The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-17

gether, and explaining his plans, told
them it was necessary before attempt
ing the northern scheme to endeavor
to reach the South Pole, and to man
they gave him their loyal support.
Thus with Amundsen, the conquering
of the South Pole has merely been al
means towards an end. But what this
end is it will be interesting to watch.
No Doubt Of Achievement.
Has he reached the South Pole?
The scandal and doubt as to the Cook
and Peary race for the north is re-
hected in this question. But one has
only to meet Amundsen to scout any
idea of dishonesty in regard to the
southern victory. Besides, Amundsen
placed his charts before Captain Davis,
formerly of the Shackleton expedition
ship Aurora, and the latter says the
evidence is irrefutable. IF DR.. Cook
had unlimited such proof" said the
captain, there would have been no
chance to dispute his title to the north
ern achievement Why, Amundsen
has actually charted quite large por
ton of the Antarctic Continent! Every
Britisher is sorry Scott did not win
the race, but as sportsmen they must
admire Amundsen's pluck"
Born just outside Christiana, Amund-
sen may be said to have been born
and bred in the ice. Captain Davis,
on the Aurora, very APPLY summarized
the reasons for his success as being
courage, experience, and attention to
detail. None of the small things"
were neglected. The men gave more
care to the dogs than to their own
comfort Everything had to be cal
culated to a nicely. There was no
motor-car, no motor-sledge, no ponies
just the dogs the Norwegians SO
thoroughly understood. The whole ex
petition was so simple--consisting OF
nineteen men, including the crew Of
. the Fran. 1t was so transformations
it was so economical.
Aversion to Lionizing.
Like most men who do things,
Amundsen is not fond of being lion
lied" He is, however, just the sort
of man to appeal to Australians. Demo
cratic to the backbone, he denies ar
audience to none. Always affable and
CHEEKY, he has a sort of reluctant
smile, but one feels that-like the mar
lit is thoroughly genuine. And wher
you talk business to him he gives his
whole attention to it. His face be
. comes fixedly serious, and his eyei
= interpretive One can see in this {
reflection of the financial worries
which are inseparable from ice ex
ploration, and of which he has haC
full measure. And if further evidence
:, is required that the path of the ex
-. plorer is not strewn with roses, you
! have only to look at his wrinkles snt
his hair; he is fast getting grey
=. though he is not yet forty. The othe
day Amundsen signed 200 copies Of
polar chart, so that a consumptiv'
home in Hobart could benefit, and II
. other ways he has shown that he ha
a soft heat In physique he is tai
and hard as nails" There is a polisl
and refinement about him which be
speaks a high education, and, thougl
he speaks English with a markell
= foreign accent, Australian audience
= will have no difficulty in understanding
- him. Altogether he impresses you a
- being a great man-and one whor
Australians should delight to honor.
n Of Morse Blood.
IF Norway has since the earliest time
IL produced men of Amundsens calibr'
" The Sagas of the ninth and tenth ceI
turtles give us a vivid idea of the earl
n, Norseman. In STA one of the fleets G
Ie these hardy Norsemen reached Ice.anC
Ie and soon after the discovery of whit
re Shirt" or Greenland as it is no
s, known followed. There is little dout
id that Karlsfeni reached the coast
lie Labrador in the early part of the lit
ot century. And it would seem as
10 Amundsen, embodying the gran
to northern spirit of energy, had bee
At destined to carry out at the other en-
is of the word the glorious tradition
0. of his countrymen. 1t is almost wit
rs a feeling of regret that we learnt thf
le the last of the great earth stories ha
I'd been told. We felt that the wor'
lie was smaller But on reflection "
90 realize that the old order changet
for the new. AS knowledge by great e
m fort is acquired, other fields for turtle
m effort arise. The craving for know
u edge will ever spur men on to effori
IN such as these, and, although the goi
o. OF many explorers, that great whit
rs silence around the Pole, ever allurin
h. ever reckoning, ever receding, hi