AURORA'S MEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11927, 9 February 1917, Page 7

AURORA'S MEN.

«. THE MAROONED EXPLORERS. TWO YEARS SPENT IX THE ANTARCTIC. 190 DAYS WITH THE SLEDGES. OUTBREAK OF SCURVY. j THREE MEMBERS OF PARTY j LOST. j j ('By Wireless from Aurora.). | '" | Copyrigh-.---Sii- Ernest Shackleton. j WELLINGTON. February 8. j The following report narrates the , experiences of ibe. party left behind in j \ Ross Sea- wlnni ;li ( > Aurora ivas carried I away in a drift of pack ice. :•-- | March 'J2. IDlo. All parlies back at S Hut Point, some frostbitten. There | have been cons:ant blizzards, with | temperatures down to minus tiO. Laid ! the bluff depot 79dcg so\ith latitude | li.'>9deg east longitude. The farthest" i depot was laid in SOdeg south. Six- | teen dogs died on 'die trail. < ; It was June 1 before the party ; reached (.'ape Evans, owing to couI stant blizzards breaking the newlyi formed ice. 'i hey found the Aurora j gone. There were ample provisions j of fish, meat and blubber, hut. a dearth i of clothing. | Owing to the death of dogs sledging i started earlv. On September 1 con- : timious .sledging was begun by relays i io .Mount llojx-. which was reached j January L'G, 11H.G. i : January L'2.- - The Rev A. P. Spe?i- \ I cer-Smith broke down with scurvy. } j General symptoms of -scurvy appearing i j iho greatest possible speed wa.s made | j homeward. Spohc-or-Smith was, lathed j ion a sledge, ("aptain Mackintosh was j ; badly attacked but. managed to keep ! | his feet. Good speed was. made over! ■ the next hundred and eighty miles, j ! Afterwards, the strain telline, marches j ; <iccre;used and the hours marched were i i longer. Eleven miles from the Bbtll' j ; depot, on. February 17. the party was ■ ! overtaken by a furious bliz/.ard, lasting j | fourteen days. t>n the sixth day pro- j i visions wore practically exhausted. A ; '■ successful attempt 'was made to reach ! ! the depot. .Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith [ j and Havward were lashed on sledges, • j Joyce, Richards and Wild and four i ■ dogs pulling. | j March 7.- Captain "Mackint-o-sh was! i left behind, with provisions at- his own ! ! request, t-o enahlo the other sick men j | to reach safety. j I Miarch o.—Spencer-Smith died. I I March 11.—-Reached Hut- Point, j | .March IS. After returning for Mae-: I kintosh Wui point wa,s safely reached, j j The total sledging period was IDO days i I and the distance travelled lotiO statute; ' -1,-- ' I I miles. , ; j The ice between Hut point and Cape | i Lvaiis- was repea-edly blown out. At j 1 the beginning of May there wa.s a calm j ! period. Mackintosh mid Hay ward i i were on;-. A .sudden blizzard overtook | j them. The young ice broke "up audi I drove north. j May IP.--The remainder of the party i i at Hut- point, anxious for these two. j ; followed their tracks ind found them | I nbrupilv tenninaling at open water. i The wor«* fr>ara i\ ere confirmed is hen I j the nartv reached Cape Evans on July j : I.', and 'found that. Mackintosh and : Havward had not arrived. Search, made after returning disclosed no j | traces of the. missing men. j I January 10. KM 7. -The Aurora ar-j ' rived at Cape Evans, picked up the i ! seven survivors, aud learned of tne j ! loss of Mackintosh and Hayward rjch'.- j ; loonths previously. Whilst recogn.s-; ■ iie- the hopelessness of wicccss m hint- j ! io- traces the Aurora remained untill j ! I-Moayv 10 rnakinir an examination of \ ! the remainder of the unsearched part | '■ „r M'Murdo SfMnd and as far north ] : as Granite Harbour. whilst Captain j ! Davis landed with search parties but j | no traces were discovered. ;