The title was something of a misnomer, in as much as never once during the evening did the lecturer speak of himself or of his own work - it was always of the party.
He indulges in no flights of rhetoric, nor does he call to his aid any of the artifice with which a lecturer is sometimes wont to tickle the palates of his audience.
The usual formality of a chairman was dispensed with, and Captain Amundsen launched at once into his story.
It was a wonderful story marvellously well told; not befogged with technical matter or overloaded with insignificant details, but every word telling of the straightforward earnestness of a man who had won through against the arrayed forces of nature.
Pictures were shown of his beloved ship the Fram prior to her departure from Norway and on her arrival on January 14, 1911, at the Great Barrier after a journey of 16,000 miles.
By April 11 three depots had been established containing altogether 7500lb of provisions, and each was marked in a manner that made it almost impossible for the party to miss them on the return journey.
The winter was a busy time, and its break-up saw everything in readiness for the last supreme test - a test of method and of men - and on October 20 they were able to start, three men going to explore King Edward VII Land, and five making the "dash".
Captain Amundsen described the wonderful mountains and plateaus which they saw and traversed, and hinted - a hint was sufficient - at the terrible danger of the grinning crevasses which in places confronted them at every step.
Delayed in one spot for four days by bad weather, they were forced to kill some of the dogs, "and 24 of our brave companions were obliged to lay down their lives". During this stoppage the whole of the party subsisted entirely on dogflesh.
In lat. 88deg 25min the party had travelled as far south as Shackle-ton's last camp, and there the last depot - the tenth - was established.
It was expected that the Pole would be reached some time on Dec. 14th. "On that day," continued Captain Amundsen, "we breakfasted at greater speed and started earlier than on the previous day.
At 3 o'clock the goal was reached on a mighty plateau hitherto untrodden by the foot of man.
It was undeniably a moment of solemnity, with our hands on the flagstaff flying the colours of our country on the geographical South Pole."
As the applause died away a picture was screened showing the scene as Captain Amundsen had described it .
The lecturer retired from the platform amidst a burst of gratified applause.
- ODT 29.4.1912.
