The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-03-15

zero Fahrenheit). | had expected
hurricane after hurricane, but | OBJ
served only two moderate storms and
many excellent auroras-Australias
in all directions
The sanitary conditions were Of the
best all the winter and when the sun
returned on the cath of August he met
the men sound in mind and body,
ready TO set about the task that had
to be solved. Already, the day be-
fore, we had brought our sledges to
the starting place for our march to,
ward the south. Only In beginning
Of September did the temperature
rise to such an extent that there was
any question Of setting out.
First Start for the Pole.
On the Sth Of September eight
men. with seven sledges, ninety dogs,
and provisions for four months, start
ed. The ground was perfect. The
temperature was not bad. The next
day 1t appeared that VT had started
too early, as the temperature OF the
following days fell and was kept
steady between minus so and 60 Gel.
sius (5S degrees and IS degrees below
zero ~Fahrenheitl. Personally, we did
not suffer at all from this cold. Our
good furs protected US. But with our
dogs it was a different matter. 1t
would easily be eel that they shrank
from day to day, and we understood
pretty soon that they could not stand
the long run to our depot at so de,
grees south.
We agreed on returning and to
wait for the arrival Of spring. The
provisions were cached, and off we
went for the hut. With the exception
of the loss of a few dogs and a couple
Of frozen heels everything was all
right.
Only in the middle OF October
spring came in earnest. Seals and
birds appeared. The temperature
was steady between 20 and 80 Gel,
sius (6S degrees and sc degrees Fab,
renheiO. The original plan that all
Of us should 90 toward the South Pole
had been changed. Five men had to
do this work, while the other three
were to start for the east and visit
King Edward VII. Land.
This last mentioned trip was not in.
cluded in our program, but, owing tc
the fact that the English had not
reached It, at least this summer, as
was their intention, we agreed that
the best thing to do was also to make
this trip.
On October 20 the southern party
st~arted--fve men, four sledges, fifty
two dogs, and provisions for foul
months-everything in excellent or
der.
The Journey to the Pole.
We had made up our minds to take
the first part Of the trop as easily as
possible, in order to give ourselves
and the dogs a rational training, ant
on the 23rd we made our depot in 81
degrees south. We went right ahead
In spite of the dense fog an error
of two or three kilOmeters happened
once in a while, but we were caughr
by the flag marks and found these OF
our way without difficulty.
Having rested and fed our dogs OF
all the seal meat they were able t
eat, we started again or the 26th
with the temperature steadily be
tween minus 20 and 30 Celsius a de
grees and % degrees below zero Fab
renheit).
From the start It was the intention
not to drive more than 30 kiIometer:
a day, but it appeared that this was
too little for our strong, willing Gni
mails. At 80 degrees south we begaI
to build snow cairns OF a mans
height, in order to have marks on oul
return trip. On the 31st, we reached
the depot at 81 degrees and stopped
there one day, and fed the dogs on as
much pemmican as they wanted.
We reached the depot at SO degrees
on the 5th of November, where the
dogs for the last time got all they
wanted to eat. On the Sth, south
ward again, with a daily march Of 81
kilometers. In order to tighten oul
heavy sledges, we established depot'
at each degree Of south latitude.
LikG a Pleasure Trip.
The trip from so degrees to IS de
grees became a pleasure trip-excel
lent ground, fine ~sledging, and ar
event. Everything went like"a dance
On the 9th we sighted South Veto
ria Land and the continuation Of tbs
mountain range which Sir ErnesI
%Shackleton mentioned in his chart al
running toward the southeast from
the Beardmore glacier, and on the
same day we reached SO degrees ant
established here depot number 4. Or
the 18th we made the interesting dis
covery that the Ross barrier termi
mated in a blight toward the s~outheasi
at So degrees south latitude and 16;
degrees west longitude, formed be
tween the southeast mountains run
ming from South Victoria Land and
range on the opposite side running II
a southwestern direction-probably
continuation Of King Edward VII
Land.
Or the 18th we reached 81 degrees
where we established a depot. Or
the 18th we were at IS degrees, wher'
also we made a depot.
From our winter quarters, FRAN
helm" rs degrees 3s minutes soutl
latitude, we had been marching du'
-
All for the Smiths.
. Enrliehman (patronizinglyl-You