The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1909. BRITISH PLUCK.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13863, 27 March 1909, Page 4

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1909. BRITISH PLUCK.

The story of the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica has been summarised for our readers in the cables received from London, extracted from the leader's messages to the "Daily Mail," and in the concise account of Lis great journey towards the South Polo telegraphed from Christchureh by the Press Association. The fuller narratives which Christchureh papers were able to publish supply more detail, but the broad results of the expedition have been stated'in the "Herald;" Lieutenant Shackleton and ihree others of his party, by dint of severe hard work and the valuable assistance of Manchurian ponies, managed to reach a " farthest south" only 112 miles from the geographical pole, and by dint of more hard work and resistance to starvation managed to get back again. The addition made to geographical knowledgo by this desperately courageous excursion seems to be, mainly, that tho region about the South Pole consists of a plateau of considerable altitude (perhaps 10,000 feet above sea level), in contrast with the watery covering of the North Pole region; that between the pole and the ice-cap margin south of New Zealand there are high mountain ranges, in some of which coal seams and limestones exist (in lat. 85.5). The latter fact may be paralleled with the existence of lignites and limestones far north on the western coast of Greenland, ami of fossils of warm-climate plants and animals ill Spitsbergen in lat. 80 N, A second adventurous journey was that by Mr Mawson and two others to tho magnetic polb, in lat. 72.45, long. 145, which required a journey of .250 mileo on the Barrier ice and then 200 mi lea inland, and a climb upon a. plateau seven or eight thousand feet high. The party reached a spot where tho magnet pointed "south" by standing on end, and their object was attained. The position of this pole was approximately known before, l>y the convergence of the lines of variation of tho compass. A third important excursion was an ascent of- the volcanic Mt. Erebus, w.hose activity appears to be about on a par with that of Ngauruhoo before the refcent eruption, but on a somewhat larger scale proportionate to the larger bulk and greater height of the mountain. The zoologists nicked up sonic curious creatures, in the fresh and salt waters; and the study of the structure of the icebergs and of tho movements of the land .ico has brought out sonic interesting points. 3!uch importance is attached to tho meteorological and magnetic observations regularly made, as is done by every expedition with any pretensions to a scientific character; but what use is made of the volumes of figures they bring back is a mystery. ' From tho popular point of view the most valuable relics of the expedition will bo the, photographs, plate and 'film, thai; were, taken, which will no doubt bo published presently. The practical useful.. results, scientific or other, must after all be very small indeed. But one result, worth all tho rest put together, is the stimulating satisfaction that, by a. record performance iiu tho cheerful and successful endurance of the greatest Lard shins on hazardous expeditions, Britisliers havo maintained their olden claim to bo first and foremost amongst explorers Of tho waste, places ot tho earth, a claim which seemed to be in some danger of being wrested from them by Nansens, John nnsens, Mikelsens, Sven Mcdins, and utliers bearing foreign appellations.