The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1912-03-14

perature for the year was minus 26
degrees Celsius GAS degrees below
zero Fahrenheit). | had expected
hurricane after. hurricane, but l OBJ
served only two moderate storms and
many excellent WORCESTERSHIRE
in all directions.
The sanitary conditions were of the
best all the winter and when the sun
returned on the gath 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 9Th of September eight
men, with seven sledges. ninety dogs,
and provisions forefour months, start
ed. The ground was perfect. The
temperature was not bad. The next
day 1t appeared that we had started
too early, as the temperature of the
following days fell and was kept
steady between minus so and so Gel
sius (5S degrees and rs degrees below
zero Fahrenheit). Personally, we did
not suffer at all from this cold. Our
good furs protected us. But with our
dogs 1t was a different matter. 1t
would easily be seen that they shrank
from day to day, and we understood
pretty soon that they could not stand
the long run to our depot at 80 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 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 SO degrees Fab
renheit). The original plan that all
OF us should go 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 to
the fact that the English had not
reached it, at least this summer, as
was their intention, we agreed that
the best thing to dc was also to make
this trip.
On October 20 the southern party
started-five men, four sledges, fifty
two dogs. and provisions for four
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 rational training, and
on the 23rd we made our depot in 80
degrees south. We went right ahead.
In spite of the dense fog an error
Of two or three kilometers happened
once in while, but we were caught
by the flag marks and found these ON
our way without difficulty.
Having rested and fed our dogs on
all the seal meat they were able to
eat, we started again on the 26th,
with the temperature steadily be-
tween minus 20 and 80 Celsius "a de-
grees and % degrees below zero Fab
renheit).
From the start it was the intention
NJ n dxtxr no 1t
a day, but it appeared that this was
too little for our strong. willing ami
mails. At 80 degrees south we began
to build snow cairns of a mans
height, in order to have marks on our
| return trip. On the 31st, we reached
i 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 9Th of November, where the
dogs for the last time got all they
wanted to eat. On the Sth, south
ward again, with daily march of so
kilometers. In order to tighten our
heavy sledges, we established depots
at each degree of south latitude.
| Like Pleasure Trip.
The trip from SO degrees to IS de-
grees became pleasure trip-excel-
lent ground, fine sledging, and an
event Everything went like a dance.
On the 9th we sighted South victo-
ria Land and the continuation of the
mountain range which Sir Ernest
Shackleton mentioned in his chart as
running toward the southeast from
the Beardmore glacier, and on the
4 same day we reached SO degrees and
established here depot number 4. On
the 18th we made the interesting dis
covery that the Ross barrier termi-
mated in blight toward the southeast
at Sc degrees south latitude and 1853
degrees west longitude, formed be-
tween the southeast mountains run
ming from South Victoria Land and a
range on the opposite side running in
a southwestern direction probably a
continuation Of King Edward VII.
Land.
| I'm tha 18th VIC reached "a deoraac