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Show THE CITIZEN 12 .in as the whole of the deck forward was under a foot of water on the port side, and nearly three feet on the starboard side.. However, they managed, to collect large quantities of wood and ropes mini im min iiiiimi SOUTH: THE STORY OF SHACKLE-TON'- S LAST EXPEDITION, 1914-191By Sir Ernest Shackleton, C. illustraV. 0. With eighty-eigtions and diagrams. New York: The Macmillan Company. 7. ht Three other seals were seen. But at 2 p. m. cracks that had opened during the night alongside the ship commenced to work in a lateral direction. The ship sustained terrific pressure on the port side forward, the heaviest g shocks being under the It was the worst squeeze we had experienced. The decks shuddered and jumped, beams arched, and stanchions buckled and shook. I orderdall hands to stand by in readiness for whatever emergency might arise. Even the dogs seemed to feel the tense anxiety of the moment. But the ship resisted valiantly, and just when it appeared J r fore-riggin- Lieutenant Shackleton says that after the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen, who, by a narrow mar-g.of days only, was in advance of tbe British expediton under Scott, there remained but one great main ob- ject of Antarctic journeyings the ciossing of the South Polar continent n from sea to sea. When Lieutenant Shackleton returned irom the Nimrod expedition, on which he was beaten by stress of cirmiles cumstances within ninety-seve- n of his goal, his mind turned to the crossing of the continent, as he was morally certain that either Amundsen or Scott would reach the pole, and he began at once to make preparations for the last great journey. He failed in his object, but he says rightly that though failure in the actual accomplishment must be recorded, there were high adventures, strenuous days, lonely nights, unique experiences, and unflinching determination that will still be of interest to readers, who will gladly turn their minds from the red horror of war and the strain of the last five years. It is indeed a story unique in the history of Antarctic exploration. One year after the Endurance had left the London docks she found her self on the point of liberation from the ice that had bound her fast through the long Arctic winter. It was a critical moment, and every precaution uad to be taken in case the ship should be destroyed by the pressure of the moving ice: After the ship had come to a standstill in her new position very heavy pressure was set up. Some of the tre; nails were started and beams buckled slightly under the terrific stresses. But the Endurance had been built to withstand the attacks of the ice, and she lifted bravely as the floes drove beneath her. The effects of the pressure around us were Mighty between blocks of ice, gripped meeting floes, rose slowly till they jumped like cherry-stone- s squeezed between thumb and finger. The pressure of millions of tons of moving ice was crushing and smashing inexorably. If the ship was once gripped firmly her fate would be sealed. of the floe came on The break-uAugust 1. Food was running short, but seals and penguins began to put in a timely appearance. "During the concluding days of September the roar of the pressure grew louder, and I could see that the area of disturbance was rapidly approaching the ship. Stupendous forces were at work and the fields of firm ice around the Endurance were being diminished steadTy. September 30 was a bad day. It began well, for we got two penguins awe-inspirin- g. p and five seals during the morning. that the limit of her strength was be- ing reached the huge floe that was pressing down upon us cracked across and so gave relief. By October 25th the situation had become so threatening that preparations were hurriedly made to abandon the ship. The roar of the ice pressure could be heard all around. New ice lidges were rising and it was evident that the lines of major disturbance were drawing nearer to the ship. The creakings and groanings of her timcracks that told bers, the pistol-lik- e of the starting of a trenail or plank, were all eloquent of the ships dis- tress. "The day passed slowly. At 7 p. m. heavy pressure developed, with twist ing strains that racked the ship fore and aft. The butts of planking were opened four and five inches on the starboard side, and at the same time we could see from the bridge that the ship was bending like a bow under titanic pressure. Almost like a living creature, she resisted the forces that would crush her; but it was a onesided battle. Millions of tons of ice pressed inexorably upon the little ship that had dared the challenge of the Antarctic. The Endurance was now leaking badly, and at 9 p. m. I gave the order to lower boats, gear, provisions, and sledges to the floe, and move them to the flat ice a little way from the ship. The workings of the ice closed the leaks slightly at midnight, but all hands were pumping all night. A strange occurrence was the sudden appearance of eight emperor penguins from a crack 100 yards away at the moment when the pressure upon the ship was at its climax.. They walked a little way towards us, halted, and sounded a few ordinary calls proceeded to utter weird cries that sounded like a dirge for the ship. None of us had ever before heard the emperors utter any other than the most simple calls or cries, and the effect of this concerted effort was startling. The abandonment of the Endurance necessarily followed and the most careful selection of essentials had to be made for the long sledge journey across the ice, where economy of weight was paramount. The dog teams went off to the wreck early each morning under Wild, and the men made every effort to rescue as much as possible from the ship. This was an extremely difficult task and some few cases of provisiops. Although the galley was under water, Bakewell managed to. secure three, or four saucepans, which later proved invaluable acquisitions. Quite a number of boxes of flour, etc., had been stowed in a cabin in the hold, and these we had been unable to get out before we left the ship.' Having determined as nearly as possible that portion of the deck immediately above these cases, we proceeded to cut a hole with large icechisels through the three-incplanking of which it was formed. As the ship at this spot was under five feet of water and ice, it was not an easy job. However, we succeded in making the hole sufficiently large to allow of some few cases to come floating up. These were greeted with great satisfaction, and later on, as we warmed to our work, other cases, whose upward progress was assisted with a boathook, were greeted with either cheers or groans according to whether they contained farinaceous food or merely luxuries such as jellies. For each man by now had a good idea of the calorific value and nutritive and sustaining qualities of the various foods. It had a personal interest for us all. In this way we added to our scanty stock between two and three tons of provis-ou- s food, such as flour and peas, of ous food, such as flour and peas, eft which we were so short. This sounds like a great deal, but at one pound per men for day it would last twenty-eigh- t three months. Previous to this I bad reduced the food allowance to nine and a half ounces per man per day. Now, however, it could be increased, and 'this afternoon, for the first time for ten days, we knew what it was to be really satisfied. On December 29 it was found impossible to proceed farther by sledge. It was necessary to choose a strong floe and to camp, for although there was not enough ice for the sledges, neither was there enough water for the boats. The party had food for only forty-twdays, but there was no alternative. They must wait with what patience they could for the chance to escape. But the coming of the water brought its own dangers with it. The ice slowly turned to mud, inhospitable alike to men and to boats. None the less the commander ordered the tentg to be struck and everything made ready for an immediate launch. "Soon after breakfast the ice closed again. We were standing by, wtih our preparations as complete as they could be made, when at 11 a. m. our floe suddenly split right across under the boats. We rushed our gear on to the larger of the two pieces and watched with strained attention for the next The crack had cut development.. through the site of my tent. I stood on the edge of the new fracture, and, looking across the widening channel of water, could see the spot where for many months my head and shoulders had rested when I was in my sleeping bag. The depression formed by my body and legs was on our side of the crack. The ice had sunk under my : weight during the' months of in the tent, and I had many time snow under the bag to fill the Tbe lines of stratification clearly the different layers of How fragile had our. resting place ! Yet usage hi dulled our sense of danger. The JJ and-precariou- , . s had become our home, and during tv early months of the drift we had most ceased to realize that it wag a sheet of ice floating on unfatho seas. Now our home was being tered under our feet, and we had sense of loss and incompleteness to describe. Elephant island offered small hog of relief, in spite of the desperate 1 L h forts that were necessary, to reach It was evident that a boat jonroq must be made in search of aid, a ney full of desperate dangers, hut b which there was no alternative. h Georgia was the only possible tive, and this meant a trip across miles of stormy oceai Every preparation was made, tfc stores apportioned, the crew of & little craft selected. By midday the James Caird vs ready for the voyage. Vincent and th carpenter had secured some dr clothes by exchange with members the shore party (I heard atferward-thait was a full fortnight before & soaked garments were finally dried) and the boats crew was standing it waiting for the order to cast off. moderate westerly breeze was blovi I went ashore in the Stancomb Wilt and had a last word with Wild, was remaining in full command, vtt directions as to his course of actic in the event of our failure to bring lief, but I practically left the situation and scope of action and it cision to his own judgment, secure the knowledge that he would act ly. I told him that I trusted the pari; to him and said good-bto the met Then we pushed off for the last lift and within a few minutes I was aboair the James Caird. The crew' of Stancomb Wills shook hands with e as the boats bumped together and d fered us the last good wishes. Tha j setting our jib, we cut the painter ani moved away to the northeast. Tfe men who were staying behind madeo pathetic little group on the beach, wit the grim heights of the island behhr f them and the sea seething at their feet but they waved to us and gave three ii hearty cheers. There was hope to their hearts and they trusted us bring the help that they needed." On May 6th the little craft war found to be not more than a hundred miles from the northwest corner South Georgia. Already there was severe shortage of fresh water, the men had suffered severely. EveI when land was in sight it seemed i i possible to find a landing place a dening experience for men so erf tortured by thirst. At last a 38 reef was sighted containing cofflP8 tively smooth water and a convenWJj gap seemed to promise an enti .mce. We could see the way thrr igb it reef, but we could not approa h rectly. That afternoon we boro tacking five times in the stroi.g The last tack enabled us to sub-Antarct- ic o: t fc y i o of . S? . through, and at last we were ia Iwl |