THE SOUTH POLE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 259, 3 December 1929, Page 6

THE SOUTH POLE

"I do not think liuman heings cver came through sUcli a month as wo have eome through. Had we lived I shoukl have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance and courage of my companions whicli would have stirred the heart of every Englishman." Thus wrote Scott as he Jay dying of starvation and exhaustion in the South Polar regions, harely eighteen years ago. To-day the whole world is thrilled at the wonderful achievement of Commander Byrd and his gallant associates who have flown to the South Pole. From one end of the world to the other the great explorer will receive the acclamation and felicitations of the multitudinous millions for his suecessful and gallant South Polar venture, which for its amazing daring and spectacular achievement will go down in history as one of the outstanding records in the annals of polar exploration. The accomplishment also mirrors the onward march of civilisation. Equipped with a modern aeroplane and everything that civilisatron could provide, Commander Byrd was able to travel the 800 miles from his ba§e to the Pole and return in 24 hours. Eighteen years ago, when Scott and his p&rty perished, radio was almost unknown, and it was only the year before that Bleriot made his first flight of 21 miles across the English Channel. The flight of Byrd and his companions is a striking testimony of the prdgress of modern science, but it is noteworthy that the Success of the flight is in no sfnall degree due to the great explorer's remarkable capacity as an organiser. For that he will rightly receive the congratulations that are due to him, but his achievement can never be placed aiongside the efforts of endurance and bravery of the wonderful explorers who have preceded him. The mere fact that, seated in a comfortable aeroplane, he was able to accompiish in half a day what it took Captain Scott 79 days to do is a suffieient illustration of this point. However, it detracts nothing from his wonderful courage that his effort is entirely eclipsed by the deeds of those men who in a less fortunate age overcame the rigours and terrors of the vast areas of the South Polar regions. Early explorations of the mighty Southeril, or Antarctic, Ocean provide interegting readlng at a moment when the whole World is thrilled With the suecessful daring dash of Commander Byrd . Some of the eariier navigatofs of the 16th and 17th centuries were di'iftecl south as far as South Georgia and South Shetland. Cook was the first to undertake a systematic exploration of the region, sailing all round at a high latitude, and so disproving the existence of the "Great Sotlthern Continent" to be found on old maps. In 1821 the Bussian, Bellinghausen, discovered the islands named Alexander Land and Peter Land, and in 1881 Biscoe discovered Enderby Land and Graham Land, The Freneh _expedition, 1838, under D'Urville, found its advance to the pole blocked by a bank extending east and west "for 300 miles. La Terre Adele was first named in this voyage. In 1840 th© United States expeditioU, Under Captain Wilkes, discovered a long coast-line, apparently extending from Endeihy Land eastward to Bingold's Knoll, but the only part 6f this wliieb Has sinee beeU fotind was discovered by Balleny in 1839. Most important results in the Antarctic Were obtained by Sir James Clarke Boss, who made three voyages in 1839-43, discovering Victoria Land and the lofty volcanoes Erebus and Terror. History records the discoverer of the South Poie as Roald Amtmdsen, who was also the first man to fly over the North Pole by airship. It is recorded, also, that in his great career Amundsen went farther and stayed longer than any other man who ever explored polar regions. Only three weeks after Amundsen had left the South Pole Captain Scott and party reached the spot, travell ing on foot, but on the way back to his base after making the disappointing discovery of Amundsen's fl3g, tent and records at the South Pole, Scott and his gallant party perished horriblv in a blizzard. Amundsen took 56 days to reach the South Pole and 39 days to return ; Scott was 79 days in getting to the Pole and was 139 days out and back to the point : where he died. Byrd and his four men went to the Pole and back in less than 24 hours. Commander Byrd's wonderful feat will, nevertlieless, acclaim him throughout the world as a gallant hero and his nnmo will go down in history as Ihe first man to fly to the South Pole. Aided by science, equipped

with every facility that modern civilisation could provide, Byrd was able to aeeomplish in a few hours what others less fortunately eituated and equipped had taken many months to earry out. Posterity will best judge the deeds of the great explorers whose names will for all time go down in the historical records of the world. The great flight of Commander Byrd will be one of them, but to the end of time nothing will efface from tbe minds of suecessive generations the wonderful valour and heroism of that great British explorer whose name is reverenced throughout the world— Captain Scott.