SHACKLETON'S EXPEDITION 37 



he can't stand the work! Shackleton had a hard 

 struggle to find the necessary funds. He left England 

 unheeded and loaded with debts in August, 1907, on 

 board the Nimrod, bound for the South Pole. With 

 surprising frankness he declared his intention of trying 

 to reach the Pole itself. So far as I know, he was the 

 first who ventured to say straight out that the Pole was 

 his object. This hearty frankness was the first thing 

 that struck me, and made me look more closely at the 

 man. Later on I followed his steps with the greatest 

 interest. The expedition, unnoticed when it left Eng- 

 land, was soon forgotten. At most, people connected 

 the name of Shackleton with the rank of ' Lieutenant 

 R.N.R." And the months went by. . . . 



Then suddenly came a piece of news that made a 

 great stir. It was in the latter half of March, 1909. 

 The telegraphic instruments were busy all over the 

 world; letter by letter, word by word, they ticked out 

 the message, until it could be clearly read that one of 

 the most wonderful achievements of Polar exploration 

 had been accomplished. Everyone was spellbound. 

 Was it possible? Could it be true? Shackleton, 

 Lieutenant R.N.R., had fought his way to lat. 88 23' S. 



Seldom has a man enjoyed a greater triumph; seldom 

 has a man deserved it better. 



As the details of Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition 

 will be fresh in the minds of English readers, it is un- 

 necessary to recapitulate them here. A few points 



