BACK FROM THE FROZEN SOUTH.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12184, 27 March 1909, Page 8

BACK FROM THE FROZEN SOUTH.

(Continued from page 5.) ; ■ again on the way south, searching every inlet and ncok he arrived at the spot j where the northern party had come to camp oniy 16 hours earlier. He sighted , the tent, fired a double detonator, and "the three men came rushing out. Mawson immediately fell down a crevasso, and held up on a snow abutment 20 feet below, .and was pulled out by a party from the ship, so that in a moment the •gloomy prospect in front of them was changed and they were in comfort. Previously to picking up the northern party, continued Lieut. Shackleton, in answer to further questions, as the Nimrod was steaming across McMurdo Sound on the 24th of January A HELIOGRAPH WAS OBSERVED FLASHING IN THE WESTERN SHORE. Pushing through the broken pack jco Captain Evans picked up the western party, consisting of Armytage, Brockle- • hurst and Priestley. His party had been exploring and doing " geological work in the west. On the 22nd they were camped off Butter Point on the apparently fast ice. Waking up on the morn ins? of the 23rd they found the ice had broken up in the night and THEY WERE DRIFTING NORTH ON A FLOE. - Fortunately the current set south that night, and at midnight one corner of the floe touched land ice, and iii three minutes they had all their equipments across into safety and immediately after the flee went north to the open Pea for good. Next day they observed the ship in the distance 11 miles 1:' a£^ holographed to her. When the ship first arrived in McMurdo Sound on January sth, Captain Evans dispatched a carty of four men with MeTntosh in charge to CONVEY THE MAILS TO CAPE ROYD& ■over the apparently fast ice. The same night two of the men returned to the ship, and continuing; the next day Mclntosh found the ice breaking up. By jumping from floe to floe they just managed to reach land ice with the mail bags in safety, After remaining nearly a week by Mount Bird they decided to push .overland across the mountains to Cape Boyds, 28 miles distant. They got into very much crevassed country, and McGILLAN FELL DOWN A CREVASSE, being hauled up by Mclntoshy who improvised a rope out of a belt and a bit or line. All. the equipment was lost in - this crevasse, except a camera and a stick of chocolate. However, they p'sh«d on, - glissading down ice slopes amongst crevasses, and eventually reaching the vicinity of Cape Royds in a blizzard the following day, where they werg found greatly exhausted by Day, who happened to have left th© •v*" t **"* time they were not aware that they were so close to the hut, and were

WALKING ROUND AND ROUND IN A CIRCLE^ trying to keep warm. Captain Evans, with the Nimrod; had arrived at Cape s?y*i on the Cth March, and hearing that Mclntosh was " not there left at -once in search. ; ' -

THE NIMROD WAS CAUGHT IN , THE'PACKn v.r ■< -and subjected to\ fe^ere pressure* *fpr ten days. Eventually she was extri--oated and returned to Royds. Asked - regarding theGENERAL RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. Lieut. Shackleton said that the geology of the/ country had naturally been well looked after, as they had three geologists on board—-Professor David. *-A*»S., Douglas , Mawson, 8.E., and B.Sp., and Raymour Priestley. Very gocd collections were made, hut at the present moment we cannot~Say the full value of the various finds. Because they nave to be examined microscopically in the Biological Department There is a ■-distinct new feature in the finding of ith^l '■■■ ■ ■■--'.•'• - ■■ '■-■■■•■ <■■■: -■ ■■ ■ ■■

MICROSCOPIC ANIMALS IN THE ■ .-.:_.-..,.-.:.: LAKES. ■ .■ -■■; ~ .

Murray, the* biologisf^is an authority *on this particular .branch. One, peculiar thing about the rotiferos isi>hat instead oi: laying eggs as they do in temperate --climates they bring forth their young alive, and th«y pan exist in the very lowest temperatures and e^n in ice, and yet water of 200 degree! heat will >Tiot kill them. Professor David considers that the < METEOROLOGICAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION GAINED are one of the most important features -of the scientific work, aad will be ess,pecially important to New Zealand and Australia, as the upper currents of atmosphere have an effect on Australasian weather. The observations of the steam cloud on Mount erebus - nave been of great importance in determining the direction of movements of the upper currents of the atmosphere. Every other of the physical *«nd scientific branches have been carefully worked at. It is interesting to note that the Now Zealand and Australian magnetieiaris predicted good auroral displays in the south, and we had exceptionally ' brilliant aurorae. In fact, we have a -photograph taken wifh an ordinary camera which shows distinctly the auroral light. As regards zoology, Mr Joyce lcoked particularly after this branch, ; and vre flavo • ,■■■■• ,■ ' '••• ■-'*'<'- ■ • ' A GOOD COLLECMON OF PENGUINS AND SEALS. Various museums.in Australasia will "be given specimens of the fauna and - geological collections, also the marine animals. As far as exploration is cpn- ' corned the expedition has beeri etninent"ly successful. No one, of course> is ever satisfied with his work, but certainly as adding something to our knowledge of the Far South the Expedition has been successful.

IT HAD BRAWN BACK THE VEIL A LITTLE MORE from the four million square miles that lias Been hidden from man ub to the present. There is one thing" we are certain of, and that is the geographical ; Pole is situated on a high plateau which experiences the coldest and stormiest weather in the "world, whore in the height of summer it is possible -■ to get 70 deg. of frost, and one can realise a little from this what tne weather must be like in the winter. In answer to a question regarding the WORK OF THE STAFF, Lieut. Shackleton said that everybody got on splendidly together. Everyone not only was interested in his own department, biit ready to help in other departments when the need arcse. The man who had gone down there to engage in a particular branch of science v/as quite willing to give a hand whereever it was wanted. Yes, it is always possible to do everything in the world, said Lieut. Shackleton, even to reach the boulh Pole. We gained a great deal naturally from the Discovery's expedition, and the next man will gain much from this expedition. There remain ony 27 miles to be done, and ono thing is certain, that the food must be Increased if the party are to do the distance, because on a plateau such as that with intense cold, our food was nob sufficient.