AN INTREPID EXPLORER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2949, 21 September 1910, Page 18

AN INTREPID EXPLORER.

I INTERESTING PERSONALITY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 15. A most interesting personality is Mr C. H. Mear.es, who arrived to-day in charge of the transport department of the Antarctic expedition. He looks young in years, but he has managed to erowd into his life more travel and experience than most of us would care to contemplate. A Press interviewer found it extremely difficult to get Mr Mear.es to talk about himself, but by dint of hard questioning he extracted tome few details of a life which has had some thrilling moments. Mr Meares confesses to being a- much-travelled man. Which countries have you visited ? tht reporter asked him. Mr Meares apparently found it easier to indicate the portions of the globe he had not seen. " I haven't been in South America or Central America, and this is my first vieit to Australia and New Zealand." But it seems that Mr Meares has spent some years as a fur trader in a climate which approximates to that of the chill Antarctic. He has explored in China and Tibet, and driven by a sheer love of adventure, has penetrated and mapped regions in which the civilised white had never previously set foot. He has driven his own sledge dogs, and is probably the best living British exponent of that intricate art. The interview took nlace in a launch coining from Quarantine Island after Mr Meares and Lieutenant Bruce had ; left the horses and dogs snug for the night. Asked how he became connected I with the Antarctic expedition, Mr Meares ' said that he had done a good deal of work for the Geographical Society, and when he returned from an exptdition in August, 1909, some members of the society recommended him to interview Captain Scott if he desired to add a polar visit to his other experiences. He at once interviewed Captain Scott, who said that a more definite decision could be given in a month's time. When Mr Meares returned he was definitely engaged lor the expedition, and shortly afterwards he left for Siberia to gather the necessary horses and dogs. He started from England in January, and travelled by the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostock. His journey to Nicolevsk, where he performed the most practical part of his mission, was a fairly arduous one, fully 900 miles being done in dog sledges. The people met with provided in some ways a study in contrasts, Russians. Siberians, various Indian tribes, and others being encountered. His only comment on them was that it was now a relief to get into a part of the world where one could leave property lying about and still be sure of finding it safe when one returned. Mr Meares has nothing but appreciation for the assistance given him by the Russian officials in Siberia. The Gover-nor-general of Eastern Siberia did everything to help that lay in his power, from the provision of special trains and a corps of soldiers to special passes over the roads. Most people will regard the feat of bringing 31 dogs and 19 horses all the way from Siberia without a single loss as a remarkable one. Mr Meares , modestlv attributes the success of Lieuj tenant Bruce and himself to wonderfully j good fortune, but no doubt the careful j attention the animals received conI tributed in no small degree to their safe transportation. The attendants were 1 sometimes at them day and night, and j the veterinary knowledge which Mr Meares has accumulated during his expeI ditionary travels came in handily at j times. 'The horses were kept going oi h:.y and bran, with a small allowance : of oats, during their long voyage. The

dogs, Mr Meares explained, were Giliak dogs, and practically trfe same breed as would be found all over Siberia, though •bach tribe gave it a different name. He had been careful to pick out the strongest and hardest workers, and as they were all trained to sledge work, one might look forward to good results being achieved by them. They were very powerful animals, and even after their voyage it took all a man's strength to hold them.

At this moment the sound of furious barking was borne over the waters to the launch. " Feeding time," Mr Meares interpreted. " Between the dogs and the horses they will make a good row." The three attendants brought from Russia Mr Meares said were most reliable men. It was rather interesting to hear him talk to them in their own tongue. The h&ad horseman is a Russian named Anton. His assistant is Cedor—a Polb. Demetri, the dog boy, is a youth from Saghalin. A couple oi bizzaTe-looking musical instruments bearing a resemblance to the guitar were lying on the jetty. Mr Meares kindly explained that they were " ba.laleika." and were the property of Anton, who is a singer, dancer, and musician. The balaleika, Mr Meares said, has a singularly sweet tone, and has become a' tremendous craze in London lately. It is possibls that Anton and Demetri will go down to the Antarctic with the party.

Mr Meares brought some dog sledges with him from Siberia, and it is his intention to fit them up on the island and give his dogs some practice and work thbm up into teams. The sledges are fitted with long runners, and are tied together with seal hide rope. There is a good deal oi " give ' about them, so that they work over depressions and eminences without sustaining strain or damage. Just before embarking on this Polar expedition Mr Meares had returned from a Tibetan exploration tour, which he undertook with the ill-fated Lieutenant Brookes. They explored a lot of new country on the extreme frontier between China and Tibet, particularly the land occupied by the " eighteen tribes." They did a lot of map-making x shot a number of new animals, and secured many new floral specimens. The murder of Lieutenant Brookes is now a matter of history. The expedition divided into two parts" to explore the Lolo country, Lieutenant Brookes going one way and" Mr Meares the other. It appeared that Lieutenant Brookes travelled right across the country, and found that the people were very friendly and interested. On the way back he met" a young chief and a band of men, and Lieutenant Brookes suggested that they should come along as an escort. The chief aigreed, and everything had a fair appearance. What followed seems to have been the result of a fatal misunderstanding. Lieutenant Brookes patted the chief on the shoulder, and the young man thought that either he was being insulted or that Lieutenant Brookes intended to strike him. He drew a loner knife, and made a murderous attack on the unfortunate officer, who, in self-defence, had to shoot his assailant. The expeditionary party was then overwhelmed, only two being left alive. One of these was so badly cut about that he was buried for dead "with the others, but in two days he recovered consciousness, and managed to extricate himself. Some time afterwards Mr Meares penetrated in search of his companion, and his discovery of the two survivors, who Jiad been enslaved, brought out the whole traieic story. The men were liberated, and the body of the unfortunate Lieutenant Brookes was recovered and removed bv Mr Meares.

A previous expedition undertaken bv Mr Meares took him up to the source of the Yalu. a river -which became historical during the Russo-Japanese war. It lie.s between Korea .ind Manchuria, ' and waters some verv fine country. The timber in that part was real]'- the cause, of the outbreak of war. Mr Meares has had some experience of the Korean, and regards him as a most hopeless person. " The laziest neople on the face of-the earth." was his description Tie agrees with others in statin? that Japan is shaking the Koreans out of their lethargic laziness, and that the Koreans are no* enfoving the process, which is not gentle. The nmscects of <he expedition were only brieflv referred to. bnt'it was evident that Mr Meares and his eomrvinion n sincere hope, mingled with <-oTifidenre. that the effort to plant the T'nion Jack at the South T>ole would on this occasion h" successful. The partv, Mr Meares said, would be prcm rPf l to sta ,r for three vear? and a-bj»lf in Antarctica. An 1o vpa/'libi" the T>ol<\ it was largely a onest'on of luck, as weather unset the best laid plans. The prepara- + i'r>Ti,s had sible, and thev could onlv hope that forni"f would be kind.

\Jr Aff>,irna ?)"<] P»"nCC ~' site<l this "vfn'"". Mr Mwires returns in Onnvn f V.lnnrl to-Tnoircw. nnrl will nrobablv t.nkr> ut) his residence there for a -week or two.