Famous Barque of the Frozen Seas

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 114, 16 May 1931, Page 5 (Supplement)

Famous Barque of the Frozen Seas

Homeward Bound!

Dear Childien. — With the recent arrive. < / the good ship, “Discovery, ’ in New Zealand waters from a cruise in'o the little-known Wastes of the great Antarctic, much interest in Polar exploration is aroused. The trackless regions of Antarctica are never inviting,' and requires strong hearts and vigorous hands to overcome its stern and rigorous climatic’vagaries. Never for a mo-1 ment is Nature unrelenting,) but always must the rage when man matches his] puny strength against her Her-j culean domination, and so we read from the log of this staunch ship the success of Sir Douglas .Mawson, underwhose able leadership the “Discovery" made her cruise,' and of the incalculable value to science this venture hast been.

Like all other voyages of exploration, the recent cruise has not been without its hardship and danger, which happily has been overcome without loss of personnel comprising scientists, geologists, biologists, aviators, a chemist, a physicist, and a meteorologist, each of whom had special data to collect, invest,* gate and record. However, children, little would be the use of such an expedition Were ii not for the ship, which made so much possible, by its staunchness, for the eminent men who had an unbounded confidence in the wooden hull of their ship. From both the inside and outside, above deck and below, the “Discovery" creates an impression of great strength, and at times during her sojourn in the Arctic, resisted ice pressure which no other ship in the world could have hoped to withstand. This famous ship is now thirty pears old, and ivas built for the special purpose of Antarctic exploration. its first voyage to the Polar regions Was made under Captain Scott, whose heroism and noble sacrifice will ever live in the annals of great men and deeds. Practically the whole of the ship’s timbers are of oak, an d these are of immense thickness and strength, especially in the bows, in aider to enable the heavy stresses met with in the frozen seas to be overcome, and also to help force a way through the thick pack-ice which has crushed many another ship to matchwood, and sent to a watery grave in Davy Jones’ locker, from which nc ship ever comes sailing home. Its task completed, the “Discovery” is now homeward bound, and perhaps of all the ships that have passed down the waterways of the world, none can claim so worthy a confidence as that expressed in the following tribute to an equally Worthy ship:— “The ‘Discovery’ will still be the same staunch vessel when many, now new, have long since ended their career.” I Wonder, dears, in conclusion, if this gallant barque of the frozen seas will again—in the pears that are to come —plough its way through the icefloes and packs io the great continent of Antarctica, engaged in yet another voyage of exploration, delving within the mysteries that call men to unravel, or has it looked its last upon the scene of its labours. IFho can fell? WENDY.