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Bulletin Vol. 11 No. 1 Autumn 1986

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7 General Bernardo O'Higgins chile 8 Esperanza argentine 9 Vice Comodoro Marambio Argentina 10 Palmer usa SOUTH 11 Faraday uk 12 Rothera uk SHETLAND 13 Teniente Carvaial chile 14 General San Martin augenhna ISLANDS

NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY MAP COPYRIGHT ANTARCTIC (successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin)

Vol. 11 No. 1 Autumn, 1986 Issue Number: 121

Contents ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the Polar Activities New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., 1978. New Zealand Australia 13 ISSN 0003-5327 France 16 South Korea 17 Editor: Robin Ormerod United Kingdom 19 Please address all inquiries, contributions United States 23 etc. to the Editor, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand. General Ice traps ships 25 Registered at P.O. Headquarters, as a Australian yachtsmen 31 magazine. Vinson Massif 32 Project Blizzard (cover story) 34 Sub-antarctic 37 Special feature: "Erlangen" 39 Food cache 43 Rare medal 47 Obituary 49 Books 52

© No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the publishers. Antarctic Autumn, 1986

NZARP Heavy science programme completed

Forty research projects covering a wide range of atmospheric, earth and life sciences have been approved by government for the 1986/87 season of the New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme. They include a continuation of the CIROS (Cenozoic investigations in the Western ) during which it is hoped to obtain core samples which should complete a record of sedimentation in McMurdo Sound from the present day through to pre-glacial times and pro vide important information on past changes in world climate and the history of the Antarctic ice sheet.

CIROS is sponsored jointly by Victoria This year the party includes Mr G.B. University of Wellington, and the Crocker of Cambridge. It is the first time a Geophysics and Antarctic Divisions of the foreign scientist has wintered with the New Department of Scientific and Industrial Zealanders since 1959. Research. They are just two of the Gov The New Zealand team comprises C.R. ernment departments which will participate in next season's programme in addition to McDonald, assistant base engineer six universities. (Tokoroa), R.W. Paterson, technician (New Plymouth), D. Wilkinson, technician (Well Scott Base reconstruction programme will involve the completion of a light workshop ington), M.J. Harman, technician (Welling ton), B.D. Hiscock, mechanic (Temuka), complex erected last year and the con S.C. Pardoe, electrician (Napier), S.M. struction of a new garage complex with an area of some 1,000 sq. metres. This repre Loney, postmaster (Alexandra), P.S. sents the seventh stage of the project begun Purves, Post Office technician (Hamilton), in 1976 and due for completion in 1990. S.J. Mosley, chef (Auckland) and R.A. Work will, as usual, be undertaken by Ant Balm, dog handler (Arthurs Pass). arctic Division, the Ministry of Works and The departure of the last of the summer Development and New Zealand Army team concluded a successful season for the Engineers. New Zealand Antarctic Research pro Last season's activities officially conclud gramme which involved 41 scientific pro jects and number of supporting program ed at 3pm on February 8 when the outgo mes. ing summer leader Peter Cresswell hand ed over to Jim Rankin of Kumara who will be officer in charge for this, his third winter Ecosystems on the ice and second as leader. Drs Warwick Vincent and Clive How The last of the summer team to leave ard-Williams of the Taupo Research Labo Antarctica included deputy leader at Scott ratory, Division of Marine and Freshwater Base John Parsloe and the team at Hallett Sciences, DSIR completed the third and Station who returned to McMurdo on final season of study of the stream USCGC Polarstar and flew home to Christ ecosystems of the McMurdo Sound area. church on 19 February leaving twelve men The team accompanied by Gillian S. at Scott Base for the long Antarctic winter. Wratt, an Antarctic Division field assistant. Autumn, 1986 Antarctic spent 13 weeks in the field working from sis by Dr Stephen de Mora. Stuart Camp bases near Lakes Fryxell, Vanda and Miers bell and Alan Grout was prevented by in and on the Wolcott Glacier. They focussed strument problems and data on samples re on experimental assays to determine the turned to New Zealand is not yet available. factors controlling microbial growth in Ant From atmospheric measurements at arctic streams. Vanda they found lead to be below detec Detailed photosynthetic and respiratory tion limits and the levels of volatile mercury measurements made with a portable infra to be less than a quarter of the New red gas analyzer showed that the various Zealand values. stream communities had different light re quirements for optimal growth. A nutrient Trace gas analysis enrichment assay, using equipment deve Further samples of air were collected for loped for Arctic streams, demonstrated trace gas analysis by Dr Tom Clarkson and that the stream life was not limited by technican Keith Rodgers of the Meteor nitrogen or phosphorous supply. ological Service in Wellington. This was an A wide range of biochemical assays in extension of the work begun as a pilot study cluding bacterial DNA synthesis, lipid pro last season to determine the presence of duction, photosynthetic and product man-made gasses — fluorocarbons and biosynthesis and glucose metabolism showed that the stream algae and bacteria hydrocarbons — in the Antarctic at mosphere. It is part of a project to increase though tolerant of the cold water the understanding of global climate. temperatures (0 to 5 deg c). were not Crucial to the study is the building up of especially adapted to these conditions. an atmospheric profile which involves col Gillian Wratt completed a series of algal, lection of samples from varying heights. bacterial and nitrogen cycling assays on Using a pump powered from the helicopter Lakes Bonney and Vanda. air is sucked into stainless steel cannisters Additional work in this programme was through a tube attached to the helicopter carried out on the Alph River which flows Keith Rodgers taking air samples from a United down the western margin of the Koetlitz States Navy helicopter as part of the atmospheric Glacier, and which is perhaps the south trace programme. ernmost flowing water system in the world. Photo: Antarctic Division, DSIR The environmental survey of the Alph River revealed a biologically rich microbial community and an unusually constant dis charge (about 1 cu.m per second) by com parison with other southern streams. A preliminary survey of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the McMurdo Ice shelf meltwater pools and streams was conducted early in the season, and again in mid-January.

Trace metals Samples of the waters of Lakes Fryxell Vanda and Bonney were to be tested for the presence of trace metals by scientists from Auckland University Chemistry De partment who sought to determine the bio logical — metal interaction of the biological community in the lakes. Preliminary analy- Antarctic Autumn, 1986 skid. In the laboratory the air is injected into Davey. Both are from the Geophysics Divi a gas chromatograph and the gases sepa sion of DSIR in Wellington. They were rated. joined by Georg Delisle from the Federal Eight flights were made in December Geological Survey, West Germany and and January; two up to 15,000 ft., on each assisted in the field by Brian Smith of Ant of which nine samples were collected and arctic Division, Christchurch. six to between 8 and 10,000 ft. on which an The loading of the crust by young average of seven samples were collected volcanic massif has been studied in the making a total of 60. Hawaii area. There, beneath the extruded The scientists, were looking particularly volcanics, the lithosphere (crust) is for Freon 12, a fluorocarbon used in deflected downwards beneath the load aerosol cans and as a refrigerant. Prelimi and there are compensating upwarps at nary investigations undertaken with newly 200 to 300 km from the centre of the load, installed equipment at the Scott Base labo like an elastic plate underlain by a weak ratory indicated an approximate 5 percent fluid. Unlike Hawaii, however, where the increase, since last year, in fluorocarbons oceanic lithosphere is relatively undisturb which is in keeping with global trends. ed, the Ross Island archipelago has Other samples brought to New Zealand will erupted into a region of crustal complexity. be further analysed for fluorocarbons and It is thought that the Transantarctic also for the presence of hydrocarbons. This Mountains front represents some sort of latter part of the study is believed to be the suture zone between east and west Antarc first of its kind in Antarctica. tica with being a high stand ing region to the geographical west of Radiation monitoring McMurdo with an estimated crust thickness of 40 km. East of McMurdo it may be as thin as 24 km. Thus the area 100 to 200 km Routine daily climatic recording of direct west of this is one of transition of crustal and diffuse solar radiation, wind, types. Data already collected west of Ross temperature pressure and atmospheric Island confirms this but to the east and the turbidity were maintained at Scott Base by area particularly around the Ross Island ar Don Wilkinson, of Wellington, as part of a chipelago information is sparse. year round meteorological programme. The team sought this year to continue the New solar radiation monitoring equipment, seismic depth sounding in the Windless which will record global, direct and diffuse Bight area to outline the "moat" on the radiation, was installed on the northern eastern side of Ross Island, and to carry out end of the laboratory by John Falconer who seismic reflection surveying in the Windless also carried the routine inspection of Bight area in order to obtain a clearer pic equipment. ture of the sediment structure. This involv Mike Bourke of Invercargill maintained ed a 200 km traverse from Cape Crozier the synoptic observation programme at Vanda throughout the summer. This also along a south east Azimuth during which gravity and depth sounding measurements involved collection of data from the three were made at about 10 km intervals. They screens at Lower Bull Pass, Lower Wright also took seismic reflection measurements Valley and the Western end of Lake Van at selected positions approximately 50 km da. apart. The purpose was to outline the long-wavelength deformation associated Ross Island loading with the loading of Ross Island. Initial interpretation of the data shows a Investigation of the tectonic effect asso typical flexure profile with a downward ciated with the loading of the lithosphere by deflection of approximately 2 km. the young volcanic massif of Ross Island The team then conducted a detailed was undertaken by Drs Tim Stern and Fred gravity survey around the summit caldera Autumn, 1986 Antarctic of Mt Erebus in order to estimate the total United States and New Zealand. It was the mass of the volcanic load. Results are still first year that Scott Base has hosted the being analysed. Japanese IMESS scientists. Drs Miura and Yamada played back about 1500 seismic events, recorded at Seismic studies Scott Base and noted the arrival time of Two Japanese scientists spent six weeks each at the nine stations in the summit area at Scott Base examining recordings of the of the mountain. From this they are able to seismic events which occurred around Mt compute the hypocentre of the events and Erebus from February to December, 1985. estimate the shape of the magma reservoir Dr Satoshi Miura and Dr Mamoru Yamada beneath Mt Erebus and the driving force of of Tohoku University were assisting the volcanic activity. Japanese National Institute of Polar During the six weeks they spent at Scott Research with its participation in the Inter Base about 60 seismic events, each of ap national Mt Erebus Seismic Study (IMESS) proximately a minute's duration, occurred programme involving scientists from Japan, on Mt Erebus. The pair also carried out

Changes in new Antarctic map

A new map of Antarctica which appears Dakshin Gangotri, in East Antarctica. in this issue, has been prepared to show the One of the problems in producing a changes that have taken place since the small-scale map has been to show in greater map it replaces was first printed 10 years detail bases in the Antarctic Peninsula and ago. Since 1975 more permanent bases to identify them more clearly by name and have been established inland and on the nation. It has been difficult to fit into such a coast of the continent, some bases have map the intense concentration of bases on been closed, and others on slowly moving King George Island in the South Shetlands ice shelves have been rebuilt on safer or where seven countries are now establish permanent sites. ed. Thirteen Antarctic Treaty nations now Antarctica was shown on the 1969 map in have bases which are manned all the year relation to Australia and New Zealand, and round. Three others — the People's the boundaries of territorial claims by sev Republic of China, Brazil and Uruguay — eral nations were included. The two coun have established summer stations in the last tries were removed in 1975 to show the three years and intend to make them per whole continent as were the boundary lines manent. Two nations, Norway and in keeping with the terms of the Antarctic Belgium, which were among the 12 original Treaty under which all claims are frozen. signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, do not After the 1975 map appeared some maintain permanent bases. readers of "Antarctic" complained that the Since the 1975 map was drawn West Antarctic Continent had been turned up Germany has established a permanent base side down but we were assured by a on the coast, Japan has built leading United States cartographer that the an inland winter station called Mizuho, and map was correctly placed. And here it the Soviet Union has added to its coastal seems only natural to look south for New station Russkaya in . One of Zealand, historic gateway to Antarctica for the new arrivals on the scene is India, more than 250 years. which has a permanent inland base, Antarctic Autumn, 1986 some maintenance on the seismic stations ice was compared by recording with the on the mountain and made gravity mea different strain meters designed by the surements at 11 sites which when combin Cambridge and the Wellington teams. The ed with other such data will enable a gravity measurements are directly related to the anomaly map to be drawn up and estimates load carrying capacity and length of life of made of the structure under the ground the sea-ice runway. including the magma reservoir of Mt Five passes were made by a hercules fly Erebus. ing at 50 feet over the route so that the ef fects of air pressure on the sea ice could Ice studies also be assessed. Recording the elastic and plastic move ment of the Erebus Glacier tongue began During the winter the area of Antarctica doubles due to the growth of the ice in the three years ago but it was not until 1985 that surrounding sea. Because this great abun recordings were made throughout the year dance of sea ice is significant in the south using the strain meters installed the ern ocean energy balances the spectral previous season and transmitting data via transmission and scattering of the ice are Arrival Heights to Scott Base. This year the cable between the meters was replaced important physical properties. Based on the sea ice near Tent Island and the equipment checked. Drs Bob Buckley of the DSIR's physics and Engineering Laboratory and Joe Trodahl of Penguin studies the Physics Department of Victoria Univer sity spent ten days measuring the spectral Five factors influencing breeding success transmission of light in the sea ice. of female Adelie penguins were studied by Using specially designed detectors Dr Lloyd Davis and Yolanda van Heezik of above and below the ice they were able Otago University, Dr John Cockrem and firstly to measure the amount of light from a Dave Ward of Ecology Division. Led by Dr 50 watt bulb shone through the ice and Davis the team was based at the Northern secondly the amount scattered back into rookery of Cape Bird between mid- the atmosphere. From the results they can November and mid-December. deduce characteristic physical properties of In an attempt to assess foraging distances ice such as the scattering length — the Dave Ward and Lloyd Davis attached distance light travels between two scattering miniature transmitters with epoxy resin to events — and also data about the absorp 10 birds. One remained on shore but nine tion of light including that due to algae were tracked at sea using radio telemetry growing at the bottom of the ice. from equipment on Inclusion Hill and New College Hill and experimentally by Strain characteristics helicopter to verify transmissions. Eight of the nine birds headed north out of Studies of the strain characteristics of the McMurdo Sound some going beyond 100 sea ice and the dynamics of the Erebus Ice km. It is hoped in future to be able to use more powerful transmitters in order to Tongue were continued in two phases. The first comprised Dr Bill Robinson and Arnold more accurately assess foraging distances. Heine of the Physics and Engineering Lab Dr Lloyd Davis injected birds with labell ed water and salts. Blood samples were oratory Wellington and Drs Vernon Squire and Pat Langhorne from the Scott Polar In taken at subsequent intervals to determine stitute in Cambridge. metabolic rates associated with various Based mainly just west Tent Island fur activities. This was a continuation of work ther assessment of the sea-wave move begun last season in association with Dr ments produced by running a Ford pickup Brian Green (CSIRO) Australia. Blood truck along a four kilometre route over the samples were taken by Dr John Cockrem to Autumn, 1986 Antarctic determine whether there were changes in were observed at Cape Phillips and at the levels of melatonin which could be in Cape Anne on the southern tip of Coulman terpreted in terms of the circadian clock. Island. Counting is still in progress. Preliminary work on diet was also under In a second part of the New Zealand taken and behavioural observations were contribution to ISAS, Lynda Logan, John made of banded birds to assess fidelity of Fennell and Rachel Brown, all of mates between seasons. Christchruch, spent two weeks in late Nov ember carrying out an annual ground cen Colonies counted sus of Adelie penguins at Cape Bird. This census has run since 1965 and includes the The aerial photographic reconnaissance recording of penguin band numbers and observations of other birds and animals. of the coastline of the Ross Dependency to locate all penguin colonies and determine their populations was continued last sea Adelies filmed son. Evidence obtained from the photo graphs is supported where possible by Adelie penguins at Cape Bird were film ed by a crew from Television New Zealand. ground counts and used to monitor man- induced and natural environmental This completed the second phase of a pro changes in the ecosystem. The project car ject begun in 1981 when the first stages of ried out by Ecology Division of DSIR is part summer colonisation of Cape Bird was re of the New Zealand contribution to the In corded. Led by Neil Harroway of Dunedin ternational Survey of Antarctic Seabirds the team comprising cameraman Tim (ISAS) and is one of two conducted within Pollard and soundman Mike Fitzgerald, the New Zealand Antarctic Research Pro both of Christchurch, captured the second gramme. part of the seasonal cycle on film due for Using a U.S. VXE-6 helicopter on Nov release late this year. Some footage was ember 27 to fly first at 3,000 and then at also shot in the Dry Valleys for a joint 2,000 feet to check for disturbance of the BBC/ABC production. colonies Peter Wilson, Bruce Thomas and Tim Fitzgerald photographed three colo Viral studies nies at Cape Royds on their way to Cape Bird. Returning to Royds they The World Health Organisation (WHO) rephotographed the colonies before land maintains a continuing interest in the rela ing to spend two days on a ground count. tionship between human and animal influ Results indicated 3,247 occupied nests, enza virus strains. Outbreaks of the disease 3,116 with eggs representing a 13 and 14 in seals on the North East Coast of the percent increase respectively on the United States raised the question of previous year. All but one of the sub- whether they are natural hosts of the colonies had also increased. Cape Crozier viruses or whether they were infected from was also photographed by helicopter. birds. On December 4 the same team flew a This aspect of viral research was carried a C-130 mission during which the colonies at step further by Drs Frank Austin. Tony Beaufort Island, Coulman Islands — south, Robinson from the Medical Research middle and northern — Capes Jones and Council of New Zealand and guest scientist Wheatstone, Cotter Cliffs, Cape Hallett, Dr Rob Webster of St. Judes Hospital. Duke of York Island, Sentry Rocks, Unger Memphis Tennessee. Island, Nella and Thala Islands and the At Cape Bird for one week in January Aviation Island were photographed. Con and Scott Base for two weeks the team col ditions precluded observations and photo lected swabs from penguins, skuas and graphs of Inexpresible Island and Terra seals and blood samples from skuas and Nova Bay but two small unknown colonies seals, some 500 in all. Preliminary testing Antarctic Autumn, 1986 has shown that 10 percent of the skuas have antibodies indicating that they have Historic huts been infected with influenza virus in the A brief inspection of the three historic past. The birds are however only carriers; huts at Hut Point, Cape Evans and Cape as they rarely develop the disease. Royds was carried out by David Har Analysis of the penguin samples to date rowfield and Russell Skerton of Canterbury indicates no positive isolants but between Museum and Gerry Turner of Lands and 50 and 100 will be retested. Similar testing Survey Wellington. This was part of an of samples collected at an Australian base ongoing management programme for indicated previous infection. which they prepared photographs and col As there is no commercially available sera lected some important artefacts for tem for the testing of seals a special reagent is porary safe storage at Scott Base prior to being developed. The results will be for further work. The collection of artefacts is in warded to the World Health Organisation. keeping with the overall long term plan for the sites as approved by the Historic Sites Fish studies Management Committee which advises the Working from the fish but 1.5 km south of Ross Dependency Research Committee. Scott Base and in the wet lab from mid- November to late December Canterbury Drilling University scientists Dr Bill Davison, Craig Franklin, Malcolm Forster and Harry Taylor A three hole drilling programme was extended earlier studies of the swimming undertaken in the Marshall Valley between ability of Antarctic fish. January 10 and 30 to obtain suitable mate Using a specially built tunnel respirometer rial for absolute age dating from the subsur four species of fish were exercised. The face sequence and establish a chronology benthic Trematomus Bernacchii, t. hansoni for pre-last glaciational sediments depos and Gymnodraco acuticepts did not readi ited by grounded ice sheets in the Ross ly swim in the tunnel but the fourth the Sea. Pagothenic borchgrevenki swam well. The The sequences, from which the late sprint and endurance capacity were Quaternary glacial history could be studied assessed and metabolic rates at rest, and in relation to the McMurdo Sound region during activity and recovery were thus extending the chronology of suc measured. Muscle and blood samples, re cessive Ross Sea Glaciations, have been covery rate, lactic acid removal and exygen documented by investigators over the past debt repayment were also recorded during 15 years. The Marshall Valley was chosen the 48 hour recovery of a fish swum to ex because of the exposed but inter-bedded haustion. nature of the glacial and proglacial deposits Between 10 and 15 percent of the fish in the valley. Like other valleys in the caught were also found to have from five to region it is the site of maximum glacial ad a hundred percent fill damage usually run vance of the Ross Ice shelf and the most ning from the filament to the base. Al complete sedimentary record of these though the cells in the gills were swollen the glaciations is likely to be preserved there. damage increasing the distance between Led by Dr Chris Hendy of Waikato Uni blood and the source of oxygen the uptake versity and Dr Paul Robinson from the New was not affected, suggesting that it might be Zealand Geological Survey the team com obtained another way. prised Jan Clayton-Greene and Fiona Giant pycnogonids (sea-spiders), caught Judd also from the university and two Ant by an American scientist diving in McMurdo arctic Division drillers Larry Weller and Sound, were subject to a pilot study by the Warwick Potter. Surveying support was team which measured metabolic rates, provided by Phil Winters from the Depart osmotic pressure and blood volume. ment of Lands and Survey. Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

The first two holes were drilled to Ciros 26.02m, with 98 percent core recovery, and 35.41m, with 93 percent core recov Preparations for the continuation of the ery, and the third was abandoned at a 1984/85 CIROS (Cenozoic Investigations depth of 14.12m with 54 percent recovery in the Western Ross Sea) drilling pro because of poor drilling conditions. gramme during next summer were com Four major lithotypes were recognised in pleted during the season. They included the sedimentary sequence which could re repairs and extensions to the campsite present many glacial episodes but without buildings bringing the Longyear drilling absolute age dating which is being carried equipment up to operating efficiency and out at present, the true number remains delivering supplies of drilling mud, and fuel unknown. From preliminary results based to the Butter Point camp. Core saw parts on lithological correlation 9 separate and scientific equipment were also sent by episodes were recognisable in the subsur to Scott Base in readiness for the advance face from the last two being about 13,000 to team to go in on the first of the winter flights 180,000 years BP respectively. for next season.

New weir and dam to control Onyx

Antarctica's longest river, the Onyx, one weather changes in the dry valleys. When of the few in the world to flow inland, did the flood began the hydrological team. not behave normally all last summer. Early Trevor Chinn and Peter Mason, assisted by in December it began its 40km journey an Antarctic Division field assistant. War along the Wright Valley from Lake wick Petter, moved camp to the Lower Brown worth to Lake Vanda. Its rate of flow Wright Glacier, the source area of the was normal (about one to two cubic metres Onyx. There they found that the flood had a second) and the waters reached the been caused by the breaking of an ice dam permanent weir near Vanda Station and where the glacier pinches the river against flowed over it at 3.45 a.m. local time on the mountains of the valley side. December 8. High flows have overtopped the present Temperatures recorded at Vanda Sta weir and caused considerable deformation tion had been cooler than most, but did not and damage over the last few summers so cause a flood, reaching discharges of eight last season a major part of the hydrological cubic metres a second which suddenly programme was to construct a new weir just came down the river on December 16. upstream from the present one It was These high flows continued for three days. made with an artificial notched weir sur In the 1983-84 season the river did not rounded by a moulded sand and rock begin its flow until December 16, which was paved dam. This was designed to handle later than normal, and by December 17 the large flows experienced in recent years had been a torrent, reaching its highest This year the dam will become saturated level since the 1970-71 season. but during the winter all the damp ground Hydrologists from the Water and Soil will freeze permanently with only the sin Science Centre, Ministry of Works and face rocks thawing in the summer. So after Development, assisted by the Vanda this winter the structure will become a per summer staff, measure and record the manent ice-cored ice dam which should river's flow and temperatures each summer never leak. as part of New Zealand's monitoring of Temperatures at Vanda rose in January. Antarctic Autumn, 1986 the highest for the summer being lldeg Footnote: Hydrologists are not the only people Celsius on January 7. On January 4, 1974, interested in the summer flow of the Onyx. For the temperature reached 15deg C, the several seasons New Zealanders have organised a sweepstake open to all comers and based on highest recorded since the station was established in 1968. In January, 1979, the the date and time the waters of the river will flow over the weir. This summer the sweepstake was highest temperature for the summer was worth $125 and the winner was Dexter Sharp, 13.2degC. one of the crew of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois helicopter operating in Antarctica for the first time.

Artefacts from historic huts

A glass used at Captain Scott's last erected at Hut Point for Scott's 1901-04 birthday dinner at Cape Evans on June 6, expedition. A nosebag used by the last ex 1911, two skis from Shackleton's Arrol- pedition's ponies or mules was found in the Johnston motor-car, and a porcelain hut. It still contained oats and bore the ini ashtray advertising Bell matches, were tials of Charles Wright, the Canadian scien among artefacts removed from the three tist who was first to sight the tent with the historic huts on Ross Island last summer by bodies of Scott and his companions. a New Zealand team. All the artefacts were A board inscribed "RWR April 1916" discovered and documented by New was also recovered. It belonged to Dick Zealand restoration parties in past seasons. Richards, last survivor of the Ross Sea Party They have been removed because they who died last year. Still to be identified is a would deteriorate in the huts and be lost Primus stove which may have been there without certain conservation treatment. for the 1901-04 expedition or Shackleton's Arrangements have been made to store 1907-09 expedition which also used the the artefacts at Scott Base until methods of hut. preservation which can be done only in In addition to the car skis and the ashtray, New Zealand have been worked out. Later a tin of piston lubricant in pristine condition this year they will be brought back and the was removed from Shackleton's hut at Ross Dependency Research Committee Cape Royds. Other relics of the Ross Sea will decide where they will be housed. Party were taken from Scott's hut at Cape A Canterbury Museum expedition which Evans where the party lived for nearly 15 was part of the New Zealand research pro months. gramme visited the huts of Scott and One relic from Cape Evans was a com Shackleton at Hut Point, Cape Evans, and bined man-dog sledge-hauling harness Cape Royds in January. It was led by used during a depot-laying journey for the museum archivist, David Harrowfield. Shackleton by the Ross Sea Party in the With him were Gerry Turner, a surveyor 1915-16 summer. It was found originally in and resource planner with the Lands and the 1970-71 season by two New Zealand Survey Department in Wellington and Antarctic Society hut caretakers. A string of Russell Skerton, an artist-technician with rosary beads belonging to the Rev Arnold the Department of Education in Christ Spencer-Smith, padre and photographer church. with the Ross Sea Party, was found in Relics of Scott's last expedition (1910- Herbert Ponting's darkroom at the Cape 13) and the Ross Sea Party of Shackleton's Evans hut. Spencer-Smith, who died of 1914-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedi scurvy on the Ross Ice Shelf in 1916, used tion, were removed from the Discovery hut the darkroom as a chapel. 10 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Scott Base huskies to be phased out

New Zealand, which has had huskies at Scott Base since 1957, has decided to phase them out over the next few years. There are now 16 at the base. Some will have to be put down because of age, injury or sickness; others will be allowed to die naturally.

In the 1957-58 season there were more With more than 60 huskies at Scott Base than 60 huskies at Scott Base for the use of in the 1957-58 season the number of seals the New Zealand section of the Com killed rose to a peak of 350. That was monwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. before New Zealand ratified the Antarctic Since then the introduction of motorised Treaty in 1961. Since then there has been a toboggans has displaced huskies from their steady decline in the numbers killed each traditional role as the main means of Ant season, and the taking of seals has become arctic transport, and the number at the base a culling operation to conserve the popula has declined from the peak to enough for tion. By the 1974-75 season the number two teams of nine. Now they are kept for had dropped to 52. This figure was main recreation and the occasional short tained until the 1981-82 season, and in journey. successive seasons the numbers have been Four years ago Mr R.B. Thomson, direc 36, 25 and 25. Last season only 15 seals tor of the Antarctic Division, Department of were killed for food. Scientific and Industrial Research, served But conservationists and United States notice that the efficiency and cost effec and New Zealand biologists have become tiveness of the huskies would be reviewed. increasingly critical of the practice of killing They could not be kept there just for the indigenous seals to feed introduced sake of tradition but if they were phased huskies. The birth-rate of the population in out it would be over several years. the McMurdo Sound area has declined Last season the DSIR decided that the significantly, and expert scientific opinion huskies would have to go. The main reason has been that even culling has become for the decision was growing opposition to harmful. Also the terms of the Antarctic the killing of Weddell seals in the McMurdo Treaty make it clear that New Zealand must Sound area to provide part of the huskies' stop taking seals if the local population is daily diet. being affected. There are other reasons for phasing out SEAL KILLS the huskies in addition to their replacement Under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, by faster and more efficient motorised the Agreed Measures for the Conservation toboggans. They have been retained for of Flora and Fauna, permits can be issued the recreational use of Scott Base staff but for the killing of limited numbers of seals to are rarely taken out on journeys — only provide indispensable food for men or one last season — and suffer from lack of dogs and for scientific purposes. New exercise. Zealand permits for scientific needs and for In addition many have become feeding huskies have been strictly controll unhealthy because of inbreeding. Fresh ed since these measures came into force. blood has been introduced to counteract 11 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 this by bringing in huskies from British and because they had to be fed on expensive Australian bases but the cost and difficulties whale meat, and it could take up to two have been excessive. A Christchurch veter years to train people to drive them. About inary surgeon, Mr David Marshall, has 40, mostly pups, were transferred to visited Scott Base for the last 12 years to Rothera as a standby in the event of any check on the health and condition of the breakdowns of motor toboggans, other huskies, attend to injuries, and correct any vehicles, and aircraft. dietary deficiencies. But since the 1970s cases of congenital rickets, heart failure, OTHER COUNTRIES and hair loss have spread. Australia's three Antarctic bases, Mawson, Casey and Davis, all used huskies from the time they were established, Davis TWO PUT DOWN stopped in 1965 and Casey in 1970. Mr Thomson says that the remaining Mawson still had 22 huskies and several Scott Base huskies will be allowed to live pups in the 1975-76 season, using them for out their natural lives as far as possible. Most spring and winter journeys over the sea ice huskies born and bred in Antarctica live less to count seal colonies. Now the base is re than five or six years, and with age they ported to have one team of nine. suffer from osteo-arthritis and gastro Exchanges of information under the enteritis. Antarctic Treaty and annual reports to the Scott Base began this year with 18 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research huskies. After Mr Marshall examined them give numbers of seals killed each season for two were put down — Helge, the oldest, food and scientific purposes. Huskies are who was eight years and four months old, not always listed under transport at the and Abbe who was six years and two bases. months, and was in bad health. Australian Antarctic Division annual Now the oldest husky is Jens, born in reports give the numbers of Weddell seals July, 1978. On February 1 there were 13 killed for food at Mawson. These are low huskies more than two years old, and three and have not exceeded 20 since the — Tania, Odin and Caspa, all born in Feb 1978-79 season. Ten were killed then, and ruary last year. The others are: Stareek the numbers in successive seasons have (December, 1979); Julick, Rehua and been 19, 11, 18, 6 and 20. Parts of the 20 Nimrod (all June, 1979); Tama and Manea killed in the 1983-84 season were for (June, 1980); Anawa (March, 1918); scientific use. Footrots (September, 1981); Bjorn Argentina is reported to have about 18 to (December. 1982); Monty, Herb and Kiri 20 huskies at Esperanza, its station on the (January, 1984). Trinity Peninsula of Graham Land, and the Britain, Australia and Argentina still same number at General San Martin, the maintain teams of huskies at certain bases base on the Palmer Land Coast in the but numbers have grown smaller in the last Marguerite Bay area. But there are no up- 10 years. The British Antarctic Survey has to-date official returns of husky numbers or three teams (27) for recreation and training seals killed for food. and four or five pups at Rothera Station on Adelaide Island. An official return for the 1984-85 season shows that 122 seals (40 Weddells and 82 Crabeaters) were killed to feed them. In 1975 BAS had to close the Stonington Island station in Marguerite Bay as an economy measure. About 100 huskies were shot or put down painlessly. Their use had become costly and time-consuming 12 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

ANARE Logistical problems interrupt big science programme With a 1985/86 budget of A$33.98 million (9.8 percent more than the previous year) Australia's most ambitious Antarctic programme since 1979 was to include a two month marine science cruise, the 2,300km traverse of the polar ice cap, a multidisciplinary study of the Bunger Hills, an expedition to Heard Island and a survey of Commonwealth Bay as a preliminary step to the possible establishment of a new base. In spite of the early and lengthy besetment of the Nella Dan in the ice of Amundsen Bay and late season trouble with the drive shaft of Icebird which created severe logistical problems temporarily threatening winter resupply and the return of summer expeditioners to Australia, most of the major field pro grammes were completed. (The story of the Nella Dan's besetment Unable to reach Merrit Island to lay the in the ice of Amundsen Bay, rescue and depot as planned Icebird left the fuel to the late return to Hobart appears on page 25 of east at Snyder rocks and returned to Casey this issue. The marine science programme on November 1 to collect personnel for was amended as a result.) Hobart. With a blizzard forecast to reach the Leaving Melbourne on October 20 MV area shortly she left quickly and hove to in Icebird, on the second voyage of the pro open waters for 24 hours while Casey was gramme, completed a rapid trip to Casey battered with 60 knot winds which broke up with seventy nine passengers — 26 the pack through which Icebird was subse winterers, 29 summer personnel and 24 on quently able to pass easily. the round trip — fuel for Bunger Hill activ In spite of further storms Icebird arrived ities scheduled for later in the season and at Hobart on the morning of Sunday Nov construction materials. ember 10, three days ahead of schedule. Encountering the first pack ice on Octo Icebird's task on the second voyage was ber 27, 550 km north of Casey, her Bell to deliver the 1986 winter and summer 206B helicopters were used to locate leads party expeditioners to Mawson where she through the year old ice. Temperatures as was to remain to support science program low as -14C at night with rapid freezing in mes and other activities. With the Nella termittently restricted progress. Conditions Dan in trouble Icebird was diverted to col had eased by October 30 and the first lect the two parties earlier left on Heard flights were made to the station that day. Island by the trapped trip and subsequently Better conditions near the coast enabled to assist. Unable to help, she took on board Icebird to reach the fast ice one km from 20 passengers from the Nella Dan and the station at 5 a.m. on October 31. resumed resupply operations completing Work began immediately and with ice the Mawson changeover between operations proceeding well priority cargo December 7 and 12. was ashore by noon and the unloading of construction materials completed during Heard Island expedition the afternoon. At 9 p.m. that night Icebird left Casey to establish an emergency fuel Eight seal counters in two parties based at depot in support of Bunger Hill operations. Atlas Cove and Spit Point from October 1 13 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 to November 25 conducted a census of el then renamed A.B. Dobrowolski, after a ephant seals. It was the first whole island famous Polish scientist and has been used census and will be used as a benchmark for infrequently since then. future population estimates. The entire The location chosen from eight potential coast was photographed as part of the cen sites indentified during a short recon- sus and verification sought by ground naisance the previous summer is on the counts or from helicopters where inaccessi coast of Queen Mary Land, about half way ble. It was part of an international pro between the Soviet station Mirny and gramme to monitor the population of the Casey. It is on the western side of Bunger seals. Scientists also took blood samples to Hills in a sheltered bay close to a small compare them with those taken from seals freshwater lake and about 8 km west of on Macquarie Island and carried out ultra Dobrowski. sound assessments of seal blubber. Other It has been named after the Australian programmes included a variety of geologist Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth geophyiscal observations, the deployment David, Dean of Science at Sydney Univer of megnetometers on the island and gen eral biological observations of penguins, sity at the turn of the century. In 1907 he other birds and fur seals. joined Shackleton's expedition to Antarc tica where in March 1908 he led a party of five up Mt Erebus and the following Octo Commonwealth Bay ber was leader of the first party to reach the On her third voyage Icebird collected the south magnetic pole. Project Blizzard team from Commonwealth Edgeworth David, from which pro Bay and continued operations at Casey grammes are expected to run for three and Davis but unable to reach Mawson be years, comprises five prefabricated igloo cause of ice conditions returned to Davis shaped fibreglass shelters known as apple and back to Hobart where she transferred or melon huts. They are designed to withs cargo to Nella Dan which was subsequently tand winds of over 200 km an hour, are able to reach Mawson. While in Com transportable by helicopter and able to be monwealth Bay, Antarctic Division person erected by two people in less than an hour. nel briefly surveyed the area as part of an The first shelter was flown in on 18 January assessment for a possible scientific base. No and four the following day. The sixth, a decision has, as yet, been reached. darkroom, was accidently dropped on the Edisto Glacier when a helicopter safety New base in Bunger Hills catch malfunctioned. The scientific programme was focussed On 4 January Nella Dan began the 2,000 on geology, biology, glaciology and meteo nautical mile journey to south west of rology in addition to obtaining comprehen Bunger Hills with 22 scientists and support sive photographic coverage of the area. staff to establish a new Australian summer As part of Gondwanaland studies, a station from which the first major shorebas- team from the Bureau of Mineralogical re ed field programme since the 1970's was sources collected about 3 tons of rocks from to run. which they hope to compare the petrology Bunger Hills is a 950 square kilometre ice and minerology of the region with other free area half way between Casey and the areas on the Antarctic coast and coast of Soviet Station Mirny. One of the largest Western Australia. such areas in the Australian Antarctic terri University of Melbourne scientists stud tory it was first sighted in 1912 by Frank ied the structural orogenesis of the south Wild, a member of Mawson's Australasian ern part of the Bunger Hills while others Antarctic expedition. From 1956 to 58 the looked at the geomorphological evolution Soviet Union maintained a scientific station of the area as well as the Obruchev Hills known as Oasis in the area which they and surrounding Nunataks. From glacial handed over to the Poles in 1959. It was striae they will be able to ascertain direc- 14 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

flow over most of the area before it became Ninety-one summer expeditioners re deglaciated five to six thousand years ago. mained in the four bases on the continent Sea levels were studied and shells col and extra fuel and food was required at lected for dating to indicate the time and Mawson and Davis to enable the stations to rate of uplift. Other marginal and sub-glacial run through the winter without rationing. features of interest were also found. Antarctic Division's ice researchers, bas Moss samples were collected from 63 ed in Melbourne, worked with Antarctic locations as part of investigation into the meteorological experts to provide daily presence of microfauna, bacteria and fungi. reports and predictions on the sea ice situa Freshwater and marine flatworms from the tion. Information was received by satellite lake and sea edge were studied and the pictures from Australia's Antarctic stations cocoons collected will be compared with and the US Navy's joint ice centre at worms found in the subantarctic Macquarie, Maryland in USA. lies Crozet and Kerguelen. Large numbers The Nella Dan, having completed her of copepods were also collected in the resupply was 700 nm north of Casey en algae mats found down to 5-6 metres deep route to Denmark via Albany in Western in the lakes. Water samples collected will Australia when she was recalled and the be sent to Japan for chemical analysis. Ac remaining season's work was divided be curate survey points were established as a tween the two ships. basis for a future programme to study the Nella Dan left Hobart on 24 February for flow of the Denham Glacier. Edgeworth David. Heavy pack ice covering Twenty adult Wedell seals and one pup observed in the area may be a distinct population trapped by 35 km of shelf ice from the open sea; Emporer and Adelie penguins were observed on the coast. Pole still at sea Relief ship in trouble On January 16, 1909 Edgeworth On 17 February, 1200 nm south of David, Mawson, and Forbes Mackay Hobart fully loaded with fuel and cargo for reached the South Magnetic Pole and the last voyage to collect the Bunger Hills fixed its position (72.4deg S/155.3deg party and complete resupply of the stations. Icebird's main drive gear between the E) in Victoria Land. This year on Jaunary 5 a team of Australian scientists engine and the propellor shaft cracked. aboard the supply ship Icebird With an ocean going tug on standby she re estimated its position at 2.20 p.m. as turned to Hobart at half speed of 6.7 knots 65deg 13min S/139deg 53min E. about arriving on February 26. Two specialist engineers with a 3 ton 86.33 nautical miles out to sea north of the French Dumont d'Urville Station. replacement gear from Germany arrived on 3 March. Assisted by Australian A geophysicist, Mr Rodney Hutchin engineers they worked around the clock to son, from the Bureau of Mineral Re have Icebird back at sea by 13 March. sources in Canberra, used an English- In the meantime the ice was extending made fluxgate magnetometer further out to sea than normal particularly suspended over the stern of the ship. near Australia's new Edgeworth David The team, which included scientists base and likely to start advancing by mid- from the Antarctic Division, Department March at all stations. Depending on of Science, used the magnometer and weather conditions it can advance possibly specially-designed equipment on the as rapidly as 20 nm a day to a depth of 30 ship's bridge during a week of vectoring cm. experiments to fix the SMPposition. 15 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

9/10 of the sea prevented her from ap the operation to collect the 25 expedi proaching closer than 50 nm and three tioners from Davis she had to shelter be helicopters transferred the 22 scientists and hind icebergs during a force nine gale, and support staff to the ship in moderate wind to negotiate two belts of pack ice. At one and sea conditions at minus 10 deg. C. In stage she was blocked by hundreds of spite of poor weather conditions they had icebergs and dense pack but able to thread completed a 50 day research programme her way through the ice in spite of very poor which would provide new information on visibility in heavy snow falls. the geology of the Bunger Hills area. In the meantime the sea approaches to By 17 March Nella Dan was in open Casey remained relatively free of ice but it water 300 nm north of Mawson travelling at was not until 15 April that Icebird returned 11 knots to reach Albany on 26 March with to Hobart with 28 summer expeditioners the expeditioners from Edgeworth David, from the station. She too had earned addi Davis and Mawson to which she had deliv tional fuel supplies for Mawson on the final ered 520,000 litres of fuel, allowing the sta voyage of the season during which she also tion to run at full consumption during the picked up the last of the summer expedi winter. tioners from Davis and Macquarie Island. The Nella Dan's additional trip to the ice Ninety-seven men and women are was not without incident. She was wintering over at Australia's three Antarctic operating close to the ice window when stations, Casey, Davis and Mawson and the freezing of the sea prevents access. During sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Work on French airstrip suspended

Australia exercised its right under the island, Lion, and was supported by an Antarctic Treaty to inspect another coun engineer and three technicians who install try's Antarctic station for only the second ed equipment at Dumont d'Urville and on time in 22 years last summer. An official Lion. Small-scale earthworks were carried team of three, including a representative of out in the 1983-84 season and direct work the Department of Foreign Affairs, visited on the site was suspended in the 1984-85 the French Dumont d'Urville Station early season. Since then two environmental im in January to inspect installations and pact studies of the problems associated with equipment, and the controversial airstrip the project have been made by French project in the Pointe Ceologie Archipelago. scientists. The Australiam inspection team French plans to build an all-weather confirmed after its visit that no direct work 1100m airstrip by linking five small islands, was now being done on the airstrip, and Cuvier, Lion, Pellux, Zeus and Buffon, was told officially that no funds for work in were strongly criticised by international en the 1986-87 season had been allocated by vironmental organisations in 1982. They the French Government. claimed that extensive excavations and the Australia's inspection team visited Du use of heavy machinery and explosives, mont d'Urville at short notice when the would interfere with several species of chartered support ship Icebird called on Antarctic seabirds and Adelie penguins January 3. No treaty violations were which breed in the area. detected and the team was told that work P r e l i m i n a r y s t u d i e s o f H e d u on the airstrip site had been suspended al Gouverneur, 3km from Dumont D'Urville, though preliminary earthworks were under and the other islands, were made in the way. These are for engineering research 1981-82 season. The next summer a civil and experiments in breakwater design, engineering and construction team of 10 both of which need to be done before the men began preliminary work on the largest project can go ahead. 16 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

A member of the inspection team, Dr five islands and used to build a causeway Patrick Quilty, assistant director (science) to another island. Antarctic Division, said after the visit that he Adelie penguins breed on several of the was satisfied that no direct work was under small islands the airstrip would span, and at way. Only eight workers with limited least eight types of seabirds breed in the machinery and equipment were engaged immediate area. But Dr Quilty said that on the preliminary earthworks. Far greater French biologists at the station seem well resources would be needed to build an aware of the environmental problems asso airstrip on the site and several years' work ciated with the airstrip project and have would be needed if the project went devised research programmes to study the ahead. So far three metres of rock have problems. been removed from the top of one of the South Korea plans base in South Shetlands A suitable site for a permanent base in Antarctica was found by scientists of a South Korean expedition which worked on King George Island , South Shetlands, last season. The expedition, organised by the Federation of Korean Maritime Boy Scouts, was divided into two parties. Seven mountaineers led by Ho Uk attempted the ascent of Antarctica's highest peak, the 4897m Vinson Massif in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. Nine men, including the expedition director, Yoon Sok-Sun, described as a former lawmaker, carried out a biological, geological, and meteorological pro gramme on King George Island. Both parties left Seoul by air on Novem steeply sloping snow drifts, ice walls and ber 6 and returned on December 16. They crevasses. travelled by way of Los Angeles, Miami When the party finally reached Camp 3 and Santiago, and arrived in Punta Arenas, the temperature dropped to minus 35deg Chile, on November 13. The climbing party Celsius and visibility was only 5m. The left Punta Arenas Chilean Air Force base at climbers were pinned down in their tent for 1 p.m. on November 16 aboard a three days waiting for the weather to clear. chartered Antarctic Airways ski-equipped By November 28 the slopes of the Vinson Twin Otter aircraft piloted by Captain Giles Massif were still hidden by blizzards and Kershaw, which refuelled at the British clouds. Antarctic Survey base Rothera on Adelaide Island and landed at the base of the With only enough food for three days the Ellsworth Mountains at 6 a.m. the next day. summit team, Ho Uk (leader), Lee Chang-Yong and Ho Chong-Shik, decid A base camp was set up 2650m above ed to wait no longer. Seven and a half sea level at 78deg 30min S/86 W, and the hours after starting the final assault the three climbers' equipment and supplies were men were almost completely exhausted. airdropped by a Chilean Air Force Her They did not know at that stage that they cules. They spent two days at the camp were only 50m from the summit. There al checking gear and preparing to establish timeter indicated 5500m, a reading higher advance camps. The first was set up at than the actual summit, and when they 3000m, the second at 3500m, and the prised off the top of a vacuum flask with an third at 4100m. On their way to the high ice axe the water inside was frozen. camp the climbers had to contend with 17 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

commercial fishing vessels. Last season No Visibility Yoon Sok-Sun's main task was to make A decision was made to head back diplomatic calls on all the other bases to down the mountain to Camp 3 but a sud pave the way for an exchange of research den blizzard reduced visibility to nil. The data and future joint projects. climbers roped themselves together and Blizzards. strong winds. and cautiously began searching for a safe route temperatures around minus 15 C greatly by which to descend. After five minutes hampered the research team's activities. they sighted a ridge leading to the summit. The unpredictable weather often confined They reached the top at 12.30 a.m. on the scientists to their tents for many hours at November 29. The temperature was minus a time. 4()deg. and the three men had time only to Despite these handicaps and the limita hoist the South Korean flag, bury an tion of their stay in Antarctica to only 25 emblem of Hodori. the tiger mascot of the days, the scientists achieved most of their 1988 Seoul Olympics, and radio Camp 3 objectives. They returned to Seoul with with their news before starting back. more than 100 geological samples, in Yoon Sok-Sun's scientific research team cluding 30 fossils as well as more than 50 was flown from Punta Arenas to Teniente samples of marine life, and obtained valu Rodolfo Marsh, by a Chilean Air Force air able meteorological data by way of the craft, arriving on the afternoon of Novem space satellite. ber 16. After surveying the terrain the team Logistic support for the mountaineering set up six tents as a temporary research party was provided by a United States- centre and base, and raised their national Canadian company. Adventure Network flag in front of them. International (ANI) set up to perate On November 17, under the leadership research vessels, field camps, and services of the team captain Hong Suk-Ha, all to Antarctic expeditions. Captain Kershaw, members began their respective assign who provided air support for the British ments. Dr Chang Sun-Kun, of the Korean Transglobe and Footsteps of Scott Expedi Oceanographic Institute, was engaged in tions, is responsible for ANI's air transport geological studies; Lee Don-Huan did and resupply logistics. His company. Ant some underwater photography and col arctic Airways, based in Calgary, operates a lected samples of marine life, and Dr Choe specially-equipped Twin Otter. The South Hyo, of the Korean Ocean Research and Korean party was one of three climbing Development Institute, worked at the parties put into the field between Novem Chilean meteorological centre, Presidente ber 8 and December 17. Frei, on the analysis of meteorological data received from a space satellite orbiting over Antarctica.

Bad Weather ^ As South Korea has indicated for several years that it may accede to the Antarctic Treaty, one goal of the expedition was to study all the research stations established on King George Island and introduce the South Koreans to their scientists and sup port staff. In recent years South Korea has concentrated on krill and fisheries research, having sent four expeditions to the aboard chartered 18 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

BAS news Sixth season for Offshore Biological Programme In spite of poor travelling conditions, storm damage to aircraft and the entrapment in pressure ice of the RRS John Biscoe, the British Antarctic Survey reports good progress with most field programmes. These included geology, geophysics and glaciology on James Ross Island (part of a cretaceous back-arc basin), investiga tion of the ice dynamics of the Ronne Ice Shelf and Rutford Ice Stream, and the continuation for the sixth season of the long-term Offshore Biological Programme (OBP).

RRS John Biscoe, which had been trap co-Master Malcolm Phelps. This is the sixth ped in pressure ice near a reef off Adelaide season's work. The area to be covered this Island for a week in mid-November but year extends up to 70 nautical miles from appeared to be undamaged, was escorted the precipitous islands at the northwestern to Palmer station by the West German ship tip of , and much was Polarstern. There, the John Biscoe's pas achieved in January and February in spite sengers and the rest of the crew (a total of of appalling weather (prolonged gales and 40 men who had been accommodated by some fog). The programme includes physi the Americans) were re-embarked, and cal oceanography with measurements of the ship proceeded the short distance to horizontal and vertical flux of water and Damoy summer station on Wiencke Island. nutrients and investigation of microbial ac The Damoy hut and airstrip were found tivity, both over the shelf and deep ocean. to be in good condition but bad weather Bird (predator) censuses are also being delayed cargo-handling, so a brief visit was carried out in transects extending from Bird made to Faraday station before putting Island and the Willis Islands, and fish and men and stores ashore at Damoy for trans krill sampled. Most transects completed so port by air to Rothera. The ship then far have shown good agreement between rounded the northern tip of the Antarctic predators (fur seals, macaroni penguins Peninsula to take cargo to James Ross and other seabirds) and krill distribution. Island field workers, encountering heavy At the end of January, a visit was made pack ice in Prince Gustav Channel. A call at to the Falkland Islands to pick up spares for Signy, South Orkney Islands, where RRS a defective bow thruster and to allow scien Bransfield had also arrived, then enabled tists and crew a brief respite ashore. BAS divers to carry out a thorough inspec RRS Bransfield arrived at . tion of the hull. No damage was found. South Georgia on December 8 having sail ed south via Montevideo and the Falkland OBP begins Islands. The BAS buildings were inspected After brief visits to Montevideo and the and on the following day the ship took Falkland Islands, the ship arrived at South biologists to Maiviken and relieved the Bird Georgia on December 23, and a few days Island station in a rare spell of excellent later commenced three months' work on weather. (More cargo was delivered to the long-term Offshore Biological Pro Bird Island by HMS Endurance later in the gramme under the command of the ship's month.) Cargo was taken to Signy station. 19 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

South Orkney Islands, and the ship then opening it for the summer. They were then set course for Halley. out of action for a while with damage caus ed by gales at the Rothera airstrip and were Air pressure measurements then grounded by bad weather. However, After some delay because of strong some ice reconnaissance was undertaken winds and bad visibility the ship arrived off for the John Biscoe which was trying to the Brunt Ice Shelf on December 22, but reach Rothera early, and more fuel was had to wait for the wind to abate before taken to Fossil Bluff. Later, sixteen field workers and equipment from the John commencing relief operations. As usual, Biscoe were ferried south from Palmer and possible landing sites had been recon noitred prior to the ship's arrival, and a further sixteen from Damoy, and onward routes to the station marked by lines of fuel flights to their work sites began on Novem drums. Once started, unloading was com ber 23. pleted very quickly and the ship then plac Earth science projects ed a weather buoy in drifting ice at lat. In December, groups of earth scientists 75deg.53'S, 32deg.46'W. The buoy is were established in several areas of Alex one of several being deployed by West ander Island, in George VI Sound, on the German, American and British researchers Oscar II Coast and Dolleman Island (Black for a Winter Weddell Sea Project studying Coast), depots were set up and a number atmosphere/ice/ocean interactions. Mea of geological landings made on the Antarc surements of surface air pressure supplied tic Peninsula spine. Access to the large fuel by the buoys will be especially valuable as depot established last year at Spaatz Island, they are not obtainable from satellites. south of Alexander Island, was restricted The ship then visited the West German by bad weather. Although buried by nearly Neumayer station, 480 km to the northeast, 3m of snow the depot was located in and delivered some fuel to the Polarstern. December and dispersed to various cen Bransfield returned to Halley on January 3 tres of field work (both for this season and but because of bad weather, men leaving 1986-87), including the Eklund Islands, the station could not board the ship until Rutford Ice Stream, Ronne Ice Shelf, Mt. the 6th when she then sailed. There are Smart (Sweeney Mountains), Mt. Schwartz twenty winterers at Halley. (southwest of Spaatz Island) and Sky-Hi The passage north was uneventful and Nunatak (74deg.51'S, 70deg.48'W). the ship arrived at South Georgia four days All field parties were kept supplied by later and proceeded to Signy, as rough air; men, equipment and specimens were seas once more prevented cargo-handling transported as necessary. Fossil Bluff was at Bird Island. She arrived back at South used as a staging post for most flights south Georgia on January 16, completed the of Rothera. It was manned throughout the Bird Island relief, moved the biologists summer, and used by the aircraft some from Maiviken to and departed for times several times a day. A group of Montevideo to collect more summer visitors eleven Chileans arrived at the station in and cargo. The ship then headed south via tending to build a refuge there, but decid the Falkland Islands to the west coast of the ed that the site was unsuitable because ex Antarctic Peninsula, to deliver cargo to tensive summer melt limits use of the Rothera station and support geologists in a airstrip. series of landings extending south to In early January one aircraft was Marguerite Bay. Faraday was visited en grounded at Fossil Bluff for a week with a route. defective nose oleo, but a replacement The three Twin Otter aircraft, which had taken south by the Bransfield was flown arrived at Rothera on October 7 had begun from Halley and quickly fitted. the season, as usual, by flying supplies to As well as supporting field workers, one Fossil Bluff station, George VI Sound, and aircraft carried out air photography of the 20 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Kenyon Peninsula (which juts out into the Smaller BAS groups studied basement Larsen Ice Shelf in about lat. 68.5deg.S), rocks on the east coast of the Antarctic the Eternity Range (Palmer Land), parts of Peninsula in about lat. 66deg.S (Oscar II Alexander Island and James Ross Island. Coast), the youngest Alexander Island A second concentrated on reconnaissance volcanics, the deformation history of an ac- aeromagnetic and radio echo sounding cretionary prism in northern Alexander flights over Ellsworth Land and south Island, and the Fossil Bluff Formation of ernmost Palmer Land. This work is a con eastern Alexander Island. Other geologists tinuation of a joint BAS-USARP project in visited a number of localities in Marguerite vestigating the structure of West Antarctica Bay. Long-term investigations into the and its relationship to East Antarctica. It was mineralisation of the Antarctic Peninsual to have been extended to Marie Byrd area have begun with reconnaissance work Land, but this was postponed because of a in the South Shetland Islands, Anvers shortage of fuel at Siple station. Island and Horseshoe Island.

Mt. Jackson climbed Ice dynamics In January, surveyors working on the Dyer Plateau, Palmer Land, took advan Glaciologists working on ice dynamics tage of good weather to climb Mt. Jackson have been following a flow line from the (3,178m) — the highest mountain of the Rutford Ice Stream to the Ronne Ice Shelf Antarctic Peninsula. The first recorded as front — a distance of 800km. Aluminium cent was by a BAS party, led by one of the stakes have been planted every 25km and foremost British climbers, John Cunn their positions measured with a Doppler ingham, in 1964, and there have been satellite surveyor to an accuracy of a few several others since then. metres. These will be remeasured in a All field parties were due to be airlifted year's time to obtain accurate velocity back to Rothera at the beginning of March figures. The project is part of an investiga and the aircraft were to return to Britain. tion into how ice shelves control the stability of the . Other field work An investigation into the movement of Several groups of geologists and ice streams over their beds has been con geophysicists have spent several months tinued, by monitoring more than a hun working on the sedimentary and volcanic dred stakes on the Rutford Ice Stream. rocks of James Ross Island. Although lack Optical levelling will provide surface profiles of snow and sea ice had made travel dif which will be compared with features seen ficult, they have had a very successful on Landsat satellite imagery. Radio echo summer. The geologists were assisted by sounding of ice thickness and monitoring of HMS Endurance's helicopters at the end of tidal movement at the grounding line by January on James Ross Island, nearby means of sensitive tiltmeters have also been Vega Island and the adjacent mainland. undertaken. Some hydrographic survey was done in Other glaciologists have spent the sum Prince Gustav Channel. The geophysicists mer drilling on Dolleman Island. In spite of carried out gravity, total-field magnetic, persistent bad weather, typical of the east ice-thickness and depth-to-bedrock mea coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, they col surements over the island, but the lack of lected a 133m core spanning 250 years' sea ice prevented traverses over the snowfall. This, together with a French/ Channel. Argentinian 200-year core from James Twenty-one Argentine geologists arrived Ross Island and a series of American dril on James Ross Island by helicopter in lings at Siple, should provide a com mid-January, to work at three localities for prehensive picture of the recent climate of a month. the Antarctic Peninsula. The climatic 21 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 parameters can be compared to the post- initiated to investigate wave-particle in 1940 records from Antarctic Peninsula me teractions and charged particle precipita teorological stations and to the 80-year re tion, and meteorologists are developing cords from Orcadas, South Orkney Islands. boundary layer research. The station also Extrapolation of the climate back 250 years participated in the International Halley will thus be based on good contemporary (comet) Watch from mid-March to May, data. undertaking photography and photometric studies monitoring development of the Excellent core comet's tail. Two more mobile huts were added to The BAS team used a light-weight Japa Halley: one to provide office accommoda nese drill designed for operation to 200m. tion for Advanced Ionospheric Sounder The drill worked well and produced a projects and the other to house the new complete core of excellent quality. The VLF/ULF experiment. A weather satellite chief difficulty in the operation was the receiver and display unit was installed at weather: too warm for drilling by day and the station. The 1983 buildings are now too overcast to allow regular flights to trans permanently buried, and general mainten port ice core and personnel between the ance work has included extension of the work site and Rothera. Field analysis of the access shafts to keep pace with the ac core was restricted to stratigraphy and cumulating snow. density measurements, together with an Three automatic weather stations have innovative non-destructive profiling of the been set up on the Larsen Ice Shelf and core measuring the dielectric frequency one at Fossil Bluff for the University of response from 20Hz—300kHz. The Wisconsin, as well as a weather buoy in the response appeared to vary significantly Weddell Sea for the international Winter along the core with a roughly seasonal Weddell Sea Project. period. Other geophysical investigations were carried out in the area to support the electrical studies and to provide data if Other ships and aircraft deeper drilling to the bedrock of Dolleman • An American party on board Polar Island is undertaken later. Clean samples Duke were also collected for pollution research. carried out an official inspection of the BAS In addition to the Offshore Biological Faraday station in November. • The tourist ship World Discoverer has Programme, biologists have continued a wide range of projects on Signy Island, bird visited Faraday twice and Signy once and and seal studies on Bird Island and botany the Society Explorer has visited Faraday as far south as Marguerite Bay. Freshwater four times. At least two hundred tourists biologists who have been working on the have been ashore at Faraday. Signy lakes for a number of years have also • A Borek Twin Otter aircraft, carrying carried out a preliminary investigation of eight Canadian and American climbers and lakes at Maiviken, , South flown by ex-BAS pilot Giles Kershaw, Georgia, thus extending their research into landed at Rothera in November en route to the sub-Antarctic. The Maiviken party was and from the Vinson Massif. A later flight in also able to visit the on the December carried a group of Korean Endurance, and later spent a month at climbers. Husvik. Endurance undertook sampling • Several Chilean Twin Otters called at and photography of lakes on Candlemas Rothera and Fossil Bluff in December, and Island, South Sandwich Islands. two West German Dorniers flew to Routine observations have continued at Neumayer from Marsh via Rothera, Fossil the two geophysical observatories, Halley Bluff and Halley. The West Germans were and Faraday. At Halley VLF/ULF the first summer visitors at Halley. The magnetospheric observations have been Dorniers revisited Halley three times in 22 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

January, and one was trapped there by the Antarctic during the summer, joining bad weather for four days. the ships in Montevideo or the Falkland • Two helicopters from the Soviet ship Islands. Four women participated in the Kapitan Gotskiy called at Halley in late John Biscoe's Offshore Biological Pro December. gramme and a fifth was one of the • A number of senior BAS scientists and geologists undertaking landings in the Ant other headquarters staff have worked in arctic Peninsula area.

United States Thirteen women winter at three U.S. stations

United States bases in Antarctica will In addition to 132 Americans there are have a winter population of 163 men and 11 New Zealanders at Scott Base and a women this year. Four stations are oc Canadian-born glaciologist, Greg Crocker, cupied by winter teams; Siple Station, from the University of Cambridge. Jack closed last winter, was re-opened for the Hay ward Base, established by the 1985-86 season. There are 150 men and Footsteps of Scott Expedition in February 13 women at the four stations; in 1985 last year for the summer journey to the there were 110 men and six women in the by three men, is occupied this three teams. winter by three men. They are Gareth Of 17 members of the winter team at the Wood, who reached the Pole with Robert Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Swan and Roger Mear on January 13. and 1327km south of Ross Island five are scien Steve Brodie and Terry Lovejoy, members tists and 12 are support staff. There are six of the crew of the support ship Southern women, the highest number to winter since Quest. a 27-year-old doctor, Michele Eileen Palmer Station on Anvers Island off the Raney was the first of her sex to remain at Antarctic Peninsula is expected to have a the Pole in 1979. Two of the women are winter team of seven when summer opera scientists, and four — a senior cook, a tions end on April 24. Two are scientists. communications co-ordinator, a meteorol four men and one woman work for ITT ogist and a meteorological technician — Antarctic Services, and one man is a US work for the National Science Foundation's Navy medical corpsman. support contractors, ITT Antarctic Services. Siple Station, deep in Ellsworth Land, has a winter team of seven. Two are scien tists, four work for ITT Antarctic Services, and one is a United States Navy medical corpsman. Ross Island has a winter population of 147 this year. There are 132 men and women at McMurdo Station. Five, in cluding one woman, are scientists, and 32 men and two women work for ITT Antarctic Services. The United States Navy is repre sented by 90 men and three women. 23 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

Amphibian and reptile fossils in Antarctic valley

United States geologists have Dr Hammer told the US National Science discovered the 225-million-year-old fossil Foundation's Division of Polar Program bones of four new species of amphibians mes, which made grants for the research to and reptiles in Antarctica, a finding that Augustana College and Wayne University may change scientists' views on how long in Detroit, that the discovery is especially these animals existed on that continent. significant because about 50 of the fossils The fossils were found in the Gordon were found at a rock level in the Triassic Valley near Mount Falla, a 1158m peak in period about 304.8m higher than that at the Queen Alexandra Mountain range. The which bones associated with that geologic location is near the site where a bed of fossil time had been found previously. The bones of amphibians and reptiles was Triassic period, between 225 and 190 mil discovered in 1969 by Ohio State Universi lion years ago, was marked by a great ex ty scientists. pansion of reptiles. A team headed by Dr William R Ham Because species discovered in higher mer of Augustana College in Illinois report levels of strata are younger, Dr Hammer ed finding a cache of more than 350 said his find may give scientists new clues vertebrate fossils, including a triangular skull about how long these animals existed in .6m long and a jaw with 25.4mm-long teeth Antarctica and may tell more about the of two amphibians. At least one of the fossil continent's environment during the Triassic bones is thought to be of an extinct family of period. amphibians called Capitosauridae, never before found in Antarctica.

Glacier which flows west into the U.S. helicopter Beardmore, and was named by Scott's 1910-13 expedition. wrecked Two of the three helicopters suppor ting the Beardmore programme flew the scientists and crew back to the camp. A United States Navy helicopter was Later they returned to McMurdo Station wrecked beyond repair on January 18 aboard a ski-equipped Hercules aircraft. when it made a hard landing at 11.48 a.m. (Antarctic time) on Flat Top (3962m) in the Commonwealth Range. Two scientists flown from a major geo logical camp near the head of the Beardmore Glacier to collect rock sam ples, and the helicopter's crew of five, suffered only minor injuries. Flat Top, which is the highest point in the Commonwealth Range, is an ice- covered peak with a broad flat summit. It lies just east of the head of the Osicki

24 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Heavy pack ice traps polar ships

Ship operations in Antarctica last season were seriously affected by the heaviest concentration of pack ice around the continent for at least 20 years. Southern Quest sank while attempting to reach Cape Evans in support of the Footsteps of Scott Expedition, and two, the British Antarctic Survey's Royal Research Ship John Biscoe and the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition's chartered resupply ship Nella Dan, had to call for help from ice-breaking ships of other nations.

Major changes in the Australian Research Crabeater seal and the winter habitat of programme had to be made as a result of krill, survey bottom living fish in the 200nm the besetment of the Danish ice- exclusive economic zone around Heard strengthened Nella Dan, which was trap Island, and conduct a census of the island's ped for 52 days on her first voyage of the elephant seal population. season. Some of the marine research pro Between October 1 and 14 Nella Dan jects planned could not be completed, a placed field parties on Heard Island at survey of fish resources around sub-Antarc Atlas Cove and Spit Point. On October 8 tic Heard Island was not possible, plans for she entered the pack ice to begin seal a survey of the Tottan Glacier near Casey research. At first she worked in the pack Station were deferred, and HMAS north of Mawson Station but as few seals Stalwart, the 10,965-tonne destroyer were found she searched further to the tender and flagship of the Royal Australian south and west. Navy, had to be chartered at a cost of $A270,000 to resupply sub-Antarctic Mac PROBLEMS BEGIN quarie Station. Nella Dan's problems began when she When the Nella Dan sailed from Hobart was north of Amundsen Bay off Cape Ann on September 16 on a two-month's marine in the Enderby Land region 520nm west of research cruise to Heard Island and the Mawson Station. She was making easy continental ice edge off the coast of progress when the ice closed in under the Enderby Land,the pack ice was at its winter influence of wind and currents. This hap maximum, extending more than 500 nautical miles north from the coast of Ant pened on October 23 and by October 28 no further progress was possible. arctica. The voyage was the earliest an Some attempts were made to free the Antarctic Division chartered ship had ever ventured into the icebound Southern ship. The anchor was dropped on the ice to break it up, and crew and passengers at Ocean. tempted to break the ice from around the Fifty-one scientists and technicians, in hull, using crow bars and pick axes. Even cluding three New Zealanders, Jeni Bassett tually a small pool of water was created and Paul Ensor, of Christchurch, and Dr around the hull and Nella Dan was able to Lynn Williams, of Sydney, were aboard make slow progress towards open water. Nella Dan. The three main objectives of the But at best she could do little more than expedition, led by Dr Knowles Kerry, were 100 metres a day, and was using valuable to study the breeding habits of the fuel reserves in the process. 25 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

After reviewing the weather and the passengers remained aboard and returned condition of the ice near Nella Dan the to Hobart on December 23, 99 days after Antarctic Division decided to divert the they had left there. West German chartered polar ship Icebird Before Icebird left Nella Dan the Minister from her resupply voyages to Mawson and of Science (Mr Barry Jones) announced Davis Stations so she could pick up the 14 that the Japanese Government had agreed scientists on Heard Island. She sailed from (at no charge) to send the research ship Hobart on November 12, picked up the and icebreaker Shirase to make a second field parties on November 25 and then attempt to rescue the imprisoned ship. The headed for Amundsen Bay to assist Nella Shirase, which can break ice 1.5m thick at a Dan. speed of three knots, was in Fremantle Although she is a more powerful ship loading for her relief voyage to Syowa Sta than the 25-year-old Nella Dan, Icebird tion which is about 400nm west of Nella could not get any closer to the trapped ship Dan's position. than 9nm. Briefly she too was squeezed in A few extra items of cargo were loaded the pack ice and was unable to move for on Shirase before she sailed on December several hours. Finally on December 3 the 3. They included fresh fruit and vege decision was made to transfer 20 of Nella tables, spare parts for one of the Dan's passengers to Icebird, using the helicopters, special items for Christmas, helicopters carried by both ships, and the and 60 tonnes of marine diesel fuel which attempt to break out the Danish ship was was needed so Nella Dan could return to abandoned. Hobart at full speed if freed from the pack Icebird resumed her voyage to Mawson ice. and Davis, completing the changeover be Shirase was in Amundsen Bay 10 days tween December 7 and 12. The Nella Dan later. She broke the ice around Nella Dan MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS CONCERNING THE NELLA DANS BESETMENT AUSTRAI IA 1. 16 September: Nella Dan sails from Hobart. MM A '. -.1 Al WAM 2. 1-4 October: Nella Dan deploys field parlies on Heard Island. C'VlOHART 3. 8 October: Nella Dan enters the pack ice to commence seal research. 4. 13 October: Nella Dan continues the search for Crabeater seals by heading further ,' MACQUARIl! I. south. 5. 28 October: Nella Dan encounters heavy ice and is finally beset. 6. 12 November: Icebird sails from Hobart and is diverted to Heard Island. 7. 25 November: Heard Island parties picked up by Icebird, which then diverts to assist Nella Dan. 8. 3 December: 20 passengers from Nella Dan trans ferred to Icebird after it was decided to abandon the attempt to free Nella Dan. 9. 3 December: Shirase sails from Fremantle to assist Nella Dan. 10. 4 December: HMAS Stalwart sails from Hobart. 11. 8 December: Resupply of Macquarie Island com pleted by helicopter from HMAS Stalwart. 12. 12 December: HMAS Stalwart arrives in Sydney. 13. 7-12 December Icebird completes changeover of Mawson and Davis stations. Ai Im-ii II.IV 14. 14 December: Shirase frees Nella Dan from pack ice after being trapped for over 7 weeks. 15. 23 December: Icebird arrives in Hobart with 20 Reproduced with permission from Anare passengers from Nella Dan. 16. 29 December: Nella Dan returns to Hobart after News. December 1985. 104 days. 26 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic which had gripped her for 52 days, taking nine hours to force her way through the last 2nm of 4m-thick ice barring the way out. On December 14 Nella Dan was once again able to make her own way. Until both ships were in open water, Shirase escorted Nella Dan through the pack ice. The two ships travelled in convoy as the ice continually moved in behind Shirase blocking Nella Dan's progress. Shirase took Nella Dan in tow when break The Nella Dan trapped in the ice in Amund ing through the worst of the pack, and the fresh food, helicopter spare parts and fuel sen Bay. Photo: Paul Ensor. were transferred once relatively open water was reached. COOK'S DEATH After 104 days in the Southern Ocean. Nella Dan returned to Hobart on December 29. On board were her Danish crew of 31, 16 of the original 36 Australian and New Zealand scientists and technicians and the body of a ship's cook, 21-year-old Kim Retlef Nielsen. He died on October 20 in international waters from head injuries sus tained in a fall during rough weather north of Mawson before Nella Dan was trapped. Nella Dan's return nearly six weeks be hind schedule meant that the Antarctic Division had to rearrange its shipping plans for the remainder of the season. Nella Dan was to have returned on November 20 for the Heard Island cruise and left again on November 25 to carry out the changeover of winter and summer teams at Macquarie Island Station. Negotiations with the Royal Expeditioners attempt to free Nella Dan. Australian Navy resulted in the charter of Photo Paul Ensor. HMAS Stalwart to do the job. She was diverted while returning from exercises in South-East Asia and sailed from Hobart on December 4. HMAS STALWART With this winter's team of 14 scientists, weather observers, and support staff, and supplies and fuel the Stalwart arrived at Macquarie on December 6. Cold fronts with winds gusting to 50 knots and rough seas forced curtailment of the operation at one stage. The Stalwart's four helicopter pilots were forced to fly in winds of 50 to 60 The Nella Dan follows the Shirase out of the knots when transferring supplies from ship ice after 48 days. Photo: Paul Ensor. Antarctic Autumn, 1986 to shore, but the mission was completed on icebergs about 3nm away. December 8, and the ship returned to As a result of this call the United States Sydney on December 12. National Science Foundation's chartered Because of the changes in the ANARE research vessel Polar Duke immediately programme, the field party which estab went to the assistance of John Biscoe. She lished the new summer research station arrived on the night of November 17. A Edgeworth David in the Bunger Hills area severe northerly gale compacted the ice of Queen Mary Land in mid-January, re again and finally the ship was abandoned mained there for an extra two weeks. But soon after 9.30 p.m. GMT. Icebird, which was assigned originally to pick up 22 scientists and support staff, PACK BROKEN cracked her main drive gear in February Sixty-four passengers and crew were and had to turn back to Australia. transferred to Polar Duke which turned Nella Dan was recalled from Hobart to northwards to rendezvous with the West collect the party early in March. Heavy pack German research ship and icebreaker ice prevented her from approaching closer Polarstern in Bismarck Strait. Twenty of than 50nm to the station, and the summer ficers and crew and four BAS staff were team was flown out by three helicopters two transferred to Polarstern which had also days ahead of schedule. Nella Dan ended responded to the call for assistance, and her eventful season when she returned to Polar Duke took the remaining 40 to the Hobart in the second week of March. United States Palmer Station on Anvers Island, arriving on November 20. SHIP ABANDONED With her much greater power Polarstern Almost a month after Nella Dan was first broke through the pack, came close to John caught in the ice, a BAS polar ship was in Biscoe on the morning of November 20, trouble. The RRS John Biscoe was caught and was able to transfer 24 crew and BAS in 10/10ths pack ice off the westcoast of the staff in a steel basket by crane. The trapped Antarctic Peninsula and had to be aban ship had sustained no damage and her doned on November 18. She drifted in the engines were running within 30 minutes pack dangerously close to grounded and she was able to move out of the ice icebergs and was heading to rapidly shoal under her own steam, escorted by ing waters some 2nm from the Amiot Polarstern. Islands off the south-west corner of On November 21 John Biscoe arrived at Adelaide Island when the decision to Palmer Station, anchoring in Arthur Har abandon ship was taken. bour. Arrangements had been made With 31 crew and 133 BAS scientists and earlier for 16 of the 40 BAS staff to be support staff, John Biscoe under the com airlifted to Rothera Station by a BAS Twin mand of Captain Chris Elliot, was on her Otter which used the Palmer skiway. The way to Rothera Station on Adelaide Island. transfer of the remaining 24 back to the ship Ice observation on November 12 from a was completed on November 21 and she BAS Twin Otter indicated a good wide departed on November 22. lead through the pack but on November 13 Conditions in the Ross Sea were report when only 4nm from the northern ice ed to be the worst in 20 years with fast ice edge, the ship was held fast as the ice was twice as thick as in a normal summer. Only tightened by northerly winds. one of three expeditions, two of them On November 14 the vessel was able to private, which encountered the worst of the manoeuvre in the pack and attempted to ice from mid-December to late January at return to the northern edge. But the next tained its objective. This was the first official day she was held fast again by northerly Italian expedition which chartered the winds. In the evening Captain Elliot advis Norwegian ship Polar Queen, a vessel ed BAS headquarters in Cambridge that specially built for work in Arctic and Antarc the vessel was drifting towards some tic ice with an experienced crew. The Polar 28 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Queen sailed from Lyttelton for Terra Nova increasing. Finally late at night the pack split Bay on December 11 and reached the area the hull near the engine room. Water on December 22 although it had to push its poured into the engine room holds and the way through ice two metres thick. ship began to list. Captain Phippen advised Southern Quest, the support ship for the Scott Base and the Amundsen-Scott Pole Footsteps of Scott Expedition, and Green Station of the situation at 11.37 p.m. and peace, flagship of the international en reported that the ship had been abandon vironmental organisation, both headed for ed and the crew and passengers were on Ross Island in December. Greenpeace, a an ice floe. converted tug, sailed before Southern Twenty-one men and women, including Quest but had extreme difficulty in finding the six Austrians, had only half an hour to a route through the pack. escape to the relative safety of the ice floe. Under the command of Captain Graham But they were able to take emergency Phippen the converted Icelandic trawler equipment and clothing with them, and Southern Quest sailed from Hobart on then mark out a landing strip, set up tents, December 28. She was unable to reach inflate life rafts, deploy flares and beacons, Cape Hallet to land six Austrian moun and erect a radio aerial. taineers who had joined the 18 men and women on the expedition, but pushed her U.S. AID In response to the distress call way through 200 nautical miles of loose pack and reached open water north of helicopters from the United States Coast Beaufort Island in the first week of January. Guard icebreaker Polar Star flew everyone The first objective of the expedition was to off the ice floe to Beaufort Island and then assemble a Cessna 185 aircraft which was to to Cape Bird on Ross Island. From there 18 be used to fly Robert Swan, Roger Mear men and three women were ferried by and Gareth Wood back from the South United States Navy helicopters to McMur Pole to the expedition's Jack Hayward do Station. The rescue operation took four Base at Cape Evans after the completion of hours and was completed in the early hours their journey from Ross Island. of January 12. As the crew set up its base on the ice a FIRST FLIGHT message came through that Swan, Mear As the way into McMurdo Sound was and Wood had reached the Pole shortly blocked the ship could not reach its base before midnight. Only 11 minutes after and launch the aircraft from stable sea ice at receipt of the message the ship went down Cape Evans. So for nearly three days a stern first in 80m of water. team worked nonstop to assemble the air Three members of the expedition were craft on an ice floe 17nm from Ross Island. at its Cape Evans base when the ship sank. A short runway was hacked out through the They were Captain John Tolson (radio op pressure ridges and the Cessna 185 made erator/film cameraman), Dr Michael a trial flight. But after it landed the runway Stroud (medical officer) and his fiancee, split and another strip had to be prepared. Thea de Moel, one of four women on the During these three days the ice closed in ship who had been dropped off by Captain on the Southern Quest. On the morning of Giles Kershaw, pilot of the Cassna 185. He January 11 she tried to break through and his engineer, Rick Mason, had flown 100m of heavy pack to reach open water. on to Williams Field 11km from McMurdo But in the afternoon she was gripped tight Station on the Ross Ice Shelf in readiness to between two heavy floes. She was then pick up the Pole walkers. about 4nm from Beaufort Island at 76deg By January 14 all 23 members of the ex 56.8min S/67deg 13min E. pedition and the six Austrians were to Although everyone worked for eight gether at McMurdo Station, Swan, Mear hours with picks and shovels in a vain at and Wood having been brought back from tempt to free the ship the ice pressure was the Pole in a Hercules aircraft by the United 29 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

States Navy. Except for three men, Wood, HELICOPTER FLIGHTS Steve Brodie and Tim Lovejoy, everyone There was some possibility that if the ship was flown to Christchurch later in the week remained another week materials, equip at a cost to the expedition of $NZ30,000, ment and other supplies could be unload the charge made by the US National ed at Cape Evans to give the expedition a Science Foundation. head start when Greenpeace returns to Antarctica this summer. While the ship re mained 21.5nm north and 9.9nm west of WINTER TEAM Ross Island the expedition's Hughes 300 helicopter did ice reconnaissance flights in Wood and the two crew members, McMurdo Sound and around Ross Island, Brodie and Lovejoy, are at Jack Hayward using a video camera. Base this winter. They will prepare base Between January 21 and 24 Captain buildings, stores and equipment, and the David Walley, accompanied by a West Cessna 185 for the summer when the ex German biologist, Ralph John who was to pedition plans to send a ship to pick them have been one of the four men to winter on up. Ross Island, made flights to Cape Bird and Greenpeace, which sailed from Cape Evans to survey the terrain, access etc Melbourne on December 20 under the and areas for scientific research. On command of Captain Peter Bouquet, had January 24 the two flew to Scott Base from early warning of what lay ahead before the Cape Evans after discussions with the ship could reach Ross Island where the 34 Footsteps of Scott winter team. They arriv members of the expedition planned to set ed at 5.50 p.m. and remained for two up a permanent base at which four men hours and a half to pick up mail at the post were to winter. The first ice was sighted at office, buy stamps, and hand over a con 52deg S and the first pack when the ship siderable quantity of expedition mail for was 377nm from Ross Island. dispatch overseas. By January 2 the ship was reported off After the helicopter returned Green Scott Island (67deg 24min S/179deg peace headed west towards the Bay of 55min W) and 310nm north-east of Cape Whales. On January 30 all 34 members of Adare. Five days later she had made bet the expedition were on the ice together for ter progress but was still 8.5nm outside the the first time since their six-week voyage northern edge of the pack seeking a lead. began. They raised the Greenpeace flag On January 11 the ship was almost caught near an Adelie penguin rookery, proclaim in dense ice and had to change course and ed Antarctica a world park — one of the retreat north again. purposes of the mission — and read a dec By January 13 Greenpeace was back on laration signed by 134 environmental course and heading west towards Beaufort groups from all over the world. Island. But the next day she encountered Reports that the ice in McMurdo Sound ice up to 2.5m thick and was forced to turn and at Cape Evans was breaking up caused north again, still 97nm from Ross Island. the expedition to head back to the area. Captain Bouquet and Peter Wilkinson, But when the ship reached the ice edge on leader of the expedition, decided on February 2 the entrance was still blocked as January 15 to stay between 27 and 34nm the ice kept breaking up and reforming. north of Beaufort Island and 59nm east of After a reconnaissance flight on the morn Cape Bird. They hoped that the ice barring ing of February 3 Captain Bouquet decid the way into McMurdo Sound would break ed the time had come to head north again. up and enable the ship to reach Cape Greenpeace arrived in Wellington on Evans. By January 20 there was little February 12. A few days later she returned change and time was running out for the to Auckland where she has been laid up for establishment of the base before United the winter. States ships and aircraft left the area. 30 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic Bondarenko breaks rudder The Kapitan Bondarenko, sister ship of the working in the area, she arrived in Welling Mikhail Somov, stranded in the ice for 133 ton on 20 March where repairs were to be days from March to July 1985, broke her made in the dry dock, but her troubles did rudder in heavy ice conditions at 4 am on 1 not end there. Her arrival coincided with a March while unloading supplies 140 km local dispute involving the harbour masters (73 deg. 25 min S, 139 deg. 12 min) from and she finally entered the dock on 12 Russkaya Station. June. With repairs complete she departed Three hundred tons of oil, spare parts from Wellington on 29 June. and foodstuffs were transferred to the The Bondarenko is an ice-strengthened Somov which was lying alongside at the cargo ship, of 7,684 tons which is normally time. From there it was carried by the based in Vladivostock. She was built at Somov's two MI-8 helicopters in approxi Amure, north of her home port in 1966 and mately 100 three ton loads to Ruskaya. was on contract to the Arctic and Antarctic Lightened by the reduction in cargo, Research Institute in Leningrad from the ballast was pumped from the stern to the Far Eastern Shipping Company. bow of the Bondarenko raising the level of Captained by Stepan Kharchenko, her the rudder revealing the blade broken from master assistant was A. Kovalenko, master the stock with part of the casting missing. A of the Moskva, the icebreaker which in team of 3 divers and the ship's engineers December 1984 was diverted from leading worked three shifts 24 hours a day for six ships into Provideniya Bay to assist with the days to make temporary repairs, enabling successful rescue of 2,000 white whales the ship to proceed to Wellington. Assisted which had been trapped in the ice in the by the Professor Zubov, a research vessel shallow Senyavin Strait in the Bering Sea.

Australian yachtsmen in Ross Sea

Five Australian yachtsmen who sailed a Ross Island and establish a record high lati steel-hulled yawl into the Ross Sea early tude for a yacht in southern waters. this year ended their Antarctic cruise when Ice reports before the yacht sailed were they returned to Sydney by way of Hobart most discouraging but the "self-propelled on March 21. The yacht, named Riquita, tourists" as Barry Lewis called them were went as far south as Cape Hallett (72deg able to reach Cape Adare late in January 19min S/170deg 16min E). and had fine weather for the stage to Cape Leader of the expedition was Barry Hallett in the second week of February. Lewis, 37-year-old son of Dr David Lewis, They also made an unsuccessful attempt to who sailed his 9.7m sloop Ice Bird single- visit the Balleny Islands where David Lewis handed from Australia to Antarctica in the took an expedition in the 1977-78 season 1972-73 and 1973-74 summers. With him aboard the 17.4m ocean racing sloop Solo. were Ian Smith (owner), Phil Kelly, Steve When he was 20 nautical miles south-east Deck and Peter Gill. of Cape Adare Barry Lewis called Scott Loaded with food for a year, sledges, Base to advise that he was bound for Cape skis, crampons, ice axes and polar clothing, Hallett. Riquita arrived there on February the Riquita left Sydney on January 10. The 13. Three of the crew went ashore and met expedition planned to sail as far south as members of a New Zealand field party 31 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

which had been working there since icebreaker Polar Star and returned to Scott January on the reclamation of the old Base. United States-New Zealand station closed since 1973. The next day the New (Barry Lewis has agreed to write his own story of yachting in the Ross Sea for the Zealanders were picked up by a helicopter winter issue of "Antarctic".) from the United States Coast Guard Three ascents of Vinson Massif Antarctica's highest peak, the Vinson Massif (4897m) in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains was climbed three times last summer by parties from the United States, Canada and South Korea. Support for the expedition, which was based in Punta Arenas, was provided by the Chilean Air Force which had an official observer with the parties and air dropped fuel and food for up to three months from a Hercules aircraft to a base camp at 78deg 30min S/86deg W in the Ellsworths.

Since 1966 when an American Alpine Early this year a special 11-day North Club expedition made the first ascent with Pole adventure flight was organised to raise United States Navy support the Vinson funds for a second attempt on the Vinson Massif has been climbed five times. It was Massif by the expedition. In April a travel climbed in 1980 by two West German group paid US$9400 each to fly across the scientists and a Soviet exchange scientist Canadian Arctic from Edmonton to the with a United States research expedition in Pole and back. One-third or more of each the Ellsworth Mountains, and again in 1983 fare went to the 1985 expedition fund, and by the Seven Summits Expedition which Sir Edmund Hillary, his son Peter, Neil was supported by the Chilean Air Force Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon, and included Americans, Japanese and and Pat Morrow accompanied the group to one Englishman. It used a modified Tri assist the project. turbo DC-3 with three engines instead of Last season's expedition was organised two which was flown by Captain Giles Ker by Peter Bruchhausen, and carried out by shaw. Adventure Network International (ANI) In 1984 a United States expedition had which plans to open up Antarctica to teams to abandon an attempted ascent because of of private explorers and mountaineers, and what were described by the leader as now operates research vessles, base "fantastic political complications", 140- camps, and expedition services. It was knot winds on the Antarctic Peninsula and formed by Dunn, Morrow and Williams in mechanical failure in one of the aircraft's conjunction with Kershaw, who is responsi engines. ble for the air transport and resupply The leader was Peter Bruchhausen, who logistics. once worked on the Ross Ice Shelf Project, Antarctic Airways has been formed to and with him were two Canadians, Pat provide air support for ANI projects. It uses Morrow and Martyn Williams, and another a ski-equipped de Havilland Canada Twin American, Michael Charmer Dunn. They Otter which carried eight passengers only also chartered the Tri-turbo DC-3 flown by because it is fitted with an internal 250- Captain Kershaw and received Chilean Air gallon ferry tank which gives it an en Force support. durance of 12'/2 hours at 135 knots. 32 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Flown by Captain Kershaw and his Porzak, are members of The Explorers Club engineer Rick Mason, the Twin Otter, of New York as is Peter Bruchausen which was fitted with skis in Santiago, left ANI's Antarctic operations ended on Punta Arenas on November 8 with the first December 17 when Captain Kershaw party of eight Canadian climbers for the brought the United States party back to Vinson Massif by way of the Chilean Te Punta Arenas. But his did not. He con niente Marsh Station on King George Island tinued on to Calgary by way of Miami to and the British Antarctic Survey station. prepare for another Antarctic operation. Rothera, on Adelaide Island. The party set By Christmas Day Kershaw and Mason up the base camp and then waited for the were in Hobart to provide air support for supply drop by the Chilean Air Force Her the Footsteps of Scott Expedition. They cules. joined the support ship Southern Quest on One of the Canadians had to withdraw December 28 for the voyage to McMurdo from the final stage of the ascent of the Sound where their mission was to fly the Massif. Captain Kershaw, who ferried sup expedition's chartered Cessna 185 to the plies from the base to advanced camps, South Pole from Cape Evans and bring took his place and reached the summit back Robert Swan, Roger Mear and Gareth while Rick Mason remained with the air Wood after they had retraced Scott's craft. 1911-12 journey. They were able to fly the Another Canadian, Pat Morrow, who was Cessna to Cape Evans before the ship was the second man to reach the summit of Mt sunk but came back to New Zealand with Everest with the Canadian expedition in the rest of the expedition on January 15 in 1982, achieved two ambitions last summer. a United States Hercules aircraft. He climbed Antarctica's highest peak, and by doing so joined the select company of References: "Antarctic" March 1967. Page climbers who have reached the summits of 470: June 1980. Page 63; March 1984. the world's seven highest peaks. Page 183: March-June 1985. Page 372.

KOREAN SEVEN Seven South Koreans were the next to reach the top of the Vinson Massif. They were members of the mountaineering sec tion of a research expedition organised by the Federation of Korea Maritime Boy Scouts. The climbers followed the same route to the Ellsworths from Punta Arenas and made their ascent on November 29. The leader. 34-year-old Hur Uk-bu, hoisted the national flag at the summit and buried there a badge representing the 1988 Olympic Games to be held at Seoul. Early in December the Twin Otter flew to the Ellsworths again with the United States party. The eight climbers were Philip Trim ble, Daniel Emmett, Frank Morgan, Daniel Bass, Glenn Porzak, Gerald Roach, Yvon N Chouinard and Douglas Thompkins. Two are reported to have climbed the Vin son Massif and two made an ascent of the second highest peak, Mt Tyree. Four of the climbers, Trimble, Emmett, Morgan and 33 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

Project Blizzard completes second season Project Blizzard, the private Australian expedition, which last year began assess ment of the condition of the hut built at Cape Denison for Mawson's 1911-14 Australasian expedition, completed a second but modified part of the pro gramme this season. Expedition members this year included Mawson's grand son. They carried out limited maintenance and collected further information on which future conservation programmes are likely to be based.

For this stage of the work they were ported by a government grant of $20,000, assisted by a government grant of $20,000. they provided professional assessment of It was the first private expedition since the site and the problems associated with BANZARE (British, Australian and New preserving the artifactural material. Zealand Antarctic Expedition of 1929-31) Assisting the conservation party was a to receive supplementary government support group led by project co-leader Dr funding. Australia's Antarctic Division also Ross Vining, and comprising Linda Vining, agreed to return part of the expedition to the project's associate membership secre Hobart on board their chartered resupply tary; Richard Meares who co-ordinated vessel M.V. Icebird. scientific support and followed up the Conceived as a two part programme the previous years zoological fieldwork; and objectives of the first stage in 1984/85 were David Powdrell, equipment officer who to obtain information on which to base re assisted Ron Gaha and Ted Butler in pro commendations to the government for viding logistical support. future maintainence of the site and in the A special member of the expedition was second stage to implement them. This was Alun Thomas of Adelaide, grandson of Sir subsequently modified when the Australian who provided an historic Heritage Commission stipulated that the link and assisted the conservation party maintenance programme was premature during his brief stay at Commonwealth Bay. and more information was required before For the 1500 nm journey south the anything other than a limited amount of Southern Quest was chartered for three work could be carried out. weeks from the "Footsteps of Scott Ex The team for this season's activities was pedition", the support party returning on divided into a conservation and support the same vessel. Under the terms of the party. William Blunt, a Sydney architect, charter the expedition members assisted mountaineer and co-leader of the project with sailing the vessel with the owners pro led the conservation party which comprised viding the necessary professionals. The Greg Crispo, surveyor; Dr Earl Dorney, Conservation party remained at Com medical officer; Michael Gatehouse, base monwealth Bay to implement the pro camp manager and Stephen Bunton who gramme, returning on Antarctic Division's provided technical support. Angela chartered resupply vessel, M.V. Icebird. McGowan, archeologist from Hobart and The ship was in Commonwealth Bay to Janet Hughes, a material conservator from support a survey of the area of Antarctic the Power House Museum in Sydney were Division officers as a prelude to the possible short term participants whose inclusion in establishment of the first Australian research the party was stipulated by the Heritage station in the region since Mawson erected Commission when the project was unable his four huts there in 1912. to find suitably qualified volunteers. Sup 34 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

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Mawson's hut lies in the centre of an histor was unloaded and some of the support ical valley containing artefacts from the crew returned to take the Southern Quest Australian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14. 100 km west to Du Monte d'Urville to fulfill Photo: Project Blizzard Library. philatelic obligations. This, in addition to individual contributions of $3,500 from each of the new members and sponsorship The Southern Quest sailed from Hobart of $45,000 from two independent organ on 30 November. For the first six days of isations, provided the basic funding for the the southward voyage conditions were expedition. Once back at Cape Denison good but late on 6 December just north of the team were involved in penguin swabb Commonwealth Bay the expedition en ing and site documentation before re countered solid pack ice only hours after turning to Melbourne on the Southern sighting the first bergs and brash ice. For Quest. The seven members of the conser three days she moved east and west prob vation party remained to complete their ing the ice in search of the shore lead re programme. gularly occurring in the vicinity of the Bay. Eventually she found a wide lead near lati tude 149 E two days before she was due to Cover: Project Blizzard: Archaeologist start her return journey to Hobart. On Angela McGowan and assistants Steve December 10 the Bay was in sight and she Bunton and Michael Gatehouse excavating moved into anchor. pits in snow and ice to allow the insertion of Expeditioners unloaded in the teeth of a emergency props beneath the platform. 40 knot gale. First ashore was the conserva Two are already in place. Photo: Project tion team which began work immediately. Blizzard Library. By late that afternoon the last of the cargo Antarctic Autumn, 1986

timbers. Artefacts found were carefully col lected, photographed and their position mapped before they were packed in plastic bags with an identification number of either reburied in ice or placed aside for safe storage. A detailed topographical survey of the site involved the setting up of sixteen con trol stations, taking of horizontal and vertical angular measurements together with the distances of over 2000 points of interest. High points, low points, change of slope, artefacts, rock and snow boundaries were all measured and the data plotted to pro duce a 2 metre interval contour map of Cape Denison. This was a continuation of work begun in 1984/85 when efforts were confined to the valley containing the histor ic buildings and most of the artefacts. A brief excursion was made to the Mackellar Islets in search of Australian Antarctic Ex pedition material but none was found. The Conservation party was picked up by Icebird on January 5. This was approxi mately three weeks earlier than originally Photographing artefacts adjacent to the planned but in keeping with the ANARE main hut. The whole area was photo schedule which was revised because of the graphed by this method to provide a de besetment of the Nella Dan. While the tailed mosaic record of the site. Photo: Pro equipment, food and personnel were ject Blizzard Library. being loaded into two amphibious army LARCS for transport to the Icebird, Antarc tic Division personnel and official observers were shown over the site, and The team were accommodated in "Ap geophysicists, from the Bureau of Mineral ple Shelter", a dome shaped fibreglass hut Resources, took readings at the Absolute provided by Antarctic Division and also Magnetic Hut. used a small insulated hut built by an Although the departure of the Project Australian expedition in 1978. Projects Blizzard team from Commonwealth Bay undertaken included archaeological work signified the end of their direct involve in and around the main hut, scientific ment with the site, time will now be spent in observations and a detailed survey of the completing reports and submissions to Ant Cape. arctic Division which will assist in the Within the main hut considerable snow preparation of a long term management clearing was required and permission plan. granted by radio from the Heritage Com (Just as Antarctic was going to press we mission to replace joists cracked or split be were advised that a committee will be set cause of the additional weight on the up later this year to look at the Cape storage platform (floor of the loft) caused by Denison site. Draft terms of reference in snow accumulation. Four holes, each taking clude advice to the Minister of Science on three days, were excavated for the new the significance, future conservation of the Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

site and a programme for maintenance of will include a work station for the conserva its historic aspects. The committee will also tion of the site. We hope to have further prepare plans for the possible establishment details in our next issue.) of a scientific base at Cape Denison which

Sub-Antarctic The team arrived at Campbell Island on the Nelson based commercial fishing vessel the Daniel Solander on 18 October last year and have since been visited by Campbell Island team HMNZS Southland in December and HMNZS Waikato in January. Seven men and one woman are maintain Late summer visitors included the ing the meteorological and scientific pro Norwegian Arctic ice-strengthened grammes at New Zealand's Campbell research vessel Polar Queen (1050 ton Island this year under the leadership of nes). It was under charter from G. C. Darryl Morrow of Timaru. Reiber and Co Ltd of Bergen to the Italians In charge of the meteorological pro working in Terra Nova Bay last summer. gramme is senior technician Robert Pool of Greenpeace also paid a brief visit on their Auckland who is being assisted by Sander return from the ice. Calenbrander of Dunedin, John-Paul Six bags of mail were dropped to the Lilburne of New Plymouth and Scott team by an RNZAF Orion on 22 July, 1986 Freeman of Auckland. and the next contact with New Zealand is The programme comprises radiosonde expected to be the arrival on the relief ship radarwind flights involving the launching bringing in the replacement team in mid- and tracking of a hydrogen balloon twice October. daily. It measures and transmits continuous temperature, relative humidity and pres sure values to a ground receiver. The posi tion of the balloon is tracked by radio General Grant theodolite which gives a record of the winds through the upper atmosphere. found again? Synoptic weather reports providing a com prehensive picture of the surface conditions New evidence suggesting that the wrecked including cloud descriptions, wind, American trading vessel the General Grant temperature and pressure change are may lie up to 20 miles south of the tradi passed by radio telephone to the weather tionally accepted site prompted a privately office in Wellington, every three hours. organised expedition to the Auckland Climatological recordings providing rainfall, Islands last season in search of the wreck hours of sunshine, radiation and soil which has eluded others for 120 years. The temperatures are taken every 24 hours and expedition returned to New Zealand early since 1984 sea temperature is measured at in March having confirmed the wreck to be the wharf as part of a programme in con the Anjou which sank in 1905 (and about junction with the Auckland University's which little is known) and having located Marine Research Laboratory. another wreck which they now believe Technicians Alan Lorking of Motueka more likely to be the General Grant and and Douglas Willems of Christchurch are which they hope to dive on again in maintaining a series of long term seismic, 1987/88. geomagnetic and ionospheric programmes. The General Grant en route from Station manager for the year is Peter Melbourne to London struck the west coast Hooper of Auckland and the cook is Judith of the main island in the Aucklands group Winter of South Canterbury. on the morning of 14 May in 1866. Ten 37 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 survivors of the complement of 58 passen 150 ton, 76 foot long catamaran powered gers and 25 crew spent 18 months on the by two twin 140 hp turbo diesel engines island before being picked up by the and equipped with five winches — the Amherst in November 1867 and brought to largest with a 45 ton capacity, air bags, jet New Zealand. From their accounts it was blowers and cargo nets, compressors and assumed that the wreck, which is believed suction pipes. They removed approximate to contain some 2,000 ounces of gold, lies ly 100 tons of rock and rubble from the site near the Beehive Rocks. before locating an engine plate cover bear ing the name Nantes, where the Anjou was built. Compass variation Part of the expedition continued to work the Anjou while three members swam the Recent research however indicates that coast first south and then north to where the estimated location was based on mag netic readings taken from the compass rela they located a new site of a wooden wreck. Subsequently jet blasting 250 tons of mate tive to the earth's magnetic north while the rial off the wreck they dived to find a true readings would have been based on wooden structure with copper sheeting, astral observations which according to the and recovered a steel cannon, lead soun survivors had not been taken for two days ding weights, part of a bell without a name because of the prevailing weather condi and 64 silver coins dated 1813-30. tions. A chart, which would have been in Although the coins predate the wreck the use at the time, shows that the difference area of probability based on the survivors' between the magnetic and true readings accounts and magnetic correction, the was some twenty degrees, putting the loca structure and the tonnage as deduced by tion of the wreck close to the area in which the size of the anchors and chains points the expedition leader dived and found an conclusively towards the wreck being that unidentified wreck in 1976. It was on this of the General Grant. According to an ex wreck that the team planned to dive. pedition spokesman, preliminary research The survivors of the General Grant were into the coins in London indicates a plausi lowly crew or passengers and all they ble explanation. would have seen for several days was the There being no known claimants for the compass in front of the helm which provid wreck of the General Grant members of the ed a magnetic reading and on which they expedition, which cost an estimated recalled having turned north or south. Be $200,000 could profit by several million cause the Island is magnetic there is a 20 dollars from their return trip even after the degree or 15 kilometre difference in the crown has claimed the statutory ten per traditional and possible new sites of wrecks. cent. A number of unidentified wrecks also lie off the coast of the Islands which were incor WANTED TO BUY rectly charted until 1900. Diving contractor and expedition leader Antarctic Mail Malcolm Blair led a team of seven divers, Bill Day, Trevor Davies and Willy Bullock Envelopes to and from Expeditions: all of Wellington and John Dealing, Peter Antarctic, Mountaineering etc. Johnstone and Terry Brailsford of Auck land. The skipper was Derek Boys, the JOHN NIELSEN mate Jack Webber and the cook Dave Private Collector Mercer all of Wellington. John Gibb and Box 46042 Chris Williams were the ship's engineers. Lower Hutt NEW ZEALAND The team arrived at their first site approx ANTARCTIC 1935 EARCN „ Phone 650 614 imately 1 nm north of Bristow Point on Fri QIUHUE * w day 10 January in the Little Mermaid, a 38 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

Wartime refuge at the Auckland Islands Since their discovery in 1806 by Abraham Bristow in the whaling vessel "Ocean", the Auckland Islands have been visited by ships of many different types, including sailing fleets of 19th century naval and exploring expeditions, government supply ships, modern naval frigates and hydrographic vessels, fishing boats and private yachts. Most visits were planned, but for the nine ships that foundered on the storm-bound rocky shores of these islands prior to 1901 the encounters were unintentional and often tragic, j However, none of these visits was as clandestine or controversial as that which took place between August and October 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War. At mid-day on 28 August 1939 the The towering cliffs of the islands are an 9,000 ton German freighter "SS awesome and imposing site for mariners, Erlangen" was quietly cast off from the but for Grams they promised seclusion wharf at Dunedin and slipped unob and a sanctuary in which to prepare for trusively out of the harbour. An air of ten escape from enemy waters. Lacking sion prevailed among the German officers charts of the islands, Grams cautiously and Chinese crew, whose hasty depar manoeuvered the "Erlangen" through ture had been prompted by a telegram the heads of . Carnley Harbour and warning of the impending declaration of steamed slowly up the channel, passing war. With insufficient provisions and only en-route, but leaving undisturbed, the 220 tons of coal, which would enable only castaway provisioning depot at Camp five day's steaming, the nearest neutral Cove, before anchoring at the very head ports in South America seemed hope of the North Arm, some nine nautical lessly out of reach. After careful study of miles beyond open water. Seventy-five the charts the ship's master Alfred Grams years earlier the small schooner "Graf decided to seek refuge at the ton", skippered by Thomas Musgrave, uninhabited Auckland Islands, lying some was driven ashore from a nearby anchor 200 nautical miles south of mainland New age, its remains still littering the adjacent Zealand. shores. But for Grams and the "Erlangen" it was to prove a secure and Paul Dingwall is chief scientist bountiful refuge. with the Department of Lands & The most urgent task was to reconnoitre Survey in Wellington. His article is the island for food and fuel, but this was based on an account of the voyage delayed by the refusal of the Chinese of the "Erlangen" written by her crew to go ashore for fear of lions and master Captain Alfred Grams and tigers! They capitulated only when the of obtained from Mr Fred Joseph of ficers agreed to carry firearms. Fresh Ohope Beach who with Mr Paul water was plentiful and food abundant — McGahan, a Lands and Survey especially the "wild geese" (undoubted ranger, first drew Mr Dingwall's at ly Wandering Albatross, many tens of tention to the report and photo thousands of which breed on slopes sur graphs. rounding Carnley Harbour), and the

39 Antarctic Autumn, 1986

enormous quantity of mussels, a wonder equivalent to one ton of coal). Grams was ful treat for the Chinese which became devastated by the prospect of ac their staple diet and were dried for use cumulating the 400 tons of wood which he on the long voyage ahead. calculated was required to supplement the remaining coal for the almost The task of fuelling the ship, however, 5.000nm voyage to South America. was a formidable one. The rata trees Given the limited stock of provisions, he (commonly known as "ironwood"). the realised that the rate of timber supply only sizeable trees in the coastal forests must be increased to 20 tons per day — there, were so hard that axes and saws an awesome task which would test the in made little impression on them. Once cut, genuity and stamina of the fiercely the heavy timber was difficult to carry over determined mariners to the limit. marsh and the rocky shoreline to the life Tree-felling was made easier by the use boats for transport to the ship. of pit-saws which the chief engineer fash Although pleased with the first day's ioned from spare guards for winch cog haul of 3 tons of timber (estimated as wheels. A steam winch constructed to

AUCKLAND ISLANDS

tfEWINQ I.

DISAPPOINTMENT ISLAND

Under the constant threat SCALE of discovery and without 1012345378 Km charts the Erlangen was cautiously manoeuvered up ADAMS ISLAND t h e N o r t h A r m 9 n m beyond open water.

40 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

haul timber aboard, though using three soon achieving their seemingly impossible tons of precious fuel each day. was far daily quota of 20 to 23 tons of wood — a more efficient than the block-and-tackle it proud achievement. The work was conducted under the replaced. But the biggest delay in fuelling the ship was the long haul by lifeboats. constant threat of discovery. One day. the alarm was sounded when smoke was Against all his natural instincts and pro fessional seamanship. Grams realised that seen rising above the island, but it turned he must deliberately beach the ship. After out to be an illusion created by jets of careful soundings were made, the ship water thrown into the air from a waterfall was gently run ashore and made fast by by the strong and turbulent winds that are so common there. On another night, the flooding all the ballast tanks. A low line was then fastened to the shore so that sailors were alarmed by what appeared to lifeboats could be towed quickly over the be searchlights but, fooled again by a 120m distance between the ship and the freak of nature — the Aurora australis was shore. Working ten-hour daily shifts and responsible. In fact, the New Zealand authorities employing all their resources, the ex hausted but thoroughly drilled crew were had begun a search of the southern islands. In late September the cruiser "HMS Leander" was despatched to With the "Erlangen" beached to reduce Campbell and Auckland Islands. Al the distance from the shore, lifeboats, though anchoring in Port Ross to the some of which were lashed together to northern end of the main Auckland form rafts, were used for loading timber in Island. and patrolling the eastern the ship. coastline, the ship was prevented from entering Carnley Harbour by bad weather and the "Erlangen" remained undetected. The "Leander" returned to search Carnley Harbour in November, but by then the "Erlangen" had made her escape. On 5 October, with food becoming scarcer and harder to obtain. Grams realised that the target of 400 tons of wood could not be achieved, and the ship must be prepared for departure Grams pinned his hopes on sail. With re markable despatch the "Erlangen" was transformed into a sailing vessel; with sails made from hatch tarpaulins sewn togeth er. and derricks suspended froiri a ten ton tackle serving as yards. The biggest question in Grams' mind was. would his incredible gamble to beach the ship pay off? After several desperate attempts, the ship, which had been beached for three weeks and was now laden with 250 tons of wood, remained stuck fast. It was only by pumping out all the ballast water, thus risking capsize, and Autumn, 1986

running the engines full astern, that days after leaving the Auckland Islands, refloating the ship was eventually suc using a combination of sail, coal and wood cessful. (some of which was supplied by consum As she steamed out of the harbour, rig ing virtually everything burnable on ged for sail, her yellow Lloyds funnel board) the "Erlangen" made landfall at the port of Anoud in Southern Chile, from painted black, and her name changed to where she sailed into Puerto Montt on 12 "Bengalen" of Rotterdam. the November 1939. Grams' diary records "Erlangen" was a very different vessel from the one which had arrived at the that the voyage totalled 4.800 nautical miles of which 1.507 were made under islands 38 days before. sail. It was not until discovery of the forest clearing in 1941 that evidence of the References: "Erlangen's" visit became known. t Dingwall. P. 1980 "Castaways of the Auckland Islands", Landscape 8: 12-17. Today. a two hectare patch of Department of Lands and Survey. regenerating forest, covering cut rata § Leahy, P.J. 1983 "The fate of the stumps, is all that remains as a tangible "Erlangen", New Zealand Listener, 3 reminder of a remarkable chapter in the December 1983. Page 57. history of human contact with this lonely Musson, R.G. 1984 Letter to the Editor, island outpost of New Zealand. New Zealand Listener, 4 February, 1984.

Postscript: Little is recorded of the voyage Crewmen tackle the difficult task of felling across the Pacific, and the eventual fate of the durable rata trees, to supply fuel for the "Erlangen" is a matter of some the "SS Erlangen" at anchor in Carnley debate. § However, it is known that. 35 Harbour.

i* ■ Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

75 year old food cache found French sardines, Danish pemmican, and English jams, biscuits and beef suet, all more than 75 years old, were found in the remains of a food depot at Butter Point by New Zealanders working from Scott Base last summer. The depot, which was located first by Garth Varcoe, the Antarctic Division's buildings and services officer, was laid during Scott's 1910-13 expedition for the Northern Party led by Lieutenant Victor Campbell.

Butter Point forms the north side of New Base. In mid-January he made a third visit Harbour which is on the western side of to Butter Point and found far more of the McMurdo Sound about 70km from Scott remains of the depot exposed than in Base. It has been a staging point for field December. parties since Scott's 1901-04 expedition and was named by a party which ascended BURIED IN ICE the Ferrar Glacier in 1903. Three tins of Over the years blizzards had scattered butter were cached there on October 14 as the contents of the depot. There were two the party hoped to obtain fresh seal meat heaps each spread over areas of four on the journey back to Hut Point. square metres. The boxes were all in rea Since then Butter Point has been used by sonable condition but much of the material parties from Scott's two expeditions, in them could not be recovered because Shackleton's expedition, including the they were deeply embedded in the ice. South Magnetic Pole party, and the New But Mr Varcoe and four others from Scott Zealand section of the Commonwealth Base — Max Williams, Kevin Jenkins Trans-Antarctic Expedition. On November (drillers), Ian Pottinger (welder) and Ian 17, 1980, a New Zealand field party found Lake (carpenter) — were able to recover a tins of butter perfectly preserved in the wide range of foodstuffs. They spent more snow and ice. They were put there in 1957 than seven hours digging into the ice and by Hillary's team. After chipping away 23 making an inventory of the contents of the years' accumulation of ice the 1980 party boxes. Appropriately, they found some found also wafer biscuits and dehydrated butter but it was inedible after 75 years beetroot, canned peas, golden syrup, unlike the French sardines. Chocolate ap Christmas hams and 200 blocks of choco peared to be eatable but the taste betrayed late. its age. In October last year Mr Varcoe was mak One box contained tins of Atco beef suet, ing a tractor journey across the sea ice to and a tattered leaflet about its virtues Marble Point and Butter Point. Nearing enabled Mr Varcoe to determine that all Butter Point he sighted some boxes sticking the food was supplied to Scott's 1910-13 up out of the snow. He talked about them expedition. The leaflet contained recipes to Alex Pyne, leader of a Victoria Universi and one of the small scraps of paper in the ty of Wellington party working in the New bottom of the box carried a recipe for suet Harbour area, and the first thought was that pudding. the boxes were part of the depot stocked in Three rolls of bacon packed in wheat 1957. husks were found. They might have pro When he returned to Scott Base late in vided a rasher or two but the five men pre November Mr Varcoe was able to examine ferred to sample the sardines packed by the area at Butter Point more closely. He the firm of Francis Martin in the Breton port recovered a tin of Huntley and Palmer's of Douarnenez. They tried also sledging biscuits which was brought back to Scott biscuits which crumbled on exposure to the 43 Autumn, 1986 atmosphere, raspberry jam, and Fry's and November, 1911, provisions were left malted cocoa and Lipton's tea. The cocoa at Butter Point by three field parties. The was drunk at Scott Base; Lipton's tea had Northern Party led by Campbell was taken been spoiled by the damp. there by the Terra Nova and the six men Some of the food found in the depot laid out their depot for the return journey had been supplied to Scott's expedition by down the coast of Northern Victoria Land if English firms which are still in business, al the ship was unable to pick them up from though there have been name changes Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay. since 1910. Sugar cubes came from Henry This was on January 27. Tate and Co., now Tate and Lyle. and the In September Scott led a party to the depot also contained Robinson's pearl Ferrar Glacier and left oatmeal, cocoa, barley (still running freely). There were sugar, pemmican. and biscuits. The West three varieties of jam — plum, strawberry ern geological party led by Griffith Taylor and raspberry — made by Beach and found some of the boxes left by Scott when Sons, of Evesham. it reached Butter Point on November 17. It Other foodstuffs in the list were: Egg departed on November 18. leaving two powder, powdered milk, self-raising flour week's provisions, as instructed by Scott. (Limmer's) and oatmeal. There were also for its return journey. When the party metal boxes of Bell's wax matches, and two reached Butter Point on February 12/13 it lots of candles branded Belmont Stearine. found that the depot had been blown over Both the normal thin type and the short thick ones produced a good flame when lit. A bamboo pole blackened with age was A box of French sardines found in the re found lying in the ice. This helped to mains of the Depot. After 75 years the sar determine when the depot was laid and dines were still edible. who was responsible. Between September Photo: Garth Varcoe

tofjfluri Autumn, 1986 Antarctic

and wrecked. The four men took some In the spring Campbell led his party, pemmican, butter and chocolate from the weakened by their privations and 26 weeks depot but left the rest. in a cave where they could not stand upright, on a 320km man-hauling journey NORTHERN PARTY south down the coast. Surgeon Lieutenant Campbell's Northern Party was put Edward Atkinson, left in command at Cape ashore at Cape Adare. Robertson Bay. by Evans, knew of the Terra Nova's earlier at the Terra Nova on her first voyage back to tempts to pick up the party. By the end of New Zealand. The six men were picked up March he was morally certain Scott and his from their winter quarters in the first week companions were dead. He decided to of January, 1912, on the second voyage search for the bodies in the spring but first to south from Lyttelton and landed at Evans attempt to relieve Campbell's party before Cove in Terra Nova Bay to carry out a six the winter closed in. weeks' sledging programme. Pack ice Atkinson believed that Campbell's party blocked the Terra Nova's attempts to col would probably try to reach Cape Evans. lect the men before the end of February With three other men. Charles Wright and and return them to Cape Evans. After two Petty Officers Thomas Williamson and more attempts the ship had to turn north for Patrick Keohane. he made a dangerous Lyttelton early in March. journey over the sea ice to Butter Point, ar As a result Campbell and his men were riving on April 20. Because the ice was left on Inexpressible Island with no hut, thin moving out of the area the party had to turn summer clothing, and skeleton rations for six men for a month. When gales ripped their tents they dug an ice cave in which Tins of English beef suet supplied to the they lived from March 17 to September 30. 1910-13 expedition. A scrap of paper in the supplementing their scanty rations with seal box carried a recipe for suet pudding. meat and blubber, and penguin flesh. Photo: Garth Varcoe

^>-«^*> *& Antarctic Autumn, 1986

back, leaving behind a depot of two week's With food from the depot and some left provisions with the hope that Campbell's by Griffith Taylor's party at Capes Roberts party would reach it. and Bernacchi, Campbell's men reached the hut at Cape Evans after 37 days of HUGE STACK sledging. After 75 years much of what they When Atkinson left Hut Point on October left behind has deteriorated so much that it 29 to search for Scott's party, Campbell's can no longer be preserved. But Mr Varcoe party struggling south was only a few days was able to select a few items — sardines, away from Butter Point. It arrived on Nov suet, jam, pemmican, powdered egg, ember 2 to find what Raymond Priestley, candles, milk powder, and a rusted fuel tin one of the party, described as a "huge — which the Antarctic Division has agreed stack of cases which must have contained will be placed with other relics of Scott's last provisions enough to keep us all going for expedition in the Canterbury Museum. months. The miscellaneous heap of cases They will serve also as a recognition of two contained among other things oatmeal, quiet, modest men — Atkinson and biscuits, butter, lard, sugar, chocolate, Campbell — whose concern for the lives of bacon and hams, jam, tea, candles, the men they led was overshadowed by Homelight lamp oil and a dozen other the tragedy of Scott and his party. things... Crowning all was a large bamboo with a tin lashed to it and a note from "James Pigg" Atkinson inside the tin..." Last of Scott's men now 98 Former Chief Petty Officer William Burton, now the last of Scott's men who went south 75 years ago, was 98 on April 7. Both the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy re membered the occasion and the man who joined the Terra Nova from H.M.S. Indomita ble and made three voyages to McMurdo Sound with Scott's 1910-13 expedition. From Britain's First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral William Staveley, came a message to Bill Burton sent by the Admiralty through the British High Commission in Wellington: "I wish you health and happiness and assure you that the great and heroic deeds of the famous expedition are not forgotten. With my best wishes and those of the Royal Navy." New Zealand's Chief of Naval Staff, Rear-Admiral L.J. Tempero, sent best wishes on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Navy and on his own behalf: "Your contribution to an epic achievement remains an inspiration to us all." Rear-Admiral Tempero visited Scott Base and Scott's huts at Cape Evans and Hut Point last season. New Zealanders wintering in Antarctica, and those at the Antarctic Division, Depart ment of Scientific and Industrial Research, also remembered Bill Burton. On their behalf Mr R.B. Thomson, director of the Division, and Mr K.O. Clegg, information officer, called on him with a gift and a card to wish him well. They knew that Bill Burton went back to McMurdo Sound in the summer of 1963 to visit Scott Base to see once again the historic huts at Cape Evans, Hut Point and Cape Royds. Way back in 1955 Bill Burton joined the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Antarc tic Society. The president of the society, Mr H. W. Burson, sent birthday greetings and a gift to its oldest life member — his honour dating back to 1964 — from members in New Zealand and 20 other countries. After his return to England in 1913 Bill Burton, who was London-born, went back to the Royal Navy and served in destroyers at the Battle of Jutland and in the Dogger Bank and Heligoland actions. He came to Christchurch in 1926 and has remained there ever since.

46 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic Uknown OBE for service with Ross Sea Party Twelve medals awarded to Commander J. within nine miles from Hut Point. Mackin R. Stenhouse. and sold at Southeby's on tosh made the ship fast and left with the June 27, 1985. included an OBE "for second depot laying party instructing valuable service as Master of S. Y. Aurora" Stenhouse, now in command of the ship, to during Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Ex select a base, land a party and winter the pedition 1914—16. It was previously Aurora north of Glacier Tongue. thought by experts that there had been no With the ice constantly on the move and awards other than the Polar Medal, also in the absence of shelter from severe blizzards the set. for service with this expedition. it was not until March 1915 that a suitable The medals were sold by the Com anchorage could be found. The chosen mander's daughter. Mrs J. P. Mantell and position was at Cape Evans immediately acquired by Messrs Spinks and Sons. Lon out from the hut erected by Captain Scott don dealers, for £4.620 on behalf of an on his last expedition and on the 14th of unknown buyer. that month the ship was moored about 40 Born on 15 November 1887. Stenhouse yards offshore. A further party was landed came from a family famous in their day as and unloading of supplies was proceeding builders of clippers — Birrel. Stenhouse slowly. and Company — based in Dumbartonn. By 6 May the ice was in and people were He first went to sea in 1903 and was one of passing freely between ship and shore the last men to gain a Masters certificate for when by 11 p.m. a forty mile an hour gale the square-rigged sailing ships. blew up from the south, a direction from On 1 August 1914 he was appointed a which there was no shelter. By 3 a.m. the sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve and joined Shackleton's expedition the same month initially as Chief officer of the Aurora under Lieutenant A. L. A. Mackin tosh, R.N.R.

Two years

Prepared, if necessary for two years in the Antarctic, the Aurora was instructed to proceed to the Ross Sea. make a base at some convenient point in or near McMurdo Sound, land stores and equipment and lay depots on the Great Ice barrier in the direc tion of the Beardmore Glacier for the party Shackleton hoped to bring overland from the Weddell Sea coast. It was anticipated >» that the transcontinental journey would be completed by February 1916 and return on the Aurora. If the party did not appear Mackintosh was to call the following year. Heavy ice conditions prevented the Aurora from reaching Cape Evans until January 16 from when she worked southwards until on January 24 she was Antarctic Autumn, 1986 following morning the ship and the ice had Captain J. K. Davis took over command gone; Stenhouse recorded: of the Aurora for the return journey south to • 4 p.m. — Wind freshening with bliz- collect the stranded members of the Ross zardly appearance of sky. Sea Party and Stenhouse returned to • 8 p.m. — Heavy strain on after-moor England to the Chatham Gunnery School ings. for a training course and subsequent • 9.45 p.m. — The ice parted from the distinguished service in "Mystery Ships". shore; all moorings parted —....slowly as In 1918 he was assigned to "special ser we disappeared into the Sound the light in vice" with the Syren Force in North Russia. the hut died away. He travelled to Murmansk with Shackleton and other polar comrades and helped to train members of the North Russian Ex peditionary Force in methods of polar The Aurora was to drift helpless in the transport and housing. Between the wars he was involved with pack for ten months. Her rudder broke on the Discovery Investigations Committee. July 21, a jury-rudder was made and This was derived from an Inter-depart ready to be shipped from August. By Sep mental Committee on Research and Deve tember she was approximately 700 miles from Cape Evans and still drifting north. lopment in the Falkland Islands originally established in 1917 by the Colonial office The floe broke up on February 12 when and which initiated biological studies in the with foresail and fore topmast stay-sail the Southern Ocean with particular reference Aurora moved slowly north. Temporary to whaling. Stenhouse was responsible for repairs were made to broken stern timbers and to ease leaks near the propellor shaft. re-equipping and re-rigging Scott's old ship On 1 March steam could be raised, al though the fires were mostly banked. After two more anxious weeks the Aurora cleared the last of the pack ice at lat. 62.27.5' long 157.32'E. "We spliced the mainbrace and blew three blasts of farewell of the pack with the whistle" wrote Stenhouse. Battered ship With a battered ship, insufficient coal to make best use of the engines and the rud der, when it could be lowered, requiring constant attention, the Aurora headed north at times making no progress in the persistently heavy weather conditions. On March 23 radio contact was estab lished with Bluff Station in New Zealand and on April 2 the ship was taken in two by a tug despatched from Port Chalmers. The Aurora reached safety the following morn ing. In June Shackleton, at Port Stanely in the Falklands after his ordeal, cabled Stenhouse: "Accept yourself, Convey staff congratulations safety and appreciation services"; the original telegram was sold with the medals. The Aurora with the jury-rudder Autumn, 1986 Antarctic and from 1925 to 1927 commanded her Commander-in-Chief East Indies. In 1941 while she was engaged on whaling and he joined a shore base in Aden and during oceanographic research and also during an operation on 12 November was report the voyage to Wiencke Island in 1927. ed missing, presumed drowned. At the outbreak of the second world war Commander Stenhouse rejoined the navy (Antarctic is indebted to Southeby's. Mrs J. P. serving first in the Thames and Medway Mantel! and Mr David Yelverton for the informa Examination Service and later with the tion in this article.)

Obituary A Tasmanian pioneer of Ross Sea whaling

Tasman Louis Young, who died in Christchurch early this year, was one of the pioneers of whaling in the Ross Sea more than 60 years ago, not as a chaser cap tain or harpooner but as a labourer aboard the first factory ship, Sir . Known to everyone as Tas he spent 57 of his 85 years in the port of Lyttel ton and was Tasmanian-born. In the 1923-24 summer he sailed south with Cap tain Carl A. Larsen's Norwegian expedition on an Antarctic voyage which lasted four months.

A veteran whaler, Larsen, who had ex after his voyage with Larsen, Commander plored in Arctic and Antarctic waters, had Gjertsen made two more voyages to the noted reports by Scott and Shackleton on Ross Sea as ice pilot for Byrd's 1933-35 the numbers of whales in the Ross Sea. expedition. With Magnus Knonow, of Christiana, he Larsen's five chaser captains were formed the HVALFANGERSELSKAP RossHavet Company to catch whales in the among the best harpooners in Norway. Ross Sea and its environs. He bought the Captain A. Kaldager, sailing master of the Sir James Clark Ross, took Star I on two 13,000-tonne steel vessel Mahronda, of the Anchor-Brocklebank Line, built in 1905 voyages in 1924 into the McMurdo Sound at Belfast by Harland and Wolff, and con area, penetrating the pack ice as far as verted it into a factory ship. Cape Royds on the second. On board the second time was Captain G.S. Hooper, of In November, 1923 the whaling fleet of the New Zealand Marine Department. six vessels sent out from Sandefjord, arriv Newly appointed as the first Administrator ed in Hobart. There were five chasers, Star of the Ross Dependency, he travelled I, II, III, IV and V with tonnages ranging aboard the mother ship to watch New from 130 to 70. Two built in the United Zealand's financial interests. States ha been used in Alaskan waters, and Ten Australians, nine from Tasmania, three were Norwegian veterans from South joined the Sir James Clark Ross while she Georgia. was in Hobart. Among them were Tas For his pioneer expedition Larsen Young, who had been at sea since he was engaged a noted ice pilot, Commander 17, and Alan (Curly) Villiers, a young jour H.R. Gjertsen who, as a young Norwegian nalist with seagoing experience, who had Navy lieutenant, served with Amundsen as arranged with a Hobart newspaper to supp second mate aboard the Fram. Ten years ly articles and photographs. They were 49 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 both signed on as workers at an agreed rate After subdued Christmas Day festivities of pay plus a bonus of one-tenth of a penny the mother ship and chasers turned north for each barrel of oil from the catch. again. The chasers were bunkered on Loaded with provisions for two years December 26 and that evening Star II was and with 10,000 tonnes of Welsh coal in sighted steaming towards them. She had her bunkers, her bow strengthened by a been beset for six days and was now des sheathing of French Congo hardwood and perately short of coal and water. with the most powerful radio ever installed Soon after receiving bunkers Star II on a ship, the Sir James Clark Ross and her redeemed herself by taking the first whale attendant chasers were well-fitted for the on December 27. It was a blue whale as voyage which began on November 30, were others caught on the same day. The 1923. Macquarie Island was the first stop derricks fitted on the Sir James Clark Ross where there was an opportunity to go were adequate for right and humpback ashore while the chasers sought in vain the whales but could not handle blue whales. elusive whale. As the factory ship had no stern slipway, This was the only occasion on which Tas Larsen's original plan was to moor her in a and his companions were able to relax. The sheltered inlet so the catchers could bring expedition entered the pack ice on captured whales in to be hoisted on the December 13 and very soon the Ross Sea deck for flensing. As this was not possible, became a workplace where toiling long the whales had to be flensed alongside the hours in harsh conditions were accepted as ship and the blubber strips hoisted aboard. normal. Discovery Inlet on the Ross Ice Shelf at 170 deg. W filled the bill for such work and the Sir James Clark Ross entered the little Antarctic circle ice harbour on December 31, anchoring in On December 17 the expedition crossed its placid waters at 512m. There she re the Antarctic Circle, the first whaling fleet mained except for one or two periods until ever to do so. The Sir James Clark Ross March 5. became the largest ship to enter Antarctic waters, a far cry from the small ships in which the early navigators and explorers Operations sailed into the Southern Ocean. Whaling operations then began in By December 19 the ships were beset in earnest. Soon the factory ship workers, the pack and the crew spent many long crew, flensers, blubber gang, became lock hours sawing them free. Their first destina ed in the now familiar but seemingly tion was the Bay of Whales where the fleet endless routine of hard work, long hours, arrived on Christmas Eve without Star II. By and harsh conditions. Tas Young noted in Christmas Day grave fears were held for his diary, now held in the Canterbury Star II which had not kept up with the fleet Museum, that the cold was so intense even and had been missing several days. the ship's engineers wore overalls and fur A depot was established on the shore in caps in the stokehold. case the missing chaser turned up. This was Two whales had to be processed at a set mainly by the Australians and included time, one on each side of the ship, and 10 tonnes of coal, four cases of biscuits and eight to 10 were flensed in a day. Every kegs of salt-beef and flour. The depot was day was the same. The men were called topped by a large Norwegian flag on a pole. from their bunks at 5.50am to start work at It was desperately hard work which con 6am. tinued through the night but not a man Breakfast — brown bread, margarine breathed a whisper of complaint as the and fried whale steak and onions — was heavy loads were man-hauled up an icy taken from 8am to 8.30am. Dinner — pea slope. soup, potatoes and salt beef — was then 50 Autumn, 1986 Antarctic taken at noon and was followed by a wel behalf of the group the old man was very come tot of whisky. An afternoon break at moved and apologised for the poor returns 3.30pm allowed the cold and weary men for so much hard work. time only to eat a slice of bread and marga (The actual return was 17,791 barrels rine. At 6pm work ceased except for the from 221 whales; Larsen had expected at blubber gang which had to clean the decks least 40,000 barrels and had hopes of before the blood and oil froze. But after a 60,000.) meal — fish balls and coffee — at 6.30pm After his apology Larsen gave each man everyone turned to and hauled the flens another £5 from his own pocket and of ing boats aboard. fered to take them to Norway. None ac By early February the tally of whales was cepted. poor. Not nearly as many as expected had Tas, born at Stockport, Tasmania, in been sighted. The chasers had to cope with 1900, went to sea at the age of 17 and was stormy seas and pack ice, and much of the master of the Huon Channel and Peninsula equipment was unsuitable. With only the oil Shipping Company's small steamer Breone from 75 whales Larsen suggested that the when only 22. After his Antarctic ex expedition go north to the West Australian perience he continued seafaring until his grounds. The crew refused. marriage in 1928 when he settled in Lyttel With the approach of winter the stress of ton. Before his retirement in 1965 he was many weeks at sea brought personal prob employed as a master stevedore for the lems. Trouble between some of the officers Shaw Savill and Albion Company. and crew resulted in two strikes. Although Tas never forgot his whaling days or his they lasted but a few hours they surely must experiences in great waters. Before the have been the first industrial action ever Second World War he was often a guest taken south of the Antarctic Circle. speaker on the radio and also conducted a (In the 1920-30 season Tasmanians monthly programme called "Ships and the aboard the NT. Nielson-Alonso refused Sea". work because the food was bad. The cap In later years Tas transferred his memo tain read the riot act — the food improv ries of Ross Sea early whaling to canvas. He ed.) became an amateur painter of some merit and is represented in the Canterbury and Blizzards Stewart Island Museums by several pictures Early in March the ships were battered by of whaling scenes in Discovery Inlet. A a succession of blizzards but Larsen, still small oil of a chaser in the inlet which he contributed to the exhibition of Antarctic art hoping for the biggest cargo of oil possible, waited until it was obvious that the whales organised by the New Zealand Antarctic were moving north. When newly formed Society to mark its 50th anniversary, was highly praised by professional artists who pack ice was so thick that a blizzard did not saw it. break it up he gave the order on March 5 to head for home. The fleet reached Camp Baden Norris bell on March 21 and then proceeded to Stewart Island where the chasers went into Footnote: Alan Villiers went on to record winter quarters at Paterson Inlet. On April 9 his impression of the voyage he shared with the Sir James Clark Ross entered Port Tas Young in his first book. "To the Frozen Chalmers. South", published in 1974. He never re turned to Antarctica but roamed the seven In his diary Tas Young describes how the seas for more than a quarter of a century in Australians were paid off at Port Chalmers sailing ships, Arab dhows, and old-time before the factory ship sailed for Europe. square riggers. As master and owner of the Each man received £12 for his three full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad he sailed months' work. Tas also notes that when he her round the world in the tracks of Cook s went to say goodbye to Captain Larsen on Endeavour. 51 Antarctic Autumn, 1986 BOOKS nn rzzi □ izzi The Island of South Georgia 'The Island of South Georgia' Written by Robert Headland, published by the Cambridge University Press, 1984 ISBN0521 25274 1, hardback293pp. 245mmx 195mm, £14.95. In the 82 years since the first permanent But this should not detract from the huge settlement was established on South amount of information it contains which Georgia the island has amassed a fascinat should more than satisfy the casually ing history which fully justifies a book such curious. Bob Headland's style is to present as this. the material in factual form with little at It is a 293 page quality hardback with tempt at narrative, which makes the book chapters covering every aspect of the more of a reference work than a bedtime island's short history, illustrated with 139 read. black and white photographs, drawings, As one who has visited this remote island maps and charts. There are 10 appendices I greatly value my copy of this book and I containing technical information and an ex am indebted to Bob Headland for the tensive bibliography. painstaking work he has put into it. For It doesn't take long for the reader to anyone planning to visit the island, this conclude that South Georgia is a rugged book is a must — there is none other with mountainous island that has presented such an all-embracing coverage. formidable challenges to man. Attempts at Alan Knowles farming cattle and sheep failed because of the long cold winters; there were ship wrecks in almost every cove; and even the (The reviewer, Alan Knowles of Well ington, New Zealand, was deputy whales finally beat man with diminished leader of a New Zealand expedition to numbers. South Georgia 1984-85.) The section on whaling is the most thorough and detailed in the book, which is understandable because it is the activity Erratum: that created by far the most impact. There are sections on the physical sciences, natu Antarctic Diary ral history, expeditions dating back to In our December issue Vol 10. No. 12 1882, philately and the Argentinian inva Tryggve Gran's Antarctic Diary 1910 — sion — all of which could fill books in their 1913 edited by Geoffrey Hattersley-Smith own right. was reviewed by Jan and Arnold Heine. In his preface Bob Headland states that The statement that Gran had been turned the book "attempts to be a detailed ac down as a member of Amundsens party count of South Georgia, which is one of the has subsequently been drawn to our atten few places on earth where this may still tion. Gran was not turned down as a reasonably be encompassed in one vol member of Amundsens party but he had ume." This statement can be viewed with been planning his own Antarctic expedition some scepticism when it is realised that the when he had approached the polar veteran definitive bibliography on South Georgia Amundsen to discuss the plans. He found runs to 1344 publications, and that this that Amundsen showed no interest and book attempts to cover the scientific, politi was unforthcoming to his questions — cal, human and geographical history of the understandably in the light of later deve island. lopments. P. 11 Antarctic Diary. Ed. 52 The New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc.,

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