CAPTAIN SCOTT’S AMBITION.

West Coast Times, 21 March 1910, Page 4

CAPTAIN SCOTT’S AMBITION.

TO REACH SOUTH POLE ON DECEMBER 22, 1911. PLANS OUTLINED. LONDON, February 4. It is now possible to give a fuller outline of Captain Scott’s plans for the conquest of the South Pole. He hbpes to start in June with twenty-five men. Another twenty-eight will be picked up in New Zealand to form the landing parties. When they get to the South they will use the quarters built by Sir Ernest Shackhvton, whore twenty-two men will be landed. Six more will be landed at King Edward’s land to take metcroljigical observations and study the geography of that locality. Captain Scott hopes to reach the barrier ice in December of the present year. That wil entail a march over the ice of 800 miles and he hopes to reach the Pole on or before December 22nd, 1911 Captain Scott is anxious to get to the Pole on that date because at the summer solstice observations will be taken which will enable the situation of the Pole Uo be very accurately determined. If all goes well they should get back to the landing place about April 1912, and be able to return to England in the same year. The main journey for the Pole, said Captain Scott this week, would probably start in October, 1911, They had to travel over 80 miles and the probability was that they could not do more than ten or fifteen miles a day. With the various moans of traction he hoped they would be able t» carry a great quantity of food over 200 or 300 miles to the south over the great ice abrrier and make a big depot there ,and from that place he hoped not only to send or go, with a party to the South Pole, but also to send other parties in various directions, to do a dea Ibf exploring. If he could not get to the Pole at the first attempt he hoped to do it the next year. When they got their base established the party would riot leave that place until the thing was done. He did not say it in any boasting, but; the main thing was to lay down plans so that some British subject should be the first to reach the Sjouth Pole.