SHACKLETON ON THRESHOLD OF SOUTH POLE 443 



that he had learned the true way to attain the Pole. He proposed, 

 as before, to make his final dash with a party of three, and to add 

 to the dogs a number of the hardy Manchurian ponies, of which 

 ten were taken with him. But the great innovation of his proposed 

 journey was the use of a motor car, one especially adapted to rough 

 traveling in a cold climate. Having no hummocks or ridges to 

 deal with and no open water to cross, he believed that such a car 

 could be successfully used, and felt sure that it would add greatly 

 to the ease and progress of his journey. King Edward VII Land, 

 near the point of Borchgrevink's farthest south in 1900, was se- 

 lected by him as a starting point and the expedition set sail in 1907, 

 fifteen men composing the party. As in the two former expeditions, 

 it was proposed to have the ship land the exploring party at the 

 desired locality and return to warmer climes, coming to seek them 

 again during the following summer. 



Setting out in the "Nimrod" in 1907, the explorers on reaching 

 the Antarctic Seas found themselves subjected to hostile polar 

 weather. While seeking a suitable place to land their ship was 

 assailed by fierce winds, through which it labored with difficulty, 

 the party suffering great hardship in this encounter. As it proved, 

 pack ice prevented the "Nimrod" from reaching King Edward VII 

 Land, and they were obliged to seek winter quarters at Cape Royds, 

 on Victoria Land, in the vicinity of Mt. Erebus, twenty miles from 

 where the "Discovery" party had wintered. Here their stores, 

 implements and animals were unloaded, a terrific blizzard assailing 

 them during three days of this time, by which so much sea-water was 

 thrown ashore, freezing as it fell, that the stores landed were buried 

 in five or six feet of ice. The work of landing completed, the 

 "Nimrod" steamed away on February 22, 1908, leaving the little 

 party to its winter duties and diversions, if any could be found. 



While the work of preparing for the coming season of cold was 

 in progress a party of three, with a supporting party of three more, 

 provisioned for ten days, was sent out to try the ascent of Mt. Ere- 



