THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



973 



VIEW OF THE GREAT ICE BARRIER WHICH EXTENDS FOR 50O MILES ACROSS FROM 

 KING EDWARD VII LAND TO MOUNT EREBUS 



dispatch of an expedition seemed to be 

 justified on scientific grounds quite apart 

 from the desire to obtain a high latitude. 



When I found that some promises of 

 support had failed me and had learned 

 that the Royal Geographical Society, 

 though sympathetic in its attitude, could 

 not see its way to assist financially, I ap- 

 proached several gentlemen and sug- 

 gested that they should guarantee me at 

 the bank, the guarantees to be redeemed 

 by me in 1910, after the return of the ex- 

 pedition. It was on this basis that I 

 secured a sum of £20,000, the greater 

 part of the money necessary for the start- 

 ing of the expedition, and I cannot ex- 

 press too warmly my appreciation of the 

 faith shown in me and my plans by the 

 men who gave these guarantees, which 

 could be redeemed only by the proceeds 

 of lectures and the sale of my book after 

 the expedition had concluded its work.* 



* On his return from "Farthest South," the 

 British government made Lieutenant Shackle- 

 ton a grant of £20,000 to redeem these pledges. 



FOODS TO PREVENT SCURVY 



Several very important points have to 

 be kept in view in selecting the food sup- 

 plies for a polar expedition. In the first 

 place, the food must be wholesome and 

 nourishing in the highest degree possible. 

 At one time that dread disease scurvy 

 used to be regarded as the inevitable re- 

 sult of a prolonged stay in the ice-bound 

 regions, and even the Discovery expedi- 

 tion, during its labors in the Antarctic in 

 the years 1902-4, suffered from this com- 

 plaint, which is often produced by eating 

 preserved food that is not in a perfectly 

 wholesome condition. It is now recog- 

 nized that scurvy may be avoided if the 

 closest attention is given to the prepara- 

 tion and selection of foodstuffs along 

 scientific lines, and I may say at once that 

 our efforts in this direction were success- 

 ful, for during the whole course of the 

 expedition we had not one case of sick- 

 ness attributable directly or indirectly to 

 the foods we had brought with us. In- 

 deed, beyond a few colds, apparently due 



