THE COLONIST. Published Every Mornings. Saturday.March 27. 1909. ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.'

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12499, 27 March 1909, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Every Mornings. Saturday. March 27. 1909. ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.'

The result of the Nimrod Antarctic expedition's work marks , another important step in the progress of science:' The report of Lieutenant Shackle^ ton. and his gallant company merits? . more attention that it apears to receive outside the comparatively narr row circle of those to. whom all 'things relating to the advancement of science are mat-' ters of particular interest.. The de-i finite locating of the South Magnetic! Pole is an achievement of the greatest , importance to science. The news of the success of the expedition, and of the safety and good health of its members will be particularly welcome in.. New Zealand, as a southern contemporary ptvts it, "the jumping off place for this daring plunge into the unknown." The Dominion has been identified more' c: less closely with Antarctic exploration in recent expeditions, in the way of representatives on the vessels that, have sailed from this country to the unknown regions, monetary subscriptions, etc., and New. Zealanders being last to speed the parting guests, have also been , the firsi> to welcome them back to civilisation. Leading up to, and to some extent making possible" Lieutenant Shackleton's notable feat, the work of the previous expedition under Captain Scott,- was the most successful up to that time. The proposal for the despatch of that expedition was made in 1898, originating with the Royal Society, and the details were carried, out jointly by the Royal Society and the Royal Georgraphical Society, the British Government making a grant of £45,000 towards the expenses, an equal sum being subscribed publicly.. The ship Discovery was specially built for the work, and she sailed from England in August, 1901. The expedition made its- final departure for the Polar regions from Lytelton on December 21st, 1901. The task to be carried out was to determine as far as possible the natural conditions and extent of the particular portion of the Antarctic area assigned to it, to make a magnetis survey in the southern regions to the south of the 40th parallel and to carry out meteorological, oceauographic, A^obgical and physical investigations v.:d researches. The Discovery entered the pack-ice oh' January 3rd, 1902, and,penetrated to 77deg. 48min. south. From her a sledge party, under Captain Scott, eclipsed all previous records by reaching latitude 82deg. 17mins. Scuth.; . Lieutenant Shackleton was with Captain Scott and Dr. Wilson on this memorable journey, which lasted for. 94 days, a month of which was.oc cupied in double journeys owing to the relay work. It was a most wonderful exhibition of pluck and endurance, and will long live in the annals of Antarctic exploration. The party started fiom the ship on November 2nd with the intention of pushing southwards over the great ice barrier. After eight days' sledging they reached the depot, which had .been laid down sixty miles to the southward of the ship by a previous sledge party. After the .party, left the depot their troubles com'reenced. The dogs were so much "weakened that after a fortnight the sledges had to be hauled in relays. This work lasted for 29 days, and during that time the dogs gradually died off. By slow stages the intrepid party pushed on until reaching latitude 80 deg. 30min. South, and here a clepot waa established. This enabled th< sledges to 'be lightened, and the explorers pushed on till the record dis.tance South, 82deg. 17min., was ' reached, "and the party had to re-

trace their steps. The ship was reached after an absence of 94 days. Lieutenant Shackleton, proceeding fiom the point where Captain Scott had perforce to desist, has added greatly to our store of information concerning this remarkable region. The precise nature and the extent of the discoveries, of course, will not be known until the scientists accompanying the expedition have had time to collate their records, but from the nariative related by Lieutenant Shackleton to the Press Association it is manifest that the results will be of no ordinary value. To use the Lieutenant's words, the expedition has drawn back the veil a little more from the four million square miles which have been hidden from man up to the present. The work of the next expedition, in finding the plateau upon which Lieutenant Shackleton is convinced the geographical South Pole is situated, will be vastly lightened by the Nimrod' s experience.