“How the Continent will be crossed.

“The Weddell Sea ship, with all the members of the Expedition operating from that base, will leave Buenos Ayres in October 1914, and endeavour to land in November in latitude 78 degrees south.

“Should this be done, the Trans-continental party will set out on their 1800-mile journey at once, in the hope of accomplishing the march across the Pole and reaching the Ross Sea base in five months.  Should the landing be made too late in the season, the party will go into winter quarters, lay out depots during the autumn and the following spring, and as early as possible in 1915 set out on the journey.

“The Trans-continental party will be led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and will consist of six men.  It will take 100 dogs with sledges, and two motor-sledges with aerial propellers.  The equipment will embody everything that the experience of the leader and his expert advisers can suggest.  When this party has reached the area of the Pole, after covering 800 miles of unknown ground, it will strike due north towards the head of the Beardmore Glacier, and there it is hoped to meet the outcoming party from the Ross Sea.  Both will join up and make for the Ross Sea base, where the previous Expedition had its winter quarters.

“In all, fourteen men will be landed by the ‘Endurance’ on the Weddell Sea.  Six will set out on the Trans-continental journey, three will go westward, three eastward, and two remain at the base carrying on the work already outlined.

“The ‘Aurora’ will land six men at the Ross Sea base.  They will lay down depots on the route of the Trans-continental party, and make a march south to assist that party, and to make geological and other observations as already described.

“Should the Trans-continental party succeed, as is hoped, in crossing during the first season, its return to civilization may be expected about April 1915.  The other sections in April 1916.

“The Ships of the Expedition.

“The two ships for the Expedition have now been selected.

“The ‘Endurance’, the ship which will take the Trans-continental party to the Weddell Sea, and will afterwards explore along an unknown coast-line, is a new vessel, specially constructed for Polar work under the supervision of a committee of Polar explorers.  She was built by Christensen, the famous Norwegian constructor of sealing vessels, at Sandefjord.  She is barquentine rigged, and has triple-expansion engines giving her a speed under steam of nine to ten knots.  To enable her to stay longer at sea, she will carry oil fuel as well as coal.  She is of about 350 tons, and built of selected pine, oak, and greenheart.  This fine vessel, equipped, has cost the Expedition £14,000.

“The ‘Aurora’, the ship which will take out the Ross Sea party, has been bought from Dr. Mawson.  She is similar in all respects to the Terra Nova, of Captain Scott’s last Expedition.  She had extensive alterations made by the Government authorities in Australia to fit her for Dr. Mawson’s Expedition, and is now at Hobart, Tasmania, where the Ross Sea party will join her in October next.”