIVAL OF THE AURORA

BACK NEWS EAGERLY DE- 5 VOURED.

[Press Association.] [Copyright.]

WELLINGTON, April 5. The report of the Antarctic Expedition states: —

The Aurora's party have returned without any information as to the whereabouts of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his party or any record of their courageous work. The report is thus shorn of points of( most vital interest. When the vessel was boarded the crew bore evidence of their long imprisonment in the ice pack and the rough weather since encountered, but were cheered by renewed contact with their fellow-men and the plentiful supply of fresh provisions sent by thetug. The men had been mainly existing on seal and penguin meat. Files of newspapers twelve months old were placed aboard and the news was eagerly devoured. After leaving Hobart on December 24th, 1914, the Aurora kept a sharp lookout for the Government steamer Endeavour, which had left Hobart and was then long overdue, but saw nothing of her. She landed sheep, poultry, and stores1 at Macquarie Island for the people and the wireless station. The ship had a fine run down. She sighted the first iceberg in latitude 60deg. 40min. and found Ross Sea fairly clear of ice. She reached Cape Crozier on January 9th, after a sixteen days' record passage. The wintering party, consisting of Lieutenant Stenhouse, Dr Cope, ana the Rev. Spencer-Smith went ashore with the others to land stores, but failed. Owing to the advancement _oi the barrier along the high Crozier cliffs the party returned to the ship. In. the meantime the ship was DRIVEN ON THE ICE

barrier fifty feet high and lost her jibboom. She proceeded towards th« entrance to McMurdo Sound ami thirty miles west of there Avas held up by the pack-ice until January lb, when a landing was effected at Cape Evans.

Commander Mackintosh also landed, and Joyce, Stevens, and SpencerSmith proceeded to Scott's hut. They returned after making a survey of the hut. The ship proceeded1 south. While endeavoring to reach close communication with the shore she

STRUCK THE BOTTOM

and remained fast throughout the day. ' Attempts to heave her off by kedge anchors and the rolling of tin? ship failed to move her. She- came off in the evening. The following stores were landed! at Cape Evans: benzine, 624 gallons; kerosene, 208 gallons; coal, in bags, ten tons: On the 18th,a party, consisting of Lieutenant Stenhouse, Joyce, "Hay-ward, Stevens, and Gay, proceeded over thu sea ice to Hut Point to make an inventory of the stores there. When three- miles from the ship Lieutenant Stenhouse and Joyce, who were leading, slank through the snow crust over a'wide crack up to the.waist. Their skis prevented total immersion, aiul there was no further calamity. . The 'mar-civ proceeded for t;vo hours south, and a camp was made near Hut Poini. A wide tidal crack was negotiated' by a sledge bridge. Gay fell in, biit was promptly rescued from 'ADANGEROUS PREDICAMENT The party was held up by a blizzard for three days,, and returned to the ship on January. 21st. On the 25th Commander .Mackintosh, with Wild and Spencer-Smith, and nine dogs left for the Mount Hooper depot, 90 miles southJ of the bluff, or.;-. 175 miles from Hut Point. .n, Other parties also went out. • One had trouble avith a motor # and left it on the ice awaiting repairs. Commander Mackintosh Jeft a note at the hut stating that it was difficult going on the Barrier and! advising that he had returned "on account of bad weather on the sea ice. Commander Mackintosh then . proceeded south again, leaving instructions regarding a safe course of the, Barrier across the sea ice. ' The ship hung on tho edge of the sea ice for miles north of Hut Point awaiting signals assuring

THE SAFETY OF THE PARTY There were no signals seen and on February 7th the,ship proceeded to Cape Eyaris to make soundings for :i winter anchorage, but owing to the bad weather it was decided not to lay moorings in" Evans Bay, but to endeavor as directed to winter the ship on Glacier Tongue. Strict instructions were given to Lieutenant Sten■hbtise by the commandei* ? on no a<v count to attempt to winter at Hut Point. The ship was held up, but on February 18th proceeded to the south side of the Tongue to procure water. Continual blizzards left the ship

AT THE MERCY OF WIND AND

ICE,

and finally the ship was thrown on the low sid© of the glacier and' remained there for .seven and a' -half hours, receiving a severe buffeting. She gave tip- the attempt to hang near the Tongue, .owing to danger from the. pack, and proceeded to Evans Bay and dropped anchor oft Scott's Hut. Shortage of coal precluded any further attempt to seek winter quarters. On March 10th tn* anchor dragged and the ship set close into Barne Glacier in a blizzard and

washed away oil cases and some con?. More than sufficient provisions wer^" landed at the hut- for the use of th<s whole party, sufficient for two months* Approximately the provisions left byf the Scott Expedition at Evans Capej wem ample for all the shore party'ef needs. . . ■ .'_ . NO FE.'vRS NEED BE ENTERTAINED as to food supplies for the party* I Other stoics werß at Hut Point, suffiW cient with the new depot for fouif months in " all. There were larger colonies of seals in the vicinity of all the.huts. Consequently blubber fuel vas available. There was a profusion? of provisions at Cape Royds, sufficients r tor twelve men for eighteen months* Jho clothing and. fuel were limitedbut could with resourcefulness betmade to last until relief came nexfl year. There was NO FEAR OF SCURVY with .seal, penguin, and gulls iiJ plenty." Lieut. Stenhouso asks that special assurances be made to .ill relatives off the southern party as to the suffix ciency of food. Conversation witH Jjieut. Stenhouse shows that he had been greatly worried about the appre* liensions of relatives, and iherefortf sends this spocbl message