CHAPTER XXIII. 

 SHACKELTON'S "FARTHEST SOUTH/* 



And now the South Pole Is all there is left to discover. It scarcely can 

 be doubted that in a few years the flag of some nation will be planted at 

 the Antarctic axis of the earth. Already one man— an Englishman— has 

 come within lOO miles of the goal. A little more grit, a little more food, 

 and a little more luck— it will be reached. 



Lieut. Ernest H. Shackleton is the man who holds the Antarctic record. 

 He achieved it at the outset of the great year of 1909, and would have 

 attained the pole itself had he not found it necessary to turn back to save his 

 life and those of the men with him. 



Shackleton left England in the ship Nimrod in July, 1907. He had al- 

 ready risked his life in the South Polar regions when a member of the party 

 of Capt. Scott, and he had acquired a valuable amount of experience m fight- 

 ing his way over the ice. On the trip of 1909 he was the leader, and he had 

 the enthusiastic good wishes of all England, with the king and queen cheer- 

 ing him on. When departing on his voyage Shackelton was given a Union 

 Jack— the British naval banner— and this flag, that has kindled the hearts of 

 Britons for hundreds of years, he was to plant at the pole, or the nearest point 

 thereto attainable. On presenting the flag the king said: 



"May this Union Jack, which I entrust to your keeping, lead you safely 



to the South Pole." 



Though Shackelton did not reach the southern axis of the globe, he did 



these things : 



Reached latitude 88:23 south; longtitude 162. Traveled 1,708 statute 



miles within the Arctic circle. 



Went 340 miles farther south than his predecessor and preceptor, Capt. 



Scott. ^ , ^ . 



Found the South Magnetic Pole, declared to be of more value to science 



than the geographical pole. 



Discovered 100 new mountain peaks. 



235 5-. 4: i,s«! 



