VETERAN OF THE ANTARCTIC

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1930, Page 2

VETERAN OF THE ANTARCTIC

WITH SCOTT AND SHACKLETON. DEATH OF MR. HARRY AIcNEISH. One of the few who luj,ve taken part in two expeditions to the Antarctic, Mr. Harry AlcNeish, died in the AVellington Hospital on Wednesday at the age of 64 years. He had been in the Ohiro Home for some years, and went into the hospital about a week ago. He wms a member, says the Dominion, of expeditions to Antarctica led by both Scott and Shackleton. Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 1866, the late Air. AlcNeish served his time in a shipbuilding yard at Port Glasgow, and while there was stroke in the best crew of the Port Glasgow Rowing Club. The first ship in which he went to sea was the Barfillaii, a three-masted squarerigged ship of 2508 tons. After expelience on other vessels he joined theNavy and was a ship’s carpenter for 23 years. He then went to Dundee and worked on the building of the expedition ship Discovery, which was to go south with Captain Scott. Mr. AlcNeish joined her as carpenter, the trip lasting two years and three months from Port Chalniers. Captain Scott got only as far as the Beardmore Glacier on that occasion. Mr. AlcNeish was on the Discovery at Hut Point until Captain Scott returned, his party being too late to get the ship out, so they had to spend another winter there. For eight mouths they were cutting through miles of ice, and op the' Jay that tlie ice disappeared the ships Morning and Terra Nova Iwve in sight. Returning to England, Air. AlcNeish served with the Royal Alail Line, whqn he was called to join the Endurance as capenter for another Antarctic expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton, i The Endurance sailed for the Soqth Pole on August 15, 1914, and Air. AlcNeish. shared the adventure of the crew when she was crushed in the ice in the AA’eddel Sea in October, 1915, and when the crew dragged three of the best boats over the ice for about 20 miles to open water, the 28 men then setting sail for Elephant Island. When after a stay of four days at Elephant Island six men set sail for South Georgia, Air. AlcNeish was made sailing master by Sir -Ernest Shackleton. After landing Shackleton walked over to the whaling station for assistance, and Air. AleNeish returned to England with the first whaler. He then went to sea with the New Zealand Shipping Company, making about five trips to the Donfinion. Finally he worked his passage to New Zealand with the intention of settling here. Later he became an inmate of the QJiiro Home. One of Air. AlcNeish’s most treasured possessions was a small diary, dogeared and stained. The first entry is dated “South Georgia, December p, 1914,” with some entries in a shaky hand. The final entry is in tfie firm hand of Sir Ernest Shackletqn, who gave the following order to Air. AlcNeish;— “May 16, South Georgia. H. AlcNeish. Sir, —I am about to try and reach Hpsljiv oq the east coast of this island for relief fpr our party. I -am leaving you in charge of tfie party consisting of Vincept, McCarty and yourself. You will remain here until relief arrives. You have ample seal food, which you can supplement with birds and fish according to your skill. You are left with a double-barrelled gun, 50 cartridges, 40 to 50 Bovril sledging rations, 40 Streimers nut food; you also have all tfie necessary equipment to support life for an indefinite period. In the event of my non-return you had better, after winter is over, try aqj sail round to the East Coast. The course I ftiu making toward Husvik is East Magnetic. 1 trust to have you relieved i’ l a few days. Yours faithfully, E. H. Shackleton.”