BYRD EXPEDITION SHIPS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 February 1935, Page 5

BYRD EXPEDITION SHIPS

APPROACHING NEW ZEALAND (United Press Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph—Copyright) ABOARD THE RUPPERT, 17th Feb. At noon to-day the Jacob Ruppert was 240 miles from Dunedin and the 'Bear of Oakland about 100 miles 'astern. Preparations are being made to berth on Monday afternoon. The - Bear of Oakland will be berthed the following day. The men are becoming excited at the prospect of seeing land for the first time for fifteen months, and ragged beards are being trimmed and nondescript clothes, good enough for Antaretic wear, are being thrown overboard. • As the end of the adventurous phase of the expedition is near,* Admiral . Byrd expressed satisfaction that the dangerous operations had been carried - out without a single fatal casualty and « no serious injuries or sickness. The men added an expression of their satis- • faction that the' leader himself had performed the most hazardous task of maintaining an advance base- from . which he recovered only after serious illness.

JACOB RUPPERT BERTHED LEADER INTERVIEWED WORK NOT YET EXHAUSTED (By Telegraph—Press Association) DUNEDIN, 18th February. To a chorus of howls from fiO odd huskies. the Bvrd expedition ship Jacob Ruppert, with Admiral Byrd on hoard, berthed at Dunedin this afternoon. With her decks covered with expedition gear, with several aeroplanes ■ stowed aft, huskies chained in rows along either side and the crew still In some cases bearded and unshorn, the vessel presented a remarkable sight. Interviewed, Admiral Byrd said that ~ the scientific staff would probably be * engaged for the next three or four ' years in publishing a full survey of * experts in the various fields of research, “and yet we have not by any means exhausted the work to be done in Antarctica. “Will Igo back ? That is more than ’ I can say just- now. I don’t think - my experience last winter has per- . manently affected me physically, and ' there is nothing of that nature to pie- - vent my going back to the Antarctic, but I cannot sav now whether or not this is the end of Polar exploration for me.”