EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL FOR THE EXPEDITION


A 277 ton, 44.5m long bargue-rigged Norwegian sealer Pollux was obtained and renamed Southern Cross and most of the supplies were provided or obtained by The Military Equipment Stores and "Tortoise" Tents Comany Ltd, London. In addition to clothing which included suits of reindeer skin and Jaeger camel hair costumes, shooting gloves, fleece-lined slippers and flannel- lined boots, there was an extraordinary variety of food such as tablets of compressed, dried, mixed vegetables. There were also tablets of tea, coffee and cocoa, and strength and endurance lozenges of lime juice coated with chocolate designed to "quench the thirst, stimulate digestion, nourish the stomach and concentrate the brain," one ton of Irish butter, one of ton marmalade, 58501b each of beef and pork, 1300 tins of Swiss milk and champagne to drink the health of the South Pole.

Equipment included two prefabricated Norwegian huts, 500 bamboo poles with miniature Union Jacks "for purposes of survey and extension of the British Empire", 2.3 kg silk and canvas tents, a Norwegian sailing sledge, James "ready to go to sea in ten seconds" collapsable boats, Leakey aluminium cooking utensils, Primus camp stoves (the first use of the Swedish appliance on an Antarctic expedition) and mining tools. Weaponry included revolvers, double-barreled 12 guage paradox guns, and one dozen Lee Metford .303 and Martini Henry .450 rifles.

Ninety sledge dogs, the first to be used on an Antarctic expedition, were taken. Most of these originated from the Petchora Valley and Kenin Peninsula in Siberia where they were purchased for ~2000. They were the first sledging dogs to reach England and for sustenance, Spratts Ltd supplied 28 tons of codliver oil, fish meat and oatmeal biscuits containing fifty percent fat.

The Southern Cross left England and steaming via Hobart, Tasmania, it arrived at Cape Adare on 17 February 1899. Ten men, five Norwegians, two Englishmen, one Australian and two Finns were to be the first to spend a winter on the continent. 


C.E.Borchgrevink	In command
L.C.Bernacchi		Magnetician and meteorologist
W.R.Colbeck, Lieut.RNR	Asst.magnetician and metorologist. 
			Also stores officer
N.Hanson		Biologist. Also responsible for fuel, 
			lighting, ammunition, guns
H.Klovstad		Medical officer
H.Evans			Asst.zoologist and taxidermist
A.Fougner		Scientific assistant and general handyman
K.Ellifsen		General assistant and cook
O.Must			Ski specialist. Also responsible for dogs
P. Savio		Duties as for Must

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