THE SOUTH POLE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14348, 28 October 1910, Page 2

THE SOUTH POLE.

. A GENEROUS DONATION. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. SYDNEY, Oct. 27. At the Lord Mayor’s dinner to Captain Scott, Mr. Samuel Hordern notified that he had made a donation of £2500 to the expedition funds. He had asked that this be kept a secret until the Commonwealth Government had arrived at a decision regarding the request for a similar sum. THE TERRA NOVA. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 27., The British Antarctic expedition ship Terra Nova is making her way leisurely up the coast, but up till late to-night , she had not been sighted from Lyttelton Heads. The ulimaroa and tho Maori, which arrived this morning from Port Chalmers, both passed the Terra Nova during the night. They reported a fairly heavy head 1 sea, which, while it could not hold them back, would no doubt delay tho smaller vessel. Immediately the vessel is sighted from Lyttelton Heads the Harbour Board’s tug Canterbury will go out to meet her, and she will be brought in at once to tho wharf by the pilot. STILL EXPECTED. LYTTELTON, Oct. 27. The Terra Nova, which will take Captain Scott and his comrades to the Antarctic regions, has been expected in Lyttelton all this afternoon, but she hat disappointed her friends hero, and had not put in an appearance up to midnight. It is thought that she is coming along the coast under sail, and will probably arrive early to-mor-row morning. ■ > TERRA NOVA ARRIVES. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28. The Terra Nova was signalled from , Lyttelton Heads shortly before nine o’clock, and by 10.30 was in port. She ‘ had a head sea and wind up the coast, and in the early morning had to battle , against a strong nor-west gale. A GREAT WELCOME TO CAPTAIN SCOTT. WELLINGTON, Oct. 27. Tho hearty nature of the citizens’ welcome in the concert chamber of the Town Hall last evening must have convinced Captain Scott that the people of this country are in full sympathy with his aims and aspirations. The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P.) presided, and oh the platform with him were Captain Scott, Mrs. Scott, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward and Miss Ward Mrs- Wilford, and'most of-the councillors and their wives. “I want to teD Captain Scott,” said the Mayor, “that we welcome him to this city, and hope he will have an even more successful expedition than, his’most sanguine hopes can imagine, and that he will reach tho point which has been the goal of so many intrepid- and mighty explorers —the Pole which has no being.”—(Applause.) , The Mayor gave a short history of former, expeditions, specially '■ mentioning that led by Captain_ Scott, and’ enumerated the 1 various foreign ex- 1 peditions now on the way to the Antarctic or mooted. He referred to the ~ possibilities of'wireless telegraphy. It ; was. gratifying to think, they might at times receive news of tile progress of the party. To lead such an expedition a man must have great courage, tenacity of purpose, iron determination, great strength, of character, and tho best of health, and he felt sure Captain Scott had proved himself to ho a worthy son of tho groat British Empire.—(Applause.) He wished Captain Scott and the expedition God-speed, and hoped the results would be an undoubted success.—(Applause.) _ “I would like to say on behalf of the people of New Zealand that we very heartily welcome Captain Scott and wish him the greatest possible success in the extraordinary enterprise he is engaged upon,” said the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward). Captain Scott was typical not only of the representatives of the best portions of the British race, but of the navy. He hoped Captain Scott would plant the British flag at the South Pole.—(Applause.) No doubt wireless telegraphy would prove a boon to the world at large? but m re-, gard to communication with the great. Southern regions ho thought it would rob such expeditions of a good deal of their charm and romance. He was glad Captain Scott had recognised that_ a New Zealander was worthy of being included among the party of many-sided scientists of the expedition—(Applause.) . , . ... Captain Scott, who greeted with deafening applause, said it was indeed an honour to bo welcomed with such speeches, but what ho appreciated more was the hearty clapping of those assembled. On approaching Now Zealand he had had n feeling which ho had only experienced on approaching the, shores of England from former voyages. It was, the fooling that he was coming to a homo.—(Applause.) It sprang from tho time when lie was hero ten years ago. He came a stranger and left on his voyage South feeling that he had left behind friends in every part of the country. This fooling was no small thing to a man engaged in such a venture. Referring to" the wireless telegraphic scheme, ho said he did not think a station at the Bluff would allow of-com-munication to such a distance 06 the expedition was going. Sir E. Shackleton had nerfonned one of tho 1 most brilliant feats in the Polar regions, and ho received his first welcome, in Now Zealand after that expedition. There was n clear path left-to the Pole, and ho (Cnntain. Scott) saw what a dainty morsel it would be for other nations. l He saw that if Britain did not announce another expedition some other country would. He had. then set to work to organise a party, and one by one others had come forward to, support him. For tho knowledge required for tho occasion and above all for the spirit required, ho believed the members of the present expedition had never been surpassed. ,: Mr. Thomson was not the ( solo New Zealand representative; there wore two seamen in the crew hailing from New Zealand, and ho honed before the Terra Nova sailed there would bei some .more.—(Applause.) Ho heartily thanked them for the welcome.—(Applause.)