THE SOUTH POLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13872, 5 October 1908, Page 6

THE SOUTH POLE.

BRITISH EXPEDITION. NIMBOD'S. SECOND TRIP. It is understood that the British Antarctic expedition ship Nimrod will leave Lyttelton on December 1 on her second; trip to the Antarctic region*. The vessel has now been in Lyttelton seven months since her return from the South, and: during that, time her officers and the men who have stayed by her have not been idle. A large amount of work has been done recently in connection with the overhauling and repairing of the vessel to fit her. to cope successfully with the elements during her coming voyage. The Nimrod will v. ship .: a ; full year's supply of stores before starting for the South, and the whole; of the remaining available space will be filled with coal. Lieutenant F. P. , Evans, R.N.R., of the Union Company, is to take the command of the vessel for the next voyag» South. The vessel will make the fullest possible use of her sails, but as she will not be towed South this time, and as a good deal of unfavourable wind will doubtless be met with, the ship will probably have to use her engines very often;; hence the need for taking as large a supply of bunker coal as possible. RELIEF SUPPLIES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ■-■■' «£■: London, August 28. Active; preparations; are in hand for the despatch of relief food supplies and equipment for Lieutenant Shackleton and his comrades to McMurdo Sound, in the Antarctic regions, where they are wintering preparatory to the sledge journeys' to the south, east, and west at the beginning of/October. The supplies from London will be shipped to Lyttelton, New Zealand, by tho s.s. Paparoa, sailing from London next week, and from Liverpool by the s.s. Surrey, /where they will be put on board the Nimrod, but moats, butter, cheese, woollen goods, etc., will be procured in New Zealand. The Nimrod will take food supplies for 38 men for one year, to provide against the possibility of being frozen in. Several well-known firms have again made handsome presents of provisions: and other goods. FRENCH EXPLORING PARTY. VOYAGE OF THE POURQUOI PAS. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ■■-.■■■ London, August 28. On Saturday out of Havre Harbour there steamed a little vessel, whose voyage is fraught with great possibilities. The name of the vessel is Pourquoi Pas, and she carries an expedition under ' the leadership of Dr. Charcot, whoso object jis to discover, if possible, the mysterious continent supposed to exist beyond. the Antarctic belt. Ho, will attempt to join hands, figuratively speaking, with the British Antarctic- expedition, which has already set out from New Zealand. When the Pourquoi Pas has taken its winter station, excursions toward the Pole will be made on motor sleighs. The Pourquoi Pas carries several of these machines, which have answered. very well in experiments with them in the Alps this spring. Captain Scott gave such excellent reports concerning the even and smooth state of the ice surf in tho regions which he explored in 1902 that French explorers consider that the motor sleigh is the proper arm with which to attack the South Pole, as the steerable balloon is probably the best means of Teaching the North Pole. The French vessel carries a, large cargo of foodstuffs. The,'food {supply includes some 12 tons of preserved meat, 22,000 bottles of wine, five tons of desiccated vegetables, six tons of flour, a ton of dried fruit, arid a ton and a-half of chocolate • and jam. There is also a large store of coal for the engines, and of petrol. For heating purposes in the winter the expedition will burn animal grease. The officers and crew are in great: spirits. v Four teen of them took part in the expedition on board the Francais, and it says something for the keenness of -the rest that there ■were no fewer than 150 applicants for their poste when Dr. Charcot appealed for men to complete his crew. . • >