A HARDY AND HEALTHY BAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12378, 11 February 1911, Page 5

A HARDY AND HEALTHY BAND.

LIGHT EQUIPMENT. WELLINGTON, last night. The Japanese explorers who are making Wellington their last point of departure for the Antarctic (states the New Zealand Times) got no further out of the language difficulty yesterday, the interpreter not being forthcoming from H.M.S., Cambrian, as was expected. It turned out that there is nobody on board who can speak Japanese. The good services of the Chinese Consul-General, Mr Hwang, were again placed at the visitors' disposal, when that gentleman, accompanied by Mr T. W. Young (Japanese Consul) and Mrs Alex. Young went on board the Kainan Maru during the afternoon. Coaling was m progress, so that there was no opportunity of seeing the little ship at its best. While the ship itself appeared to the visiting Europeans able to stand the Antarctic weather, they were shown very little m the way of equipment for the expedition to the Pole. With the aid of a Japanese-English dictionary and a good deal of sign language, a New Zealand Times representative endeavored to obtain particulars of the food and clothing which the Southern party will depend upon to face the rigorous conditions of the great ice plateau which has to be traversed before the South Pole can be reached. It was found that there are none of the concentrated foods such as pemmican, which form so important a part of the European explorers' equipment. The Japanese intend to live just as they-do m ordinary life, save that their diet will contain more meat than usual. This will be m the form of New Zealand canned beef. Canned fish will also be taken, but the main food is to be rice. Ah for clothing, they have woollen underwear, and will be clad from head to foot m a complete suit of bearskin, of one piece. Their outfit will also in--elude waterproof overcoats of the type used m the Japanese army. The information obtained by the customs as to the goods on. board the Kainan Maru show that the principal items are the following;— Rice 90 bushels, flour 90 bags, 3 bushes wheat, 1 bag of Koya beans, 2 bag of *peas, 2 of arrowroot, 3 dozen (?casks) light wheat bread, 101 b of dried cuttle fish, '2 boxes of pastry, 40 dozen (?tins) canned meat, 12 casks of pickled plums, 143 casks of Taka-wohzuke, 12 casks of rakyo, 4 boxes of butter, 5 boxes (or cases) of meat 3 dozen cases qf sauce. There are two boxes of Koya beans (cured), two boxes of onions, two boxes of coffee, ten bags of salt, five boxes of bread rice, three sacks of potatoes, five boxes of brown bread, two boxes of tea, 601 bof tobacco (this entry was put on the list as an afterthought), and 300 bundles of charcoal for fuel. ' TWENTY-SEVEN ALL TOLD. The ship's crew consists of the following :-*-Captain, N. Nomura; chief officer, _. Takao; second officer, T. Tsuchiya; chief engineer, K. Shimzu; purser, T. Shima; boatswain, K. Sakai; carpenter, I. Jasuda; sailormen, K. Shibada, T. Fukushima, S. Takagawa, I, Sato, J. Kamada, K. Watukabe; firemen, K. Fujuhira, R. Sujicaji, S. Takatori; a total oi 16. Eleven names are given as comprising the polar party :—Lieutenant Shirase, K. Watanabe, G. Zamabe, S. Miura, S. Havamari, S. Niushi, T. Takeda, S. 'i'ada, K. Nishikawa, G. Yashino, and S. Matsumura. Lieut. Shirase is forty-three years of age but the majority of his colleagues are under thirty. The oldest man on .board is forty-three years of age; By means of exchanging notes m Chinese characters, Mr Hwang learned from the officer of the expedition that they hope to reach the King Edward Land m a month from the time of leaving Wellington,. 'X'he New Zealand Times representative was shown a bromide-print of an 'Admiralty chart, corrected to April, 1910, on which, of course, Lieut. Shackleton's route is indicated. The expedition is not provided with, an actual chart of the South Polar regions, as it was expected that one could be obtained m New Zealand. Unless this expectation turns out to be correct, the Kainan Maru will have to be navigated South of latitude 60 upon a photographic reproduction eight inches by ten inches m size. Shackleton landed at the eastern end of the Barrier, the Nimrod penetrating to latitued 77.50 . but Biscoe Bay, to the westward, and nearly two degrees more to the north, appears to be the actual object of the' Kainan Maru. This point should be ice-free later m the season than McMurdo Sound, so that the explorers may make a good landing eVen though they start from New Zealand a month later m the season than Lieut. Shackleton considered advisable. The course tentatively mapped put for the Kainan Maru lies to the westward of all marked ship's tracks, the'nearest being that taken by Sir James Ross when returning north m February, 1842. Thus it is evident that the Japanese, if they achieve success, will reach the Pole along an entirely nncrW r route. Biscoe Bay is m King Edward VII. Land, and near it is a.mountain, 1450 feet high, the only bit of identified land m the vicinity." "THE TOP OF THE POLE." "How long do you expect to take to reach the Pole," was the most important question put by Mr Hwang. The answer as translated by Mr Hwang was literally thus: "It takes.twelve months to get to tho top." Examination of the sledges shows that they are well, put together without nails, strongly braced, and exceedingly light. The running parts are of some tough, Japanese wood, faced with a narrow strip of, wrought iron," and the framework is of bamboo. ■ There are six of these useful appliances, but as only twelve dogß survived! the voyage over the equator, it will hardly be possible to have more than two sledges drawn by these animals. Any others necessary for carrying food—and all would be needed.if the commander really intends taking ten companions—must be drawn by the explorers. Such an arrangement will be a tremendous handicap from the start. "Success to the Expedition" was a toast which the visitors drank m the tiny cabin where they crowded together immediately they boarded the Kainan Maru. Whether this compliment was understood by the hosts it is impossible to say, but the indications were dubious. The visitors saw nothing but the sturdy-built vessel—the Kainan Maru is only about six months old—the dozen dogs who are m good health, and the fifty tons of coal disappearing down the bunkers. But for tho dogs and the sledges (the latter were overlooked by the party, as they are stowed away behind the steering wheel) and the sheathing of the hull, there was nothing to distinguish the little vessel from some trading schooner. The vessel boasts a special flag m honor of her mission. Its device is the Southern Cross, with one of the principal stars of the constellation missing. The remaining four are connected by bands of red. THE f JOURNEY FROM JAPAN. The log of the Kainan Maru shows that she left Tokio on November 29th and met with fine weather throughout the voyage, though rough seas were en countered when nearing New Zealand. Calm and light breezes considerably delayed her progress. The equator Wai crossed on December 29th, and New Zealand sighted on January sth, tht land being identified as Stewart Island. The the Kainau Maru sailed north tc Cape, Egmont, which was abeam, twe and a half miles distant, on Februarj 3rd. Then down the coast the trip appears to have been just as uneventful as it was before New Zealand was sighted.