QUEST EXPEDITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18549, 9 May 1922, Page 7

QUEST EXPEDITION

BATTLE WITH THE ICE. THRILLING ESCAPES. COMMANDER WILD’S NARRATIVE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, May 5. The Quest returned to South Georgia on April 4. She will sail for Capetown in June. Commander Wild cabled a vivid story of the expedition's thrilling escapes from the pack ice ana from hurricanes. Commander Wild says: “The vessel left Leith Harbour on January 15, and made a geographical examination of Cooper Bay and Larsen Harbour, in South Georgia. Leaving that island finally on January 18, we found that the charted position of the Clerke Rocks was inaccurate. We sounded and surveyed Zavosdoski Island. Proceeding eastward, we entered a sea filled with innumerable icebergs, making, in the thick weather which prevailed at night, navigation very difficult. ‘‘The ship reached the position where the Pagoda wreck was shown on the charts, but we found that the wreck did not exist. We sounded to a depth of 2950 fathoms. We encountered and entered heavy pack ice on February 4, and worked the ship with increasing difficulty through the pack until we reached the farthest south position on February 13, when we were stoppped by the jmpene--trablo pack and the rapidly-forming new ice. We were compelled to beat a rapid retreat to avoid being crushed or frozen in for the winter. Our ship did not enable us to take the latter risk. The soundings at this point showed rapid shoaling, a strong ice bank tothe south in-‘ dicating the proximity of land. Our escape was effected with the utmost difficulty, after hard and persistent efforts. “We made a second attempt to push south in February, and reached latitude 69deg 48in South, longitude Odeg Imin west. Impenetrable ice again stopped us. We then shaped a course for the appear-* ance of land observed bv Ross. We worked through several hundred miles of heavy pock ice, taking soundings. We were beset by frozen ice, when 36 miles from the RoSs ‘appearance of land.’ The temperature was at zero. Our position •was serious from the heavy ice pressure in the frozen pack, insufficiency of coal, and the unsuitability of the ship for such an experience. We detected no sign of land. After seven davs, during which we were locked in the ice, a heavy northerly swell caused the pack to open, and by'Using the full pressure of steam and by warping the ship with hawsers attached to ice anchors placed on the floes we forced the Quest to a narrow channel opening in the ice and escaped. “We reached Elephant Island and effected a landing. We killed sea elephants for fuel, made soundings, and carried out geological "examinations. An attempt to revisit Cape Wild, where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s party was marooned during the last expedition, was defeated by a violent hurricane, which drove theship northward, and she narrowly escaped being swept on to the Seal Rocks. Owing to the exhaustion of coal supplies we were compelled to return to South Georgia, which,we experienced a difficulty in reaching owing to the thick weather. “The total distance covered was 6000 miles, of which 2800 were through the ice. Repairs and the refitting of the ship are now being carried out in South Georgia.”—Times.