The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-05-24

schooner Kainan Maru arrived in
Sydney Harbor yesterday afternoon,
She has on board IL Japanese scient-
lists, and the vessel is direct from
Coulman Island, which is well within
the Antarctic Circle. An attempt was
to have been made to reach the South
Role, but the weather was unfavorable.
Captain Nomura said, however, that
another attempt would shortly Oe
made. Iq,lR
Lieutenant Shirase is the leader of
the exploring party, and associated
with him are S. Musho doctor E.
Tada (secretary), G. Nishikawa, T.
Takeda, Y. Yashina, s. Marumatui, K.
Miura, K. Watanabe, Y. Yamabe, and
S. Hanamori. None speak English
except with difficulty
The explorers stated that they left
Wellington IN ~ on February II,
and, sailing south, the ship met terri
Ele weather. The sea was mountain
Gus, the wind blew in gales, and the
temperature fell very low. On March
Ia they arrived off Coulman Island
latitude "a deg. s., long. III deg. e..
1t was intended to make a dash from
here for the South Pole, but 10 of the
Esquimaux dogs which were brought
had died of sickness and the cold.
The sea was freezing and icebergs
were all round After staying in the
vicinity of the island for four days, the
idea of trying to reach the Pole was
abandoned for the time being, and the
vessel turned and sailed back to Sgd
ney. Until three days before reach
ing port she experienced violent
weather necessarily, but she sailed
well, and at no time was recourse had
to the engines with which the schoon-
er is equipped to supplement the pow
er Of the sails.
The scientists were invited to give
further details as to the object of the
expedition and the equipment of the
party. They replied that they had
sledges, and that meteorology and
photography were subjects in which
they were interested.
''More than that cannot say" an
nounced Captain Nomura. 81 must
keep my secret" The vessel will
probably remain in Sydney some
weeks, but no definite information
on this point was offered.
What the Explorers Intended.
Though they are disinclined to tell
the world the plans by which they
Hoped to reach the Pole, the explorers
intentions were made known before
they left Japan. Lieutenant Shirase
then stated:
"At Wellington the expedition will
take in a supply of coal and provis-
ions, and enter the Antarctic Sea; and
after proceeding 2172 miles, strug-
Cling with icebergs and foes will,
it is hoped, reached Edward VII. Bay
about the middle of February. There
the expedition party win land, and the
ship will return Immediately to Well
ington, as it was considered dangerous
for the vessel to stop in the Antarctic.
the party will carry out ex-
plorations on shore for about seven
before making the dash for
the Pole, spending the winter strug
Cling with the severe cold. On Seu
TENDER Is, when winter will have end
ed, the PARTY will proceed southwards,
it is hoped, a distance of
over 500 miles over the ice in 155
days. They will return to the rem
devious by the latter part of Febru-
airy, 1912. BY this time their vessel
will have returned to Edward VII.
Day from Wellington, and will receive
the party. On arriving in New Zealand
fuel and water will be taken in, and
the expedition will arrive back in
Japan in July, 1912. The time occu-
pied by the expedition is estimated at
one year and nine months"
unprecedented Herolsm."
The explorers are being backed by
a scientific society in Japan, and, as
tie expedition was setting out, Count
Ckuma (the PRESIDENT paid a high
tribute to the gallantry of the ad-
and to the value of the
work they were undertaking.
Count Okuma said the heroic enter
prise of Lieutenant Shirase was a
more sublime and greater undertake
ng in the interests of science than
he action of brave man who stood
CONTINUED on page tWelve.)