POLAR EXPLORATION 



4729 



POLAR EXPLORATION 



Erebus and spent two winters in the region, 

 approaching nearer to the Pole than any pre- 

 vious explorer had been able to do. The Ger- 

 man expedition, after spending one winter in 

 scientific research, was recalled, having relo- 

 cated the south magnetic pole and gained much 

 scientific information. The Swedish expedition, 



located the south magnetic pole, while the third 

 ascended Mount Erebus. Shackleton's expedi- 

 tion demonstrated that the interior of the 

 continent is a high plateau, in some places with 

 an elevation of 10,000 feet, covered to an enor- 

 mous depth with ice. In 1914 it was decided to 

 send Shackleton south again, and though the 



IIP 100 90 50 



ooK, farthest South.1774 



Ross, 1842 / 

 4 N ScottJ902 



ShacKleton,l909+++-H- 



AUCKLAND 



ZEAL^N 



AFRICA 



PASMANIA 



130 120 110 100 



AMUNDSEN AND SCOTT STOOD WHERE EVERY DIRECTION IS NORTH 



led by Nordenskiold, a nephew of the discov- 

 erer of the Northeast Passage around Asia, 

 spent two winters on the borders of the Ant- 

 arctic Circle. While on the way to pick up the 

 party which had made a long southerly march 

 on skis, the ship was lost, leaving the scientists 

 in desperate condition on the ice. The Argen- 

 gunboat Uruguay, however, made a bril- 

 liant dash to the rescue and brought back the 

 re party. Captain Scott's party returned 

 safely in the Discovery in 1904. 



'litions of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The 

 most notable of all Antarctic expeditions up to 

 that time was one led by Sir Ernest Shackleton 

 XMJ-1909. Dividing his party into three scc- 

 IniMM-lf penetrated thr in- 

 terior of the Antarctic continent to within 111 

 Pole, whni he was forced to return 

 because of lack of supplies. Ano v re- 



outbreak of the War of the Nations delayed 

 preparation, and it was thought the expedition 

 would have to be abandoned, it finally started 

 as originally intended. 



On December 6, 1914, Shackleton sailed from 

 South Georgia, an island uroup in the South 

 Atlantic, in the ship Endurance. In February 

 the vessel became involved in a huge pack of 

 floating ice, which carried it onward in an ir- 

 regular course for months, until in October, 

 1915, the Endurance was crushed (69 5' S., 

 51 32' \V I party had to establish quar- 

 ters on the drifting ice pack, and there th< \ 

 remained for six months warding off starvation 

 by eating dogs and seals. In April, 1916, tin- 

 pack began to break up, and the men embarked 

 on the perilous sea in small, open boats. After 

 a voyage of ten days, in which they endured 

 incredible hardships, they landed on Elephant 



