A N E W S B U L L E T I N

p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY

HUSKIES AT SCOTT BASE

Two Greenland dogs, Apolotok (left) and the bitch Kari.

Photo: Guy Mannering. Antarctic Division.

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Vol. 3, No. 6 JUNE, 1963

Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z.

SAD ENDING (See "Antarctic," March, p. 197.) INDEX We regret to learn that the sick We are glad to announce Danish seaman Elmer Mortensen, that the compilation of the serving on the "Thala Dan" on char index to volume 2 of "Antarc ter to A.N.A.R.E., who was dram tic," which was unavoidably atically hurried from the Davis Sea delayed, is now completed and in February and March by ice the manuscript is in the breaker and Hercules aircraft to printer's hands. Details re Christchurch Hospital, died in the price and binding arrange hospital on April 6. ments will be given in our It is revealed that the emergency next issue. We apologise to flight which was the last leg of those who have been incon the dramatic evacuation from the venienced by our premature Davis Sea to Christchurch was a announcement. hazardous operation. The flight commenced at 4 a.m. on March 4 from McMurdo, but after an hour in the air the pilot, IN PROSPECT Cdr. W. Everett, had to turn back because of trouble with one of the mmmsmSmi tilers. Mechanics were Statu cessful publication "The Antarctic u.g by to effect immediate repairs and the aircraft was air-borne again Today," which has been translated into Russian and Spanish and has within the hour. The flight now proceeded uneventfully until just long been out of print, is nearing off the coast of New Zealand, when completion under the editorship of Dr. Trevor Hatherton. a warning light in No. 4 engine The new product'on will in all alerted thc crew to secure that en gine and feather its propeller. The probability be published by a lead aircraft came in on three engines ing English publisher. and made a smooth landing, to com plete thc evacuation. COMING SIX WOMEN Another special Antarctic issue of When the Russian 10,135 ton the Journal of Geology and Geo tanker "Batumi" called at Sydney physics will appear, probably before on March 27 for water and pro the end of July. This will contain visions, on its way to refuel the about a dozen papers, mostly on Soviet Antarctic fleet, Sydneysiders Geological and Geophysical subjects, were interested to know that the and also the Bibliography of Publi- crew of 46 includes six women. One ctions resulting from New Zealand is the ship's baker, the others are Antarctic expeditions. stewardesses. June, 1963. NEW ZEALAND PLANS COMPLETION OF DEPENDENCY EXPLORATION New Zealand's summer work in Antarctica ended on March 11, when 18 summer support and Army building party men boarded the U.S.S. "Glacier" to return to New Zealand. They left a winter party of 14—12 New Zealanders, an Englishman, and an Austra lian—to six months of isolation. In five months the New Zealand lation has been given by the United Antarctic Research Expedition had States to make Scott Base one of achieved one of its biggest pro the stations in a world network of grammes. 120 stations equipped with identical Extensions to base buildings instruments. worth £30,000 were almost com The old E hut has been converted pleted, much new scientific equip into an administration centre. A ment installed in the laboratory, new heated vehicle garage and some and about 50,000 square miles of provision for bulk fuel storage have the Ross Dependency topographical been provided. The present garage ly and geologically surveyed. has been converted into a cold Biologists studied seals and pen store, and the ready-use store has guins. Soil scientists sampled Mc been completely insulated for use Murdo Sound's rocky coasts, glaci as a cool-store "for perishable food ologists and surveyors began a stuffs. New housing has been pro major study of ice movement in the vided for tele-seismic equipment Ross Ice shelf, field men tested new being supplied by the U.S. Coast motor toboggans and seismologists and Geodetic Survey. investigated curious ice quakes caused by icebergs. ALARM ! Reconnaissance photography On the night of April 15 the stall" covered thousands of square miles at the basc were watching a movie of territory in the dependency yet which was suddenly drowned by to be surveyed and provided data the hooter and bells of the auto on McMurdo Sound seal population matic fire alarm system, which indi and ice movement. cated that the fire was in the new Other studies covered local sarage part of the recent £30,000 geology, the earth's magnetism, the building programme. behaviour of the upper atmosphere Fire-fighters had dillicultv in gain and preparation for recording ing access to the seat of the fire auroral phenomena during the win owing to thc volume of smoke, but ter night. the use of breathing apparatus by More than 100 New Zealanders some of the party greatly facilitated visited or remained at the base. the use of fire extinguishers and eventually the flames were brought BASE ADDITIONS under control. Messing and livine-room accom The building houses most of the modation at Scott Base has been base vehicles, including three expanded by the removal of the weasels, a bulldozer, Landrover, leader's office and thc radio-room tractor and a new Nodwell person to another building, and extra nel carrier, all of which were saved. badly-needed sleeping accommoda The cause of the fire is believed tion has been provided. The scien to have been the over-heating of a tific laboratory has been nearly stove. Damage is mainly super doubled in size to accommodate ficial. new seismic equipment, a small biology laboratory and thc photo The Right Hon. W. Nash has ac laboratory. The new seismic instal cepted an invitation from Rear Ad- June. 1963.

miral J. H. Reedy, commander of the United States naval support SCOTT BASE LEADER force for Operation Deep Freeze, to visit Antarctica as soon as this can 1964 be conveniently arranged in the The Leader at Scott Base next coming season. year will be Mr Russell E. Rawle "It is one thing I really want to (52) of Wellington. do," said Mr. Nash recently. "I am Born in Wellington, Mr Rawle very keen indeed." was educated at Auckland Grammar School, Wellington College and Vic VETERAN SNOCAT toria University College. After leav Sno-cat "Able", one of thc famous ing school he joined the then Pub vehicles in which the Trans-Antarc lic Works Department and was, un tic Expedition crossed the Antarctic til recently seconded to Antarctic Continent in 1957-58, has been Division D.S.I.R., a career adminis brought to New Zealand on U.S.S. tration officer in the Ministry of "Arneb" to have a new chassis fit Works. ted. Used at Scott Base for the Mr Rawle's hankering for remote last five years as a cargo and per sonnel carrier, "Able" has still many places was fostered by the usual boyhood trips into the Orongorongo years of service ahead, but its and Tararua Ranges near Welling future has not definitely been de ton. An abiding love of mountains cided. has been the underlying motive for his wider travels in mountainous CAPE ROYDS regions overseas. The only considerable portion of During World War II he left New the building programme scheduled Zealand in 1940 with thc Second for last summer which has not been Echelon of 2 N.Z.E.F., served in the completed is not at Scott Base it Middle East theatre, won the M.C. self but at Cape Rovds, the site in Crete and returned to New Zea of Shackleton's 1907-09 expedition. land in 1945 with the rank of maior, Here it was intended to erect a being posted to the Territorial 'Re small pre-fabricatcd biological serve. laboratory and living hut for thc In 1954-56, and again in 1959-61, use of zoologists studying the near he served as one of three New Zea by penguin colony. land Military Observers appointed The building materials could not as New Zealand representatives with be landed at the cape from "En the United Nations Observer Group deavour" in January because of in Kashmir. The duties associated heavy ice conditions. They were with this appointment enabled him put ashore at McMurdo, but later to fulfil a cherished ambit:on to developments made it impracticable travel and climb in the North-West to ship them north again to Cape Himalaya and Karakoram Ranges in Royds. the regions of Ladakh and Baltistan. Some material there was shipped He is now posted to the retired list. before winter by U.S. helicopter, After the war Mr Rawle gradu and the heavier items will be ated as a Bachelor of Commerce sledged over the sea-ice in the from Victoria University College. spring. A working party from Scott He is married and has one daughter. Base will then, erect the building Mr Rawle paid a visit to the An in time for next summer's opera tarctic last summer to familiarise tions. himself with the condit;ons and made reconnaissance flights over CHANGE OF COMMAND the mountainous areas which will Commander J. Lennox-King, at be explored by New Zealand field present commanding officer of the parlies next summer. "Endeavour," has been appointed to Navy Office, Wellington. Lieutenant-Commander P. R H. Silk, commanding officer of the fri- _ate H.M.N.Z.S. "Pukaki," assumed command of the Antarctic supply June, 1963.

BACK TO THE 1963-64 PROGRAMME AXEL HEIBERG GLACIER Last summer New Zealand ex Next summer will see the begin plorers hit the headlines when W. ning of the final phase in the plan W. Herbert's team descended the ned topographical and geological Axel Heiberg glacier, the first time survey of the Ross Dependency. it had been traversed in its upper '"~.rt from the still very loosely de- reaches since Amundsen, 50 years d eastern coast-line of the Ross 'e ii his route to the , the Gould, Siple and Prestrnd oasts (see map, "Antarctic," Man ists of the eological I) the coastal areas of the Lv anuiiiaiy so significant mat a four- pendency have all now been broad man party is to enter the area again ly mapped except the Borchgrevink this year specifically to study its and Pennell Coasts of northern Vic geology and topography, and" pos toria Land, west and south of Cape sibly that of the mountains beyond Adare. the Liv and Shackleton Glaciers It is in this area of the Depend to the west. ency, and west into Australian An ICE SHELF STUDY tarctic Territory, that New Zealand Studies of the ice shelf between Government field parties will oper Ross Island and the mainland and ate in the 1963-64 summer. It is a thc problem of ice breakout in Mc little known region. Apart from Murdo Sound were commenced last coastal cruises, made dillicult by ice season. An attempt will be made conditions, and the magnificent to expain the physical processes "Magnetic Pole" journey of David producing ice breakout, in the hope Mawson and Mackay in 1907-08. only that it may be possible to predict the United Slates sno-cats of the when this annual phenomenon may 1959-60 traverse have crossed this occur. This will involve establish plateau surface (see "Antarctic" 2, ing a grid of stations at which 6:, June, 1960). various parameters of the ice-shelf will be measured each year. Into this almost virgin territory a six-man New Zealand party will BIOLOGY penetrate with dog teams, and with With the erection of the hut at the invaluable cover of United Cape Royds early next season, the States air support. A major task University of Canterbury biological will be the study of both flanks of unit will continue their studies of the great Rennick Glacier which the Weddell seals and Adelie pen flows northwards from the high in guins in the Cape Royds area. Later terior and discharges into the South in the season the seal studies will Pacific about 200 miles west of Cape be continued at Scott Base. Ancil Adare. The Rennick may be, with lary work will bc soil investigations the exception of the Lambert and the collection of plankton from Glacier in Australian Antarctic Ter the ice edge at Cape Royds. ritory, the greatest glacier in the Check studies of the skua and world. Adelie penguin colonies at Hallett Station and Cape Adare will be con tinued, if logistic support can be UNIVERSITY EXPEDITION made available. The eighth Victoria University of BASE PROGRAMME Wellington Antarctic Expedition will The studies in upper atmosphere continue the geochemical work physics, geomagnetism, ionospherics, done during the past two seasons aurora, seismology, and meteorology in the Taylor and Victoria Dry Val will be continued, with increased emphasis on upper atmosphere leys, in the hope of explaining the work for the IQSY. Thc normal physical and chemical processes which cause the strange "warm wintering-over party of 13-15 men lakes" in this area. Geologists in will be required to carry out thc the party will also be working in scientific programme and mainten the McMurdo Sound area. ance of the base. June, 1963. NEW ZEALAND SUPPLY SHIP CRUISES IN SUB-ANTARCTIC WATERS

The "Endeavour" left Auckland The cruise, said Cdr. Lennox King with members of the Oceanographic had been full of interest and the Institute on April 10. On her re party of scientists seemed delighted turn she had been 42 days at sea, with the results obtained. most of it in the stormy Southern The weather, he said, was shock Ocean. ing most of the time and the ship A report from the ship told of 10 had rolled a great deal. Winds were clays of gales, during which heavy nearly all unbroken gales. seas reduced the ship's speed to five NEW "ENDEAVOUR" IS knots or less. In spile of this con FINE SHIP siderable success was achieved in oceanographic exploration. H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" had proved herself a first-class ship for "Meanwhile," said her command the job, her commanding officer, ing officer. Commander J. Lennox- Commander J. Lennox--King, said on King in a signal, "her ship's com the ship's return to Auckland pany is trying to recall what a still ship and a night's sleep might feel after making two trips from New like." Zealand to McMurdo Sound. On her return the ship reported "She has the power and cargo that she had traced the Macquarie capacity needed and has delighted everyone with the job she and those Ridge to the north toward New in her have done," he said. Zealand and found new under-watcr The double thickness bow plating mountains, some of them rising stood up well to ice conditions, 17,500 feet from the seabed. Commander Lennox-King said. The The 42-day voyage was the longest sides had been dented between oceanographic cruise in the history frames by lumps of ice swirling of the Royal New Zealand navy. back from ice-breakers that steam "Endeavour" travelled nearly 7000 ed ahead of the supply ship to miles, went within 600 miles of the smash a channel through the ice. In Antarctic Continent and took such conditions the ship took 36 samples from 97 places on the sea hours to cover 80 miles. Com bottom. mander Lennox-King said it had Eight scientists from the New been no pleasure trip for the ship's Zealand Oceanographic Institute company. Time for everything was brought back scores of samples limited by conditions and the short from the sea-bed and many species ness of the season. of marine life. The commanding officer, Cdr. J. OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEYS Lennox King, brought back alive a With H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" now weka, a descendant of the birds equipped to carry out oceanographic liberated on bleak Macquarie Island research, physical and biological 80 years ago as emergency food oceanography and magnetic surveys supplies for castaways. will be resumed in Antarctic waters. These will consist of taking hydro- N.Z. ANTARCTIC SOCIETY logical and magnetic measurements Canterbury Branch Officers on passage along preferred routes President: R. J. Stanley. during the re:supply voyages and Vice-Pres.: Dr. B. Stonehouse. specialised cruises at other times. Sec.-Treas.: Miss H. S. Hill. "Endeavour," clean and bright in Committee: A. C. Brustad. J. M. spite of a continuous battering by Caffin, Mrs. E. F. Cross, H. F. Grif the weather, nosed into her berth fiths, G. Hurrell, I. Hackcss, Miss R. at Devonport on May 21 after a McLean, J. Roberts, J. H. M. Wil scientific cruise in the Southern liams. Ocean. June, 1963.

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Scott Base, Observation Hill and the Western Mountains across McMurdo Sound.

Photo: Guy Mannering, Antarctic Division.

BIRDS FROM AFAR Two Cape Pigeons banded at the Tory Channel Whaling Stations, The March issue of "Notornis" New Zealand, on August 27, 1958, publishes the report of the Banding and June 8, 1959, were re-taken at Committee for the period April 1, Signy Island, South Orkneys, 6,000 1959-March 31, 1960. Among the miles away, on November 9, 1960, banded birds recovered in New Zea and October 17, 1960, respectively. land during that period were eight Giant Petrels, banded in the follow ing sub-Antarctic areas: South Shet- The skeleton of a banded bird ands (1), South Orkneys (1), Mac found late last year at Piper Heads, quarie Island (4), Nellie Isand, near Tasmania, is now known to be that Wilkes Station (2). One first-year bird had travelled 6,000 miles in ornithologists on the Antarctic is about three and a half months. land of South Georgia, in February. The report for April 1, 1960-March The bird was recovered witlvn 20 31, 1961, mentions a Royal Albatross miles of a banded albatross which banded at Campbell Island, south of had also come from South Georgia New Zealand, on November 17, 1960, and was found at Badger Head in and recovered off Valdivia, Chile, June. three months later, after a flight of After flying almost half-way round 5,000 miles. This is the third New the world, the birds had been re Zealand banded Royal Albatross re covered within a few miles of each covered in South American waters. other. ,'unj, 1963. A GOOD LOOK AT THE BALLENYS New Zealand proposes to send a Borchgrevink in the "Southern zoological, botanical and geological Cross" saw a "high snow-covered expedition to the hitherto unex land to the south on January 14, plored Balleny Islands during the 1899, when in 65° 42'S., 163°E.'This 1964-1965 summer. was probably Young Island, but no It is proposed, in preparation for close approach to it was made. this difficult assignment, to carry Scott, returning north in "Dis out a reconnaissance during the covery" early in 1904, also sighted coming (1963-64) summer. American the group. ice-breaker support is being plan The first running survey of the ned for this reconnaissance, the aim islands was made from R.R.S. "Dis of which is to assess the potentiali covery II" in 1936 and 1938, but no ties—and difficulties—of the pro landing was made. However, in posed expedition so that its nature 1948 Campbell leading an Australian and extent can be decided upon. expedition on "Wyatt Earp," suc The Balleny Islands lie from 175 ceeded in making a landing, which to 275 miles north of the Oates Land was almost as brief as Captain Free coast of Victoria Land, and 300-400 man's, on Sabrina Islet, about two miles north-west of Cape Adare. The and a half miles south of Cape Mc- group consists of three main islands Nab on Buckle Island. and a number of small ones. Thc Two other visits to the Ballenys largest island is the most southerly, Sturge Island (67° 24'S., 164° 15'E.) have been recorded. The French which is about 27 miles long and 8 vessel "Commandant Charcot," after miles wide. the first and unsuccessful attempt to establish a base on Adelie Land DISCOVERY in 1948-49, visited the Ballenys, and The almost entirely ice-covered a landing lasting several hours was group was first sighted on February made on the same Sabrina Islet. 9, 1839, by a scaling expedition of Some men climbed to the summit two ships, the schooner "Eliza of the islet. Scott" and the cutter "Sabrina," Then finally in 1959 landings were under John Balleny, one of thc En made from U.S.S. "Staten Island" derby Brothers' captains. Balleny, by helicopter and from a landing coming from the north, got to craft; and the group was visit within a mile of "the middle is ed by the Russian fifth expedition land," Buckle Island, before his in the vessel "Ob" on its way back ships were blocked by ice. But on the 12th Captain " Freeman of from the relief of the Soviet "Sabrina" managed to scramble Stations in February, 1960. ashore "up to the middle in water" on what seems to have been the ROSS SEALS smaller Barradaile Island, and grab Two dead Ross seals, believed to bed a few stones before hurriedly be the first specimens ever brought regaining the boat in which he and out of the Antarctic, arrived in Bri Balleny had been rowed towards tain late in March in the refriger the coast. ated hold of the "Kista Dan." The islands were next seen bv Ross in 1841, and then by H. J. Bull The Ross seal is an extremely rare in the "Antarctic" on his unsuccess animal, despite the fact that it was ful whaling voyage to the Ross Sea, first described and examined in 1844. on December i5, 1894. On the 20th The Census of Rare Animals, pub and again on the 22nd he saw land, lished by the Zoological Society of assumed to be "Young's Island," at London, does not list a single one a distance of 16 and 25 miles respec in any of the world's zoos. tively. The "Antarctic" was also The specimens brought back to in sight of the Ballenys on the re this country in thc last century turn voyage, on February 5 and 7, were never complete animals, and 1895. generally consisted only of the skull. June, 1963. Shall New Zealand Use Toboggans ? by P. M. OTWAY. II—Tin Dogs versus Shaggy Dogs vived the exceptionally rough sur The article in the "March issue of "Antarctic" "Shall N.Z. Use Tobog faces. Although the toboggans did gans" by P. M. Otway and his article sustain a number of comparatively below describe the work and purpose minor ailments such as broken of a four-man motor toboggan party drive belts and chains, a general organised by Antarctic Divis.on D.S.I.R. to evaluate the use of the loosening up of the body work and toboggans and dog teams for N.Z. broken ski mountings, there was field parties. The leader of the party, Mr. Kav Logie, and Mr. Otway have nothing that could not be remedied now submitted to me a detailed tech with the tools and basic spares on nical report on the operation with hand. Even the normally "inde their conclusions. This report will be structible" Nansen sledges required published and distributed through other channels. It is clear from then- frequent repairs. The two heavier findings that these two modes of field American cargo sledges cracked a transportation are not in competition but are complementary. The choice of total of three runners, but other which method should be used for a wise appeared remarkably sturdy. particular operation will depend on many factors of which the type of Regarding crevasses, the tobog terrain to be traversed, hazards to be encountered, duration and length of gans proved definitely more suscep journev, and loads to be transported tible to breaking through but, as are the most important. Whilst motor compensation, provided a means of toboggans will find increasing use, dog teams will continue to have their his testing the bridge before the heavy toric and useful place in polar opera sledge (1,100 lo 1,800 lbs. compared tions. with dog sledges 800 to 1,300 lbs.) G. W. MARKHAM, came to it. Superintendent, Antarctic Division, D.S.I.R. One of the most frustrating habits of the tobs proved, not unexpect Regarding the big question as to edly, to be frequent skidding on who came out on top, I do not in hard snow or ice and bogging down tend to become too intangled at in soft snow. Seldom were they this stage in the controversial dis able to literally "get their teeth" cussion as to which proved to be into the task. But once under way, the better—dogs or toboggans. To they took a lot of stopping. Conse begin with, it would be folly to quently, the progress of the tobog state that one is definitely superior gans over rough terrain was most to the other. I am sure that there erratic — sometimes ahead, some is still a place for dogs in thc An times behind the dogs. On the tarctic scene, though they may no rare smooth patches they were unquestionably faster. No trouble longer have it all their own way. was ever encountered in starting the It became clear during the trip motor except during or after heavy that dogs and toboggans are best suited to different conditions and drift. Temperatures on the trip are thus complementary to one ranged from —33°F. to +20°F. another rather than in direct com If this trip was anything to go by, petition. Therefore, with one type I think it would bc true to say that usually being faster than the other the toboggans proved they could the combination of dogs and tobog cope with almost the worst ihe dogs gans would seldom be as efficient as and Nansen sledges could tackle, each on its own. although a little slower under these It is, however, safe to say that conditions. At the same time, the the toboggans undoubtedly proved dogs would undoubtedly be less their worth. Those of us on the liable to cause serious trouble, trip doubt whether any other type requiring additional aircraft sup of ground vehicle could have sur port, especially during a full ..

New Zealand dog team on sea ice rounding the tongue of Barne Glacier. Photo: H. D. O'Kane.

New Zealand toboggan on sea-ice near Tripp Island. Photo: P. M. Otway. f1f%m^tsy^'.^

June. 1963. season's trip. On the other hand, HUSKIES PROVE PROWESS on reasonable surfaces the tobog- Graham Billing, journalist, who fansaster, would travel unquestionably longer per day and be was Public Relations Officer at longer between airdrops or depots Scott Base last summer, has this than the dogs. Therefore it would to say. bc safe to say that the dogs appear more suitable for working difficult For the past seven years New and inaccessible country and the Zealanders have driven Husky teams toboggans for easier going—or for thousands of miles while carrying short trips from base or a field out mapping and geographical work camp, when harnessing-up the dogs in Victoria Land, Antarctica. Both would not be warranted. In short, dogs and the light, springy sledges the old saying "slow but sure" designed originally by Nansen, prove appears particularly apt as applied highly efficient in the field. Each to the dogs. summer four nine-dog teams are sent into the field with two four- The question of the time taken man field parties. They may travel to harness the dogs as against that anywhere between 500 arid 1000 to service and repair the toboggans miles in a three-month season. could best be summarised as: "Dogs—a little trouble often; tobog The original stock of Scott Base gans—big trouble occasionally." dogs came from Greenland, from From the purely sentimental point Australia's Mawson Base, and from of view of having extra company thc Auckland (N.Z.) zoo. Careful in the field, toboggans arc a pretty breeding has insured a thriving population and two years ago i. Eooruskies. substitute One might for thejust entertaining as well be new team of dogs was bought ir Greenland to introduce new mood. driving a motor mower out in the middle of the Canterbury plains as Dog handling takes much time for exploring thc frozen wastes. In several members of the Scott Base place of thc nightly howls is the staff but everybody from the cook sound of metal against metal as the to the scientists who run the outside man carries out a minor extensive programme of geophysical repair of fills the tanks. It would observations made at the base be possible to write must on the enjoys their presence. Base men— aspect of sociability versus effici about 30 in summer and 13 in ency, but this must not be allowed winter—enjoy sledging runs and the to bias the final decision on the pups which arrive in several litters future of the dogs. during the year quickly become pets. In the meantime, the "shaggy" While it is likely that there will dogs have accepted their "tin" rivals be Huskies at Scott Base for as as brothers. The sound of a tobog long as the New Zealand Antarctic gan starting up in the field is to Research Programme continues the them a sign that the lead dog is numbers may be allowed to drop in about to hit the trail. Their excite the next few years. New Zealand's ment to get off to a flying start in main Antarctic mapping tasks will the morning is greater than ever. be over in another three years and So perhaps on this trip with thc large-scale sledging expeditions will two working side by side, the no longer neecf to be mounted. toboggan drivers often had the best of each—the efficiency of the tobog There will still be field work in, gans and the company of the dogs for instance, geology and ento mology and a number of small following close behind. areas will remain to be mapped. Some of these field trips may be We add comments from other handled in future by motor tobog men who have had experience with gans instead of dogs. Two tobog both kinds of dogs or who have gans were used for the first time listened to thc arguments of the this summer and found to be fast dog men and the supporters of and efficient in most types of mechanical transport. terrain. They were nicknamed 'tin dogs' by their drivers and by the dog team men who sledged in company Slightly Dog-Eared with them. But as one driver said, "You can't talk to 'tin dogs' and Peter Otway recorded this inci they don't give you any companion d e n t i n h i s s l e d g i n g d i a r y o f ship or affection." January 12, 1961. 'Tin dogs' can also break down, "Thc trip would have been un but as long as the United States eventful had we not had a good Antarctic Research Programme dog-fight, with Don in the centre support activity, Operation Deep of it. Blue and Bottle (working in freeze, continues Jts generous air a pair) were having a private s in the argument when Brae—the most pug nacious and absolutely clueless animal we've got—joined in and Dog men say, however, that they clamped on to Bottle's ear. Nothing would feel safer with dogs in rough we could do to him would make and crevassed ice country where him let go and Don, in his efforts supply lines with base are tenuous. to separate them, received a bite on the leg from Bottle. Although D O G S S T I L L N E E D E D it was intended for Brae it was only Some Australians seem to be comparatively minor. coming down on the side of the "Eventually Brae let go, I suppose dogs. from sheer exhaustion, leaving poor Despite widespread mechanisation of Antarctic work, dog parties today old Bottle with what appeared to are as indispensable as they were be a bit of bloody rag where his half a century ago, when the great ear had been. He had had the other explorers set out to conquer the partially chewed off last winter, so ice wastes in the extreme north and at least he looks better balanced south of the earth, says an experi now. As usual, we dusted the enced Australian. wound with auriomycin powder and Thc officer-in-charge at Mawson left it. There's no stitching required during 1962, Mr. Michael Lucas, said fortunately and it should give no in Hobart recently that dog parties, trouble. Bottle is as bright as ever of which the 1962-63 Australian —and as hungry." Antarctic expedition had three, had been invaluable in the first surface journey to the Amery Ice Shelf. H O M E P O RT The dogs worked where mach inery could not go and cheerfully Why do men serving on the picket pulled heavy loads in trying con ships in the lonely Southern Ocean ditions. at approximately 60°S, 170°E, volun teer for this duty and come back We shall be pleased to publish for more, although they will refer the opinions of others who have had to their ship as "the loneliest ship experience with dogs or mechanical in the Navy?" transport, or both. The answer, says the "Bulletin" of the U.S. Antarctic Projects Of Antarctica's only nuclear power ficer, is—the people of Dunedin, the plant, completed during this season, town which is home-port for the while not in continuous operation, picket-ships during the operating HTOHBga i»| JMsll 111 DhW I season. "Not only is Dunedin a on maximum power. Under less lovely town set in a picturesque severe conditions, power production countryside, but also its inhabitants from nuclear piles is not yet com have taken the visiting sailors to petitive with that from conventional heart, providing entertainment and fuels or hydro heads, but in the inviting them into their homes. A Antarctic the high cost of bringing few happy days in port more than in diesel oil as an alternative power compensate for a lonely vigil at fuel alters the situation. ' . f t W r * ^ * - i

June, 1963. HALLET REPORT The "Eastwind" arrived at Hallett Seal dives down to 350 metres on February 1 and transported John (190 fathoms) have been recorded Cranfield, the New Zealand biologist, in the Ross Sea by workers at the to Cape Adare for skua and pen biological laboratory at McMurdo. guin studies. The main re-supply The depths were recorded by for the station arrived on the "Ar Bourdon pressure tubes fixed to the neb" on the 12th. The new science seals' backs. The work was under building was constructed by the end taken to try to account for the fact of February. Station re-wiring was that some very large fish known not completed owing to lack of to be caught by seals have never material. "Eastwind" also called on been caught by scientists. March 4 to bring in an additional The depth reached by the seals wintering over man. was totally unsuspected by the ex The "Glacier" called on March 9, perimenters—so much so that the off-loaded supplies and took the re first Bourdon lubes used had a maining 18 summer scientists and maximum indication of 100 metres. support personnel to McMurdo; 18 The seals took the apparatus to a men were left to winter over. depth where the tubes completely The last penguins left on March collapsed, and another set had to 27 and the last skuas on the 28th. be brought in. WORK FOR 1964 The animals were all Weddell seals. The seals were caught at The usual activities will be con random and had the tubes fixed to tinued with emphasis on upper at them. They were then allowed to mosphere physics for the I.Q.S.Y. go free and a watch kept over a New Zealand will be responsible for wide area for their reappearance. a greater proportion of the auroral Some of those recaptured were programme without the need to in found nearly two miles from their crease the usual New Zealand com starting place. plement of three scientists. It will The depths of seal dives revealed again be New Zealand's turn to pro vide the station scientific leader. indicate that the animals penetrate to a region not usually covered by BERGS AHOY ! the scientists, who. because of the When the U.S. supply vessel "Ar limitations imposed by the ice-holes through which they fish, generally neb" was in Sydney on March 26, take their catches cither from close reporters were told by ship's officers to the surface or else from the sea- that one day in February the ship was blinded by fog as it approached bottom. Cape Hallett. Visibiity was down to a few yards SCOTTISH OUTPOST and the ship had to stop often to avoid colliding with an iceberg. Leading Steward James Miller (31), of Inverness, returned from the At one stage when visibility was Antarctic with dozens of messages zero the radar screen showed 170 from Scots in thc Falkland Islands "blips," each representing a large for delivery to relatives. iceberg within 10 miles of the ship. He serves on the Royal Naval ice patrol ship, "Protector," which Although the Antarctic has docked at Portsmouth after seven 7,000,000 cubic miles of snow and months survey work in the An ice, the most precious commodity, tarctic. next to fuel, is water. The cost of "The Falklands are inhabited water at McMurdo has been com mainly by Scots," he said. "It's my puted at $1.25 per gallon. At Byrd fourth time down there, and each and Pole Stations it is higher still time I've found more people who because the fuel needed to melt the came from Scotland. It's the most snow has to be air-dropped or far-flung outpost of the Scottish flown in. empire." June, 1963.

Busy Autumn Months at French Antarctic Station The projected summer building programme in Terre Adelie, outlined in our March issue, did not present any great problems. Everything went according to plan. The main effort during January The average wind speed during was to complete the construction of February was 43 Km/h, and the the quay before it was iced up. maximum 198 Km/h. Daily sunshine Many other tasks also called for 6 hours. Snow fell on eight days. attention: the partial demolition of There were nine days of strong wind the atmospheric optics shelter and but only three hurricane days. Ice its removal section by section to lay to thc north of the station on the prepared site next to the pan the 16th, then loose pack which ap oramic camera shelter; the check proached LTlc des Petrels but dis ing of the electrical circuits; main appeared by the end of the month. tenance of the heating system; March saw ice forming on the repairs to all sections of the landing beach on the 4th and in the electric cables; the reconstruction Archipelago on the 6th. The first of hut 13 (glaciological lab.) for Emperor penguin arrived on the the storage of personal clothing, etc. 14th—by the 31st there were 3,000 The January average temperature of them. was —1.3°C, lowest daily tempera Hours of work outside amounted ture — 4.6°C., absolute minimum to 132 per man. —9°C, maximum +3.7°C. Average Radio communication was good. wind velocity 39 Km./h., maximum There were a few minor accidents 190 Km./h. The weather was very due to the bad weather conditions cloudy. The average daily sunshine and the icy rocks, but nothing was 7 hrs. 30 min. There was serious. The maximum temperature slight snowfall on nine days. Over was —01°, the minimum —16°C. all it was a normal month charac Wind strength was lower than in terised especially by storms on the the same month last year, the maxi first and fourth of the month. mum being 183 Km/h. Icebergs were numerous. Wind and tide dispersed the sea February brought periods of ice, and at the end of the month good and bad weather with rapid it persisted only between the island changes in temperature and several and the mainland. snow-falls, but without wind. An Morale remained high and health all-out effort to complete the out excellent throughout the whole side work called for 181 hours' period. work per man. The portion of the HOME AGAIN quay comprising the four storeys The personnel of Expedition TAI2 of the shed was completed; this on "Magga Dan" reached le Havre required four tons of gneiss, over on March 25, all in good form. On 31 tons of bituminous mastic— board was Mme. Stephenson (see about 213 tons altogether to be "Antarctic," March, 1963): the staff handled. of Expeditions Polaires Francaises The installation of the atmos were delighted to meet her at long pheric optics shelter was finished last. after complete repair of roof and 1964 ceilings. Two shelters were trans The programme for 1964 is essen formed into one with a single tially a technical one. The new elec door. Two astrodomes were in trical centre and a new laboratory stalled, one heated. Checking and will be erected. As throughout the repair of some 250 installation moor current year scientific work will be ing lines, and stocking up of depots restricted, and has not yet been for the winter. finally planned. June, 1963. AUSTRALIAN PARTIES SETTLE IN The autumn months from February to April saw the new parties at all three Australian Bases settle in, find their feet in new surroundings by executing several field projects and then shake down for the winter.

This year saw a break with the ing reading—three caterpillar trac tradition of many years when the tors, two snowtracs, one weasel, one vessel "Nella Dan," returning from Ferguson tractor, one Bedford the annual relief of Mawson and utility, four motor bikes, one push Davis Stations as well as landing bike, one mechanised toboggan one and later picking up a party work ice yacht, one Volkswagen sedan— ing on Heard Island, made Hobart and huskies. and not Melbourne her port of call. "Nella Dan" arrived at Hobart on March 24 with the Mawson party of IF WINTER COMES 24 men and the 9-man party from Davis, all of whom had spent a full One month later, by the end of year on the Antarctic continent. March, the sea-ice was fully formed; After disembarking the returning the base and the field parties had men, "Nella Dan" left again, this been dusted by the early season time for Macquarie Island to collect blizzards. Both field parties had a party of scientists who had been returned safely but not before being landed there from "Thala Dan" in held up more than once for a bliz December. zard to blow itself out. "Nella Dan" returned from Mac- A plane load of Russian visitors auarieay round Island voyage on April on 5 which after a there 12- dropped in to spend a night at were only three days without hurri Mawson. This party was on its way cane winds and huge seas. Some to Lake Richardson to rescue some members of the returning expedi colleagues, whose equipment, includ tion were bruised and battered. ing two aircraft, had been blown away in a blizzard. MAWSON NEWS Almost immediately after this Even by the end of February, one visit, six men under Base Leader month after the arrival of the new McMahon left on a long trip to party for 1963, no sea ice had deposit stores for the spring trip to formed in the harbour. On calm the Amery Ice Shelf. Five weeks days leader Ray McMahon and later on April 21 they returned hav others were boating around the is ing covered 520 miles at an average lands in search of seals for husky speed of 3 m.p.h. in temperatures food. Much effort was being put down to —40 °F. into the installing of new equipment in the new and palatial auroral hut. On April 20 a very fierce blizzard After one month, beards of all struck Mawson, with winds up to colours, shapes and sizes were being 100 knots. Very little damage was sported. sustained at the station, but the fol A Glaciological Survey party lowing morning, to the amazement equipped with two Snotrac ve of all, the sea which had been hicles was working near Fischer frozen for the past three weeks had Nunatak while three men with two broken out, leaving only the har dog teams for transport were carry bour frozen. Only a week before ing out a biological survey in the the motor bike gang had driven Framnes Mountains. about 4 miles along the coast on the sea ice to Castle Berg. MOTIVE POWER A census of the motive power of Winter will find a strong team at the Mawson Station makes interest Mawson well settled-in. June, 1963.

DAVIS "Des Lugg, our 2-I-C, and David Dodd, Met. I-C, journeyed inland to The new party at Davis under the lakes. Water temperatures and Bill Young arrived on Febuary 15, salinity measurements were taken after having assisted in the unload by David while Des furthered the ing at Mawson. The outgoing party biology programme." assisted with the construction of a And by April he was making a new mess building and refrigerated habit of these jaunts: cold store before leaving on "Nella "David Dodd, conscientious as Dan." Further building operations ever, is continuing with weekly quickly enabled the new party to walks to the Vestfold Hills lakes settle-in. All the late summer and sets a steady pace for any chores of caching seal-meat for the volunteer accompanying him." huskies and easing the water short [We have no doubt that the noc age by snaring the occasional bergy turnal prowess of the Kiwi will en- bit of pack, kept everyone busy in pre-winter tasks. The "drought still all winter. persisted beyond the end of March; not until well on in April did snow drifts mount sufficiently to provide an assured water supply. WILKES HUSKY THERAPY The sojourn of the 1963 party at Wilkes opened in a not altogether Mechanisation makes continuing unusual manner. The party had ex inroads on the dog populations of pected a further visit from the sea all Antarctic Bases. Regrettably, in the intended call of the "Nella when mechanisation is complete, Dan" which had carried out the re there will have been removed the lief at Davis. therapy which husky care provides The "Nella Dan," after three press for wintering parties. This outlet for frustrated and benighted antarc- ing attempts to push through ex ceptionally heavy pack ice, was ticans is far from being the least forced to abandon all efforts to useful purpose of the husky breed. reach Wilkes for fear of having the A report from Davis confirms this. ship frozen in for the winter. This While the party was experiencing its news failed to alter the morale of first full-scale" blizzard the lloors the expedition in the slightest, al were worn out with pacing until though all would have liked to re Collet te produced six fine pups. ceive their mail which she carried The middle of March saw the sea and lo send the letters and photo fully frozen over near Davis, and graphs that had taken many hours the first serious dog-sledge trip was to write and process, as well as made across it by Lugg and Foale carefully pack. Amongst the mail on the "remote station" route in to go out was the station's local early April. Five days later, two ice- monthly paper "Wilkes Hard Times" encrusted explorers returned after which ' Grimsley had put much experiencing minus temperatures, thought and effort into getting pub one blizzard and all varieties of sea lished in time. Besides the loss of ice. mail, they did not get their supply Late April brought a decreasing of bulk fuel, but fortunately the loss amount of daylight and tempera of this oil can be covered by a re tures down to —16°F. serve supply brought down with them. KIWI AT DAVIS Ice-drilling parties on the plateau New Zealander David Dodd ap and sealing parties on the water pears in the news from Davis regu kept everyone busy outside. larly. In the February report we Dick Saxton, the station leader, read: with Kirton, were soon away with "David Dodd is busy with Met. a clog team to Cape Folger, followed work organising his year's routine." by two more men in a snow-trac. Clearly, by March he had found Boating activities in search of his feet: seals ceased in early March with the jwt^hi**:

June, 1963.

sea freezing over, only to be broken m.p.h But it lasted for three days out by winds and freeze again. Seal and the driven snow found many ing activities were switched to the weasel operating on fixed ice. By tiny cracks in the walls hopefully this time all penguins had left to considered driftproof. follow the ice edge disappearing The base was rather depleted for over the northern horizon. much of April with Saxton leading his first traverse parly of five men, into the icy wilderness of the far WELCOME VISITORS south. Radio communication with The highlight of March was the the party was well maintained and unexpected social call from the Rus- by all accounts, they had a pretty lan neighbours only 400 miles away rugged time with almost constant tog and whiteout conditions which _t Mirny. Twelve of their expedi tion members flew into Wilkes. In with very low temperatures and poor visibility they had difficulty at high winds, made progress hcart- first in find.ng the airstrip but, after breakingly slow. However with a number of low level runs made dogged perseverance they 'accom a perfect landing. Thev' were plished their aim and by the end ot April were on their way back brought the 10 miles back to the station in various vehicles and one to thc comforts of thc base. rode on the dog sledge which made The sea was, by then quite frozen very fast lime in heavy snow con and looked very solid, although ditions. "They stayed overnisht at Oleeson and Thompson were the the station where a jovial atmos only souls hardy enough to venture phere prevailed with merrv laughter on to it yet to measure sea ice breaking down the language bar temperature and ice thickness. rier. They came with boxes of gifts, Thompson reported that it is 16 some drinkable, some not. At the inches thick so that Morgan and mast heads the three flags of Rus Ritchie, the most intrepid seal hun sia, America and Australia flew. The ters will soon be able to venture Russian flag was the product of the further afield in their search for versatile cook, who, undaunted at dog food. the assignment, set to work with a sheet, six bottles each of raspberry and orange essence and some yellow T H E P E N G U I N S plastic. He produced a flag com The 14 Emperor and 24 Adelie parable with the best. The follow penguins who were thc centre of a ing morning, after inspecting our recent quarantine controversy in station, came the exchange of sou Hobart (see "Antarctic," March, venirs, and with photographs being 1963, p. 173) were carried on the taken by everyone of everyone, they ship "Magga Dan" as far as Cocos, were taken back to their aircraft on where Qantas loaded them for a the plateau where the fog and quick flight to Denmark, where they whiteout reduced visibility at times were destined for the Aalborg Zoo. to only a few yards." They had V.I.P. treatment aboard ship. The crew, determined that the A COLD APRIL birds should lack nothing in the way of care, hand-fed them each Weatherwise April was an excep day with 60 lb. of minced barra- tionally cold and clear month with couta, gave them special vitamin eight days when the sun shone from pills and kept them cool with con a clear blue sky and 19 days when stant showers of iced water. When the temperature was below zero. the ship entered the tropics the The 3.5° average temperature for birds were placed in "Magga Dan's" the month was 5 degrees below the freezer. previous record. The lowest tem We are glad to announce that a perature reached was —24° Fahren report dated March 8 said that the heit. April brought the first bliz vessel had reached Colombo and zard, which was relatively mild for that thanks to the crew's care only this part of the world, the highest one of the "dangerous aliens" had wind velocity being a mere 86 died. June, 1963. A Kiwi Among The Aussies by R. B. Thomson.

[There arc few men so well qualified as WILKES STATION Bob Thomson lo give a New Zealanders im pressions of the Australian-Antarctic way of Wilkes Station is in many ways life. After a year at sub-Antarctic Campbell similar to Hallett. The scenery, Island, Bob served a year as chief scientist at the joint United States-New Zealand Hal however, is not as good; no moun lett Station, and was then the popular Public Relations Officer at Scott Base during the tains, only the uninviting plateau ensuing summer. He then joined A.N.A.R.E. to the south and east; the buildings .t Wilkes Station. (ex-U S.) are similar in type and number except that they are joined together by passageways and are now all nearly covered by ice and The original International Co snow. Australia has in the last two operation in Antarctica is now being closely followed by what years built many fine new buildings could be described as "International at various points surrounding the Stations," where experienced men old main station and now Wilkes often from many countries become could well claim to be one of the a part of an expedition formed by largest Antarctic bases. one particular country. A full scientific programme is maintained, similar lo that at all A typical example of this remark major Antarctic Bases, but in able and interesting co-operation is addition emphasis is given to an my experience as a Kiwi with the ever-expanding field programme. Aussies at Wilkes in 1962. This is due to thc realisation by Indoctrination first started in Australians of the value of field meeting the Aussie members of the work; the obvious necessity of trav party in October, 1961, and the first ersing hundreds of miles over un hurdle to overcome was the explored territory in conjunction language barrier — common and with a full scientific exploratory typical Australian expressions had programme. The recent successful to be completely understood and W i l k e s - Vo s t o k t r a v e r s e i s a n filed mentally for future reference. example and could be a prelude to even greater achievements in the As time progressed, following near future. indoctrination in Melbourne—mainly Australians, like New Zealanders, on the theme of "How to live and survive in Antarctica"—we became owing to their likine of outdoor South Bound on the "Thalia Dan" life, are natural field men, very practical, and easily adapt them and the next lesson to learn soon selves to prevailing conditions. became apparent; the easy-going good nature and "she's right, mate," attitude of the genuine Australian FEWER DOGS is a simple but practical outlook The necessity of fully mechanised which could well be copied by many traverses in order to pull the heavy future Antarcticans. drilling and scientific equipment, The voyage on the "Thala Dan" has in recent years slowly, and is not strictly a "Tourist Cruise." unfortunately in many ways, re En route to Wilkes, Automatic placed the faithful Husky and now Weather Stations at Lewis and dogs are mainly used for shorter Chick Islands had to be visited and trips by glaciologists in the coastal serviced. Helicopters and Beaver areas. Wilkes dog population num aircraft handling crews had always bers 19 and mechanical transport to be at the ready. Ice watches, includes the following:—1 Nodwell, depth sounding and meteorological 2 Snowtracs, 3 D4 Tractors, 4 observations required constant at Weasels, 1 Bombardier, complete tention, so all personnel were kept with numerous sledges, caravans, occupied. etc. June, 1963.

BobD l Thomsontl « FOREIGNERS N.Z) leader, WITHwith Danny AUSTRALIAN Foster (U.S.A.), TRAVERSE at Wilkes prior to leaving on Vostok Traverse. (Note kiwi depicting first canoe Takitimu.) ANARE Photograph.

Australian clothing is in most CHECK-UP ways similar to that issued to New In the medical field a great deal Zealanders. Design and materials of time is devoted to phvsiologv are constantly reviewed and annual and this close study of men in ah suggestions by ex-expeditioners Antarctic environment has proved taken into account. Some items to be very interesting. Each man is such as sleeping bags and leather given a complete medical check mitts are imported from N.Z. Most once a month. One day in each personal clothing is manufactured week every man fills out what is in Australia, except wool sox and known as a "comfort vote." This mitts which are obtained from is a very detailed report on his Norway. However, every endeavour temperature,- comfort, type of work is made to either purchase or manu being done, clothing worn, amount facture the best that design and of rest and sleep during the 24 modern materials will allow. hours. Reports of this nature are Food, the most important item also cempleted on all major trav at any Antarctic Base, has been erses and these together with the given a great deal of time and full medical reports give an insight thought by Australians and has re into what the rigours of the Ant sulted in high quality and ample arctic do to the human body. variety being achieved. This in Recreation and relaxation, both cludes supplies for basc and field mental and physical, are amply pro parties. Samples of new products vided for. A large recreation room are usually given a year's trial houses a very substantial library', before being added to the already movie theatre, billiard, shuffle board substantial menu. and table tennis tables, radiogram, June, 1963.

amateur radio and a host of hobby UNSCHEDULED STAY crafts, all of which find ample use, particularly during the long winter Tasmanian scientist John Green- night. hill seemed fated to have an un scheduled year at Wilkes. A physicist at the University of SNOWED UNDER Tasmania, he went south to take One of the greatest problems at high altitude cosmic ray balloon ob Wilkes is the accumulation of snow, servations from Wilkes, while the particularly in the main camp area. supply ship visited other Australian In the spring following many Antarctic bases. months of high winds carrying He was to have returned in the drift from the plateau, buildings are "Nella Dan." completely covered and many hard However, when the ship called at weeks of dozing and digging are Wilkes on its way back to Australia necessary to remove the worst of it was unable to reach the base be the snow to make room for un cause of pack ice, and Mr. Green- loading and sorting new supplies hill was left behind. received during changeover( usually Members of the 1962 scientific ex early January). pedition to Wilkes were taken off Unloading of supplies from ship when the ship landed the relief to shore is undertaken by Army party before Christmas. DUKWs which have proved invalu Mr. Greenhill anticipated having able for this purpose. plenty to occupy him during his en forced stay, processing comic ray Changeover completed, the old records for study at the University party embark on the ship, but their tour of duty is not yet complete. of Tasmania. Six to seven weeks of coastal ex- Mr. Greenhill was married last )loration follows and also possible on what was scheduled to be a ie-inspection of Automatic Weather thi Stations. tarctic. When our ship finally berths in Meanwhile, Mrs. Greenhill, who is Melbourne we can all look back a z o o l o g i s t a t t h e Ta s m a n i a n on a very varied 15 months tour Museum, took her husband's unfor of duty, sometimes dull and routine, tunate absence philosophically. but mostly interesting, stimulating and certainly a great experience for It all came right in the end. Late a Kiwi with A.N.A.R.E. in March, a Russian IIyushin-40 plane from Mirny ca'Ied in at Wilkes, and Mr. Greenhill was flown to the Russian station in time to HELP YOURSELF! travel back to Australia on the "Ob." When the Australian traverse party from Wilkes reached the Russian station, Vostok, 900 miles RUSSIAN WHALER away across an untravelled waste of Polar ice-cap, there was no-one RAMMED at home. But the Russians at Mirny A Soviet ship was rammed and sent them a radio message, "Help crippled in the Antarctic by a yourselves." whale, Tass reported on March 15. "We found a partly cooked meal," The enraged whale attacked after says Neville Collins. "Apparently a harpoon from a whaling ship was the Russians had to leave in a buried in its blubber. The mas hurry when the plane to evacuate sive head of the whale, a cachelot, them arrived. Tney were cooking smashed against the stern of the steak, potatoes and onions, and had ship, snapping off the steel blades ice cream laid out on thc tables. of its 2i-ton propeller. "We finished the cooking, heated A second harpoon burst killed the the ice cream in the stove,'and sat whale and a new propeller was down to a very good meal." fixed to the ship at sea. June, 1963. Soviet Antarctic Research In Many Fields Before the ships left for home and the four Russian stations settled down for the winter, manned by a total of 87 scientists and support personnel, some autumn field work remained to be done.

A considerable amount of work aircraft engines and men's voices. had to be completed at the re-acti The ether was filled with the call vated Molodczh Station on Alasheev signs of a Soviet scientific field Bay. During last winter violent base. With the assistance of the winds had broken the radio-masts, crew of an "AN-6," led by the ex which had to be repaired. Under the perienced polar aviator S. Erokhov supervision of engineer Zajtsev the a group of scientists was ferried out airfield was prepared to receive together with scientific equipment, both wheeled and ski-mounted air tents, provisions, aviation fuel, etc. craft. The "Ob" arrived bringing . . . Having the "AN-6" at their dis construction workers, "arbolite' posal they embarked on a detailed huts, scientific equipment, pro geological and geographical survey visions, etc. "Ob" went on to Laza of the vast mountain massif border rev- with the station relief per ing on the eastern shore of Amund sonnel. sen Bay. Meanwhile the "Estonia," which Soviet explorers are working along brought the main party and stores the shores of Alasheev Bay as well of the Eighth Soviet Antarctic Ex as in the region of Ml. Riser-Larsen. pedition, sailed for home carrying As has already been reported Molo with it the members of the Seventh dezh station has commenced opera Expedition. tions again. The data of its meteor ological observations will be used IN A FAR-OFF BAY by many south-polar scientific bases. East of Molodezh Base in En Nikolai Kudrayavtsev, a member derby Land the narrow fiords of of the Soviet Institute of the Arctic Amundsen Bay penetrate into the and Antarctic, flew from Moscow continent. Adjoining the bay is a to Chile to join the United States vast stretch of mountainous country. Antarctic research ship "Eltanin." In 1957 the Soviet sea expedition He carried out oceanogaphic re worked here on board the "Lena." search on board. The American Using a huge iceberg as an aero scientist Guy Franccschini con drome pilots of the aviation division ducted observations on board the landed scientists in the inaccessible Soviet ship "Ob." spots of this part of Enderby Land. Thus they discovered a previously GEOLOGICAL PARTY unknown fiord on the east coast of IN BLIZZARD Amundsen Bay. The pilots con ducted an aerial photographic sur Eight Soviet explorers, stranded vey and the bay was named Se- for five days by a hurricane, were merka (seven) in honour of refrig flown to an Australian base by a eration ship No. 7, of the 1st Soviet Russian plane on March 18. Antarctic Expedition. They were in a party of 16 ex On the north shore of Semerk? plorers at a geological field base, Bay, standing out by reason of its 140 miles from Molodezh station on huge size, rises Mt. Riser-Larsen. In Alasheev Bay, when the hurricane February this year the peace here struck. The men were working at was again shattered by the roar of. a geological field basc at thc foot June, 1963. of Mt. Risser-Larsen on Vernadasky anchored off the base. peninsula. A message dated April 25 said The wind, which reached 125 that Vostok had had 72° of frost. m.p.h., smashed one plane, tore the "Ob" had left the Enderby Land tents to shreds, carried away the coast with the summer party on field kitchen and scattered part of board. On the voyage to Mirny the camp equipment. The party much heavy hummocked ice was saved a second plane and some encountered and at one stage "Ob" equipment. was held up 100 miles from Pravda During a lull in the storm eight Coast. When the weather improved men flew out in the one remaining two flights from Mirny enabled the plane, but the hurricane blew up hydrologists to make a successful again and those remaining had to ice reconnaissance and the vessel seek refuge in thc mountains. broke out and proceeded to Mirny. A plane carrying a doctor which "Ob" forced a way through the set out to rescue them had to shel fast ice to within 20 k.m. of Mirny ter at the Australian base at Maw and fresh fruit and vegetables were son while the blizzard continued. down to the station. When "Ob" On March 18 it picked up the finally left she was given a noisy eight men and took them via Maw rocket and siren farewell. son to the Soviet base at Mirny.

STATION NEWS MORE EVIDENCE ON It was reported from Mirny on BELLINGSHAUSEN ? February 13 that the Czecho-Slovak scientists S. Fischer and B. Slavik It was reported in the American had joined Soviet scientists at Vos press on August 17 last that the tok to be the first foreigners to long-missing sailing charts of Ad winter there. They will be carry miral Fabian von Bellingshausen ing out an annual cycle of observa had, according to a Soviet Hydro- graphic Office report, been dis tions in cosmic radiation. covered in Russian naval archives. Members of the' Eighth Expedi The chart, according to the Soviet tion reached Mirny on January 5, report, covers the entire Antarctic and the unloading from the ' Ob" route of the expedition between 1819 was begun by all hands. In five and 1821, and bears numerous anno days the task was completed. tations on current direction and ON TO VOSTOK velocity, temperature, pressure, air humidity, bird life ancl magnetism. On January 22 a sledge tractor This data is given for each day train left for Vostok with 220 tons for 173 days. of stores. In charge was Transport Division Leader Anatolij Lcbcdev. The chart is being prepared for The train reached Komsomolskaya publication. It shows, it is claimed, on February 5. After three days that Bellingshausen's ships ap proached very close to the Antarctic for rest and overhaul, the train left coast six times in 1820. Bellings for Vostok. hausen's log-book has never been During a spell of good weather found. there were daily flights between Mirny and Vostok to deliver equip ment and stores. A 24-hour radio link was maintained with Moscow, and meteorological data was ex THE ANTARCTIC ON T.V. changed with other Antarctic Australian T.V. station ABN 2 stations. screened on June 5 "Twelve Flags OB RETURNS South," a one-hour documentary and It was reported on April 9 that the A.B.C.'s second contribution to the "Ob" had returned to Molodezh Intertel. An A.B.C. film unit spent from a scientific cruise in the six weeks in Antarctica filming the southern Indian Ocean and had documentary. June. 1963.

ANTARCTIC ATLAS The Soviet Atlas of Antarctica, the McMURDO MIRAGES publication of which was decided[ Paul Astapenko, who was Russian upon by the Praesidium of the. observer with the Americans at Mc Academy of Sciences in December, Murdo in 1958, and was well known 1960, will be a comprehensive work• to New Zealanders then at Scott in two volumes, the first carto Base, explains in the Soviet Antarc graphical, the second textual. tic Information Bulletin why strik The map volume will consist of ing mirages are often seen in the 232 pages, 60 x 38 cm., and will McMurdo Sound region. contain more than 450 maps and diagrams. A large section will be In the summertime, in clear devoted to historical maps. There weather, mirages can be observed will also be maps illustrating the in the early hours of the morning results of research in general above the surface of the ice in Mc geography and topography, iono Murdo Sound. The mountain tops sphere, aurora, cosmic rays, geo of the Royal Society Range are re magnetism, gravimetry. seismology, flected as in a mirror in the cooled geology and reliefs, glaciology, layer of air just above the Sound. Diology, oceanography and climate, Thus, a fantastic sight meets the as well as maps of individual eyes of anyone standing on Ross regions. Island, on the opposite side of the The basic maps for the whole of sound: several tens of kilometres Antarctica will be on a scale of away gleam white mountain masses, 1: 20,000,000, and for the Antarctic the bases of which are grossly ex Continent 1: 10,000,000. The most tended, and sometimes even dif significant and best studied regions fused. It is quite impossible to dis will be presented on various larger tinguish the real scenery from the scales. reflected parts, and this tends to The second volume will contain heighten the impression. sections in the same order as the On the landing strip of the Ameri maps, giving more detailed informa tion on the area or topic covered, can aerodrome in McMurdc roughly midway between he whole atlas will be in effect a land and the land mass, immun massive monograph on the Nature ological observations are conducted of Antarctica. It aims to give the in summer, and the resultant data sum total of man's present know can be compared with those ob ledge of the South Polar region. tained at McMurdo Station, which is situated on the island, 23m. above ANCIENT ROCKS sea-level. In the summer months ,—SS message from Leningrad (Dprprnhpr rmrl Tami'tmrN «u^-~ :„ speaks of "a Soviet geological usually a difference of 2-3° in the volume" which sums up the results air temperatures of the ground-level of studies on more than 4,000 layer, but on some days, particular samples of Antarctic rock tested at ly when mirages are observed, the Leningrad laboratories. The book ground-level temperature inversion is said to be the first of its kind. is greater: the difference in the More than 2,000 minerals, the re temperature of the air above the port continued, had been deter ice of the Sound and at the station mined in the rock samples. It was exceeds 10° C. found that the crystalline base of the Antarctic platform was being re The inversion over the ice of the newed recurringly, the last time 500 Sound is not only due to radiation million years ago. The age of the oldest rock samples determined by cooling, but also to the effect of a the Argon method, had been found current of cold air blowing from to be 2,000 million years, said Pro the continent. The conditions for fessor M. Ravich, who headed the the formation of such a current are group of scientists studying the extremely ' favourable in McMurdo mountains between 4°W and 156S°E •Sound, down into which several longitude. large glaciers descend. June, 1963.

"Preparatory work for the expedi GERMAN CLIMBERS TO tion is in full swing. However, as usual, financing still constitutes a TRY AGAIN problem. Some DM 300,000.00 will be required for the purchase of special equipment and the payment In June, 1958, we reported that of insurance premiums. This sum Dr. Karl Hcrrligkoffer, the well- will also have to cover the costs known German mountaineer, pro for taking the mountaineers and posed to lead an expedition to Neu- their equipment weighing 30 tons to Schabenland (the western part of Cape Town and from there by char Queen Maud Land) in the 1958-59 tered vessel to Neu-Schwabenland summer. over a distance of some 2,800 miles. In September, 1958, it was an Herrligkoffer hopes that his venture nounced that the expedition had will be financially supported by in been postponed, but that "Kista dustry, as have been his previous Dan" had already been chartered expeditions. Moreover, every mem ber of the expedition is required for the following summer, 1959-60. to contribute approximately DM In March, 1960, came news that 5,000.00 himself." the expedition had again been We are informed that the expe postponed this time indefinitely, dition is not receiving any aid from through lack of financial support. the "Deutsche Forschungsgemein- schaft," the Central German Board Now Dr. Herrligkoffer is making for financial support. a fresh start. A Munich press mes sage dated November 9, 1962, states: FIRST SWISS "Next year Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer plans to lead an expedition of moun EXPEDITION taineers into Antarctica to explore the Muehlig-Hofmann Mountains on Plans are going ahead for the Neu-Schwabenland, which rise to a First Swiss Antarctic Expedition. In height of 13,000 feet. early April it was announced that the Expedition would leave Switzer "The expedition will bc sponsored, land on October 15 to examine the like many preceding ventures, by the possibility of a permanent Swiss German Institute of Foreign Re base on the Antarctic Continent. We search in Munich. It will be com hope to publish details of the Swiss posed of 16 German mountaineers, plan in our next issue. who have planned to climb the The Expedition headquarters are mountains during the Antarctic sum in Lausanne. mer of 1963-1964. Two teams, each (For earlier references, see "An consisting of two mountaineers tied tarctic," December, 1962, p. 156; to one rope, will set out on climb March. 1963, p. 223.) ing expeditions at the same time, while the other members of the group will remain in the camp. Dr. BELGIAN—DUTCH Herrligkoffer will be the responsible head of the expedition, his deputy EXPEDITION ? being Albert Bitterling, landlord of the Watzmannhaus in the Alps. Dr. It was reported in "Le Soir" on Delp will be responsibe for the March 18 that preparations are in camp base, while Toni Messner of train for a Dutch-Belgian expedi Lenggriess. who accompanied Dr. tion to the Antarctic during the Herrligkoffer on nearly all his ex coming season. It is understood peditions in the past will supervise that the expedition will be under the establishment of the main camp. Belgian command but that approxi Toni Kinshofer, one of the moun mately 40 per cent of the total taineers who climbed the peak of effort will be the responsibility of Nanga Parbat, will procure the the Netherlands. Transport arrange equipment required. ments are still under discussion. June, 1963. DEEP FREEZE '63 HAS ENDED

By March 15 all United States ships and aircraft and all the personnel they carried were north of 60° South, and the frozen continent was once more left to its solitude and silence save for the handful of wintering-over men preparing for their months of total darkness.

From a peak number of more City, Eights Station has been con than 1250 Americans based at structed in a new way. Its build various stations at the height of ings were designed specially for air summer all but 311 had returned to transport, to fit into thc cargo space more civilised climes. At the four of an LC-130, and before being ship U.S. stations 293 American naval ped each of the 8 x 8 x 27 foot personnel and civilians remain. buildings was fully equipped for its There are 15 more at the joint U.S.- utimate task—wiring, furniture and N.Z. Hallett and three at the Aus all. The Station comprises 11 pre tralian-administered Wilkes. fabricated buildings and three The achievements of Deep Freeze caches, which were delivered by 1963, though perhaps not quite as some 45 flights of LC-130F aircraft. extensive as had been anticipated, The scientific programme for the have nevertheless been considerable new station entails purely research and include all major projects, with, in upper atmosphere physics, and an ill-important feature to partici its position will allow for it alone pants, no loss of personnel. The to observe visually the northern ex new Eights Station has been estab tension of the aurora. It is to play lished, major and minor construc an active part in the International tion jobs completed at the old ones, Year of the Quiet Sun—a period seven million tons of cargo and sup- of intensive study comparable to pies handled overall with the same that of I.G.Y. but occurring during number of gallons of fuel, diesel oil, the period of minimum solar JP-4 aviation and automotive gaso activity. line pumped from tankers into stor „ T H E S H I P S ' R O L E age and thousands of miles covered Continuing her search for the site by equipment operators pulling of a new permanent biological equipment to McMurdo Station and station on the Palmer Peninsula, Williams Field. Scientific expedi U.S.S. "Staten Island" visited Adel tions, traverses and research work aide Island, where a party was have all been completed and on landed at the British base to con February 15 the closing-up period sult with British expedition mem began with the Eights Station, fol bers. Following this, "Staten Island" lowed by Amundsen-Scott, Byrd, spent some six weeks surveying the Hallett, Little Rockford, Beardmore Palmer Peninsula before sailing for and finally McMurdo. Deep Freeze Valparaiso in early March. 1963 had ended. „ , E I G H T S Cruise No. 7 of the research ship Perhaps the most outstanding "Eltanin" took place from Febru achievement of the just-concluded ary 4 till March 19, making 26 major summer season for the United stations, two near the Antarctic States' programme was the success Circle in the Weddell Sea. The in ful construction and establishment sect dispersal programme continued of Eights Station (see "Antarctic," as far south as 54° 57'S., 62° March, 1963). 08'W. beyond which point no in Sited in what is cons'dered scien sects were caught. Sixty-two radio tifically to be an excellent position, sonde releases were made, and 25 just north of the southern auroral weather maps prepared, together zone and the southern conjugate of with 27 hydrographic stations and the northern station near Quebec 241 bathy-thermograph lowerings. June, 1963.

PICKET SHIPS T H E A I R A R M

The "loneliest ships in the Navy" Helicopters and Globemasters con in the "most miserable spot in the tinued to provide support and assist world" is the description given their ance in the Antarctic during the vessels by members of the crews 1962-63 season. of the picket ships which act as Globemasters operated for the weather guides and stand-bys for seventh year in succession. Nine search and rescue in the middle of aircraft carried out the squadron's the ocean, half-way between Christ principal task of airlifting approxi church and McMurdo Sound. mately 600 tons of passengers and cargo from New Zealand to Antarc tica and air-dropping some 1213 tons of equipment to posts in the 2 and for the southern continent. As well, two past two years the Royal New Zea SC-54D aircraft and crews were as land Navy has provided an emer signed to provide sea-air rescue gency vessel to allow the U.S. ship coverage and nine tons of fuel and to resupply. Despite the loneliness, supplies were delivered by the the misery and what must be un- squadron to the Australian traverse eventfulness of the picket ships' party en route from Wilkes to mission, their crews contain a large Vosiok. number of volunteers. Shortly after the squadron's re turn to the United States it was This year the picket ships did not announced that C-124s would no have an uneventful mission. In longer be used in the Antarctic and February a major storm of three the 9th Troop Carrier Squadron was days' duration kept the ship and "deactivated." crew quite busy, with winds main taining a speed of 60 m.p.h.. waves Three UH-1B turbine-powered heli of up to 45ft. high, one roll of 60deg. copters were in use to assist in —8 cleg, short of the point of no re the topographical surveys of pre turn, and considerable damage to viously un- or poorly-charted areas, both equipment and personnel. in project Topo East and West. The turbine-powered helicopters are able The ships involved during the to land at altitudes difficult or im 1962-63 summer have been U.S.S. possible for conventionally powered "Durant," U.S.S. "Forster" and craft to attain, but having a com H.M.N.Z.S. "Rotoiti." paratively short range, must be operated from base camps in the field. The base camp in this year's project became an excellent example of co-operation between Army and The U.S. Navy Commendation Navy personnel and scientists, Medal was awarded to Commander through its establishment, supply E. G. Grant, officer commanding and occasional move. U.S.S. "Glacier," in a ceremony at Christchurch, New Zealand, " on By January 21, 80,000 square March 17. Commander Grant as miles in two areas had been sumed command of "Glacier" in surveyed, Topo West in north eastern Victoria Land to the west August, 1961, and proceeded to take of Hallett Station and Topo East part in the earliest seasonal pene tration of the ice pack in Antarctica, from the foot of the Beardmore to sail through hitherto uncharted, Glacier, through the Queen Maud unvisited waters along the Marie and Horlick Mountains. Byrd Land coast, and to wind up By landing topographic engineers the season by helping the South on mountain peaks some 20-50 miles African ship "R.S.A." when she be apart, the helicopters greatly re came caught in the ice. For these duced the task of carrying equip achievements, he received the ment to the summits, even if this award. did mean, on one occasion hovering June, 1963.

with one skid on the rock, the other in the air, while unloading was Yet„ I N another T H E extinct M O U N volcano TA I N S is re effected. ported by the Ohio State University At the conclusion of Topo East, geological party (see "Antarctic," three helicopters flew from Mount March, 1963), 12 miles north, as Weaver to the South Pole Station, against the earlier one 5 miles south the first helicopters to reach that west, of the camp in the southern Queen Maud Mountains. position. These two volcanoes indicate, to Mr. George Doumani, the group I N T H E D RY VA L L E Y S leader, the possible presence of major rifts in the earth's surface The Dry, or Ice-Free, Valley sys through which molten material tem of Antarctica is now being in poured to form some of the vestigated by United States scien youngest rocks in the area. This, tists, in various ways. it is thought, may have occurred at Because they are ice free, these about the same time as the appear valleys are the most suitable areas ance of Mt. Erebus, some 10 million in the continent for geological, as years ago. distinct from glaciological, work, Another find by this party was and the curious patterned ground that of a rock cairn on thc top of comprising their floors is the special Mt. Weaver containing a note signed study of Dr. Robert F. Black, of the by Blackburn, the geologist with University of Wisconsin, who be Byrd's second Antarctic Expedition lieves that a study of patterned and dated December 10, 1934. ground (ground divided into more Mountains of pure white marble or less symmetrical forms by poly have been discovered in the gons) may be one of the best southern Heritage Range of the Ells measures of dating ice advances and worth Mountains by a 10-man party retreats and other geomorphic of scientists from the University of events during the past several thou Minnesota under the direction of sand years and that it may lead to Dr. J. Campbell Craddock. More increased knowledge of climatic significant, to Dr. Craddock, was conditions at the times of these another discovery made by his changes. party, that of fossil plants in both In the ice free valleys west of the northern Sentinel and central McMurdo another scientist, a biolo Heritage Ranges, which may enable gist, Dr. William L. Boyd, estab the establishment of the age of ished 25 soil sampling stations as layers of rock in the ranges. part of his bacteriological investi LONELY OUTPOST gations. In 11 of the samples no trace of any kind of life was found, Far out in the flat white monotony while samples from the other areas of Marie Byrd Land is little Delta showed varying degrees of bacteri Sub One. the United States' smallest ological life, but from only two research station in thc Antarctic. sources. One of these was from Here, three men will be on their blue-green algae found where glacial own from April 11 (when a trail melt water had leached away toxic party which left Byrd Station, 45 ions in salt concentrations, the other miles away, the day before returned being from beneath the bodies of to Byrd) until about the beginning the mummified seals whose age, or of November. Their task is to reason for being in the valleys, re operate an auroral heights measure mains unknown. Bacteria colonies ment camera. from this source probably originated Special emergency procedures from the seals, says Dr. Boyd. have been set up to reach the Mould, a plant one step above bac station with help should the oc teria in the life chain, was also casion arise. found under these bodies. An attempt to man this outpost And at Lake Vanda, the mystery last winter had to be abandoned of the "warm" water is still under (see "Antarctic," June, 1962, p. 67). investigation — see "Antarctic," At that time one of the team was a March, 1963. New Zealander. June, 1963.

Portion of Little America III in face of huge iceberg calved from the Ross Ice Shelf. Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

IV, the tent encampment of Opera HISTORY ON AN ICEBERG tion High Jump, 1948, which was a couple of miles nearer thc then ice- The alert eyes of a look-out on front than the 193941 station. Pos the ice-breaker U.S.S. "Edisto" on sibly parts of both stations were February 24 sighted something un visible as shredded tent material usual in the side of a tabular ice was seen as well as shelving. berg far out at sea. A helicopter from "Edisto" landed "Edisto" closed the berg, which on the iceberg, but the men were was in the vicinity of 77° 32"5'S, 174° unable to enter the camp, which lay 22.5'E, in the Ross Sea about 250 25 feet below the present surface. miles east of Cape Crozier. The dark object was about 25 feet down from the top of the great ice cliff, and WHICH ONE ? as the "Edisto" drew closer it could A tent apparently forming part of be seen that it was the interior of Little America IV was seen 10 feet a building or buildings. Cans and down the face of the Ross Ice Shelf equipment placed neatly on shelves when U.S.S. "Atka" visited the Bay were clearly seen. Projecting above of Whales area in 1955-56, so a por the flat top of the 500' by 1500 foot tion of the Little America IV camp berg were two bamboo poles and site must have broken off from the five telephone poles. "Barrier" before that time. This, coupled with the fact that two bam boo poles were the most prominent BYRD'S STATION features above Little America III in Evidently the berg when it broke January, 1957, when the writer visit off from the ice shelf, had cut in ed thc site and went down into the half an old expedition base, believed old quarters, suggests a strong prob to be either Little America III (built ability that the ice-berg break-away by the U.S. Antarctic Service Ex has now extended back as far as pedition in 1939) or Little America Little America III. June, 1963. Earlier Reliefs Extended Season At British Bases After the unusually early break-up of the sea-ice, the Graham Land area remained exceptionally ice-free throughout the whole of the 1962-63 summer.

This facilitated relief operations tinued sea-seismic measurements be and the ships were able to work off tween the Argentine Islands and De the west coast for more than three ception Island and also in the months. The "John Biscoe" spent Bransfield Strait. She re-visited most of this time in the northern Hope Bay and returned to the Falk part of Marguerite Bay, having ar lands in'mid-February. She sailed rived there on December 21—an all- again 10 days later, and returned time record for the Survey. In to the Argentine Islands before de marked contrast to this, it will be livering fuel to the "Biscoe' 'in Mar remembered that in the exception guerite Bay. The Adelaide Island ally bad ice years of 1958-59 and base was visited on March 9 and 1959-60, the southernmost bases•M-l**vHi^^K^<0«iH(MtO«WRhHri«»)iaohkiHiWlMwli3 were not relieved until March, and then ception Island, Hope Bay, Signy Is only with great difficulty. land (South Orkneys) and South Georgia were again visited, and she SHIPS MOVEMENTS eventually arrived back in the Falk lands on March 29. Her final voy As reported in the March issue, age of the season was a short trip all bases except Halley Bay were re to South Georgia and the South lieved before Christmas, and Halley Orkneys at the beginning of April, Bay was relieved as planned by and she then sailed for home, ar M.V. "Kista Dan" at the end of riving at Southampton on May 24 January. The ship arrived back at with 20 men from the bases. South Georgia on February 18 and reached the Falklands four days U.S.N. "Staten Island," "Lientur" later. She sailed for home with (Chilean) and "Piloto Pardo" 12 men from the bases and arrived (Chilean) also called at several of in Southampton on March 25. the British bases. The bases had been relieved early, and thc "Biscoe" was therefore able AIR OPERATIONS to spend almost the entire summer One of the Otters was based on carrying out an intensive pro Adelaide Island during the summer gramme of hydrographic survey off the coast of Adelaide Island. The and gave valuable assistance to sur vey parties besides carrying out survey unit was provided by the vertical air photography of the Navy and attached to H.M.S. "Pro island. tector," which visited the area twice and provided helicopter assistance. As reported in the March issue, The work was completed by the all attempts to establish a summer end of March and the "Biscoe" field party at about 66°S. on the headed north to the Argentine Is east coast of Graham Land were lands, but ran into very bad thwarted by persistent thick cloud weather which made further survey over the Larsen Ice Shelf, although work impossible. She then returned most of the necessary stores had to the Falkland Islands. She left been successfully flown in before the Falklands on May 2 and was due the men arrived. The party is now in Southampton on the 30th. There wintering at Stonington as planned are 17 men from the bases on and hope to sledge across the board. plateau to start work soon after The "Shackleton," meanwhile, con mid-winter. Additional depots have been laid on the plateau and as from Hope Bay have visited the far as Three Slice Nunataks in subsidiary base at View Point, Duse readiness for this journey. Bav. The second Otter aircraft was Apart from the hydrographic sur based in George VI Sound south of vey work off the coast of south Marguerite Bay. Landing and take Adelaide Island, tellurometer parties off had to be carried out some completed the triangulation of the distance from the Fossil Bluff, as island and succeeded in linking up the unusually warm spring and with earlier surveys in the Doubet summer had caused flooding of con coast area to the north-east. siderable areas of the ice surface. Glaciologists have also carried out The tellurometer programme had field work in the northern part of been completed before travelling Adelaide Island and are continuing conditions deteriorated, but the accumulation measurements at geologists' activities were confined Blumcke Knoll. A. three-man party to accessible localities. made the first ascent of Mt. Barre Fossil Bluff was evacuated for the (8,000 ft.) in the south of the island, winter at the beginning of March on February 9. as planned, and the men are spend The autumn journey to the Tottan ing the winter at Adelaide and Mountains from Halley Bay was Stonington. launched as planned but unfortu Both aircraft returned to Decep nately had to be abandoned because tion for the winter on March 18. of bad weather and difficult sur faces. The two Eliason motor toboggans lost traction power on FIELD WORK the hard ice encountered in this Good progress was made with all area although they had proved very parts of the summer programme. useful on Adelaide Island and on As already mentioned, sea-seismic the plateau east of Stonington. The sounding was continued within the eight-man party was also using two Scotia Arc by the "Shackleton" with Muskegs. the help of H.M.S. "Protector." Routine observations have been Later the "Shackleton" continued maintained at all bases, with the single-ship work off the South exception of ionospheric work at Shetland Islands. Halley Bay which was interrupted In Trinity Peninsula (N.E. Graham for a month while the equipment Land) geophysical field work was was overhauled. extended over to the west coast The seven bases at present open and also southwards in the Russell are manned by a total wintering West Glacier area. Several parties party of 86 men. British Survey Team Hops Mountain Range A live-man team of the British and test its mineral resources, be Antarctic Survey, led by Ken Blaik- tween January and the end of the lock, was successfully "airlifted" Antarctic summer in March. over a 6,000ft. mountain range in The Royal Research Ship, "John Graham Land to set up an advance Biscoe," anchored off the main base base on the ice shelf of the of the BAS on Adelaide Island, Churchill peninsula, which extends acted as operations and signals about 30 miles in a south-easterly centre for the hazardous expedition. direction from the east coast of Blaiklock was one of the advance Graham Land in 661° 30'S., 62° 45'W. party on the Commonwealth Trans- Blaiklock and his four colleagues Antarctic Expedition of 1956 and worked with dog teams and motor joined Sir Vivian Fuchs for the sub sledges to map unknown country sequent crossing of the continent. ANTARCTIC June, 1963.

Although only 34, he is reckoned to with the first biological sample be a veteran in South Polar ex- taken from the Antarctic ocean be. ploration. He first went 15 years by skindivers. ago with the Falklands survey team A 24-year-old British zoologisl and has wintered in the Antarctic Peter Redfcarn, brought back wit! half-a-dozen times. him four cases of selected spec

MOUNTAIN CLIMBED .Aa,mu, ui.uci icuuiaiuiy cunui Two Royal Marines and a civilian th^AntarcticMer2^ ^r™"8 *

(y.uuuit.)Sottasls^aas(Qfinnrt ^ on on Adelaide aho1i,vi,» Island Tc-i™,j in ;i on during c:mvMSfflSSfee a T<;i-inrisix-month in slay thl at Q^mh the basc n,-i-

most immediately and descended rapidly to 7,500 ft. ANTARCTIC HOSTEL With visibility down to 3ft. and . . their earlier tracks obliterated, they _.An Antarctic survey hostel, New used the flag as a door on a snow Discovery House, at Grytviken hole in which they huddled for 15 §?HP Georgia, has been completed hours. The flag froze solid. 37 da.vs ahead of schedule at a cosl A lull in the storm enabled them of £150,000. ,,.,,_ to descend from their shelter to T,ne. hostel, built by 20 British 6,000ft. where they had to stop for technicians working 80 hours a a further three hours in a second week, can accommodate expeditions snow hole before they could get of UP to 22 explorers and scientists back to the base camp 44 hours on their way to and from the South after setting out. p°lar region. The Marines were from the Tn9 hostel was designed, built Navy's ice patrol ship H.M.S. "Pro- and htted out by a Nottingham firm lector," which left Portsmouth last 'n co-operation with the architects October for her eighth successive ^or, l.he Crown Agents for the Antarctic spell. The civilian, John Colonies. It is a permanent, two- Green, is the secretary of the Bri- storey, prefabricated timber build- tish Antarctic Survey ]PS providing "bed-sitter" facilities tor 16, and dormitory space for READY FOR IQSY parties of six. It also has a three-ward hospital With the aid of a £23,000 grant block, a games room, a lounge and made to the physics department of bar, a dining room and laundry the Aberystwyth University College complete with washing machines, from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, four Aberystwyth research students will ANOTHER ANOTHER "SPECIAL" "SPECIAL" leave in December to spend two A A complete complete issue issue of of the the series series years at the Royal Society s base "Annals"Annals of of the the I.G.Y." I.G.Y." is is to to be be de- de at Halley Bay, where they will carry voted voted to to Antarctic Antarctic research research during out observations into the lono- thethe International International Geophysical Geophysical year. year. sphere. This is part of the inter- national programme of investiga tions to be carried out in 1964 and On thc the "Suggestions "Suggestions to thethc ReRe- 1965 when sun spots are at their creationcreation Committee" Committee" box box in in the McMc- minimum, the International Year of MurdoMurdo Mess Mess Hall Hall someone someone has has writwrit- the Quiet Sun. ten the singleten the single word—Women. word—Women. SEA-BED SAMPLES The British _ research ship ERRATUM "Shackleton," skippered by New The photograph on the cover of Zealand-born Captain D. Turnbull, our March issue should have been docked at Southampton on May 26 credited to H. D. O'Kane. June, 1963. SUMMER ACTIVITIES AT ARGENTINE BASES

[We are indebted to the Director mens of fungi in the soil in relation of Institute Antartico Argentino for to the fauna. Collection of speci the following outline of work car mens from the respiratory and ried out at the Argentine stations gastro-intestinal tracts of Antarctic during the 1962-63 summer.] birds. Topography: Survey of lake levels The summer programme organ in the vicinity of Deception Station. ised by Instituto Antartico Argen Cosmic Rays: Programme carried tino for the period November, 1962 out from the ice-breaker "General to February, 1963, was carried out San Martin." under the command of Capitan de Glaciology: an aerial reconnais Fregata F. W. Muller of the Insti sance was made in the Ellsworth tute's Technical Division, who was station area, using a Beaver aircraft responsible for the inspection of of Instituto Antartico Argentino and Ellsworth Station. The Institute another belonging to the Antarctic team comprised specialists in Naval Group. biology (4), topography, micology (the study of fungi), cosmic rays and photography. ELLSWORTH CLOSED During last year the scientific pro Micologist Egon Horak and Cos gramme at Ellsworth Station (77° mic Ray observer Carlos Martin of 43'S, 41° 07'W) was continued by the summer party with glaciologist Argentine and United States scien ir, travelled on the icc- tists in meteorology (surface and u/iv-an.t.i vj^neral San Martin" be upper air), including radiation and tween January 27 and March 2. the determination of the carbonic During the summer, preparations anhydride content in the atmos were completed for the following phere; also in ionosphere, cosmic activities: the Institute's own pro rays, aurora, biology, human physi gramme; the programme in cosmic ology, and glaciology. "iation organised in conjunction The following overland journeys were made: 28 March—"" inr;i ynh the Faculty of Exact and Natural ^'ences of the University of Buenos 1962, glaciological study ol :s: the studies on plankton to be chner Ice Shelf, rectification of the Ellsworth—Belgrano trail an ' carried out in conjunction with the lection of micro-biological rn' biology Investigation Centre; and the programme in microbiology 23 October, 1962—2 Jamm planned in conjunction with the completion of work be_ the previous journey: 28 Noveml Faculty of Pharmacy and Bio chemistry of the University of —4 December, 1962, transference Buenos Aires. scientific equipment and other material from Ellsworth to Bel The season's activities mav be grano. summarised as follows: The "General San Martin" arrived at the station on December 28, and Plant Biology: warm water algae: at a ceremony at 1000 hrs on De eception Island. cember 30 the station was declared Marine Biology: collection of closed by the Commander of the plankton, algae and invertebrate Naval Antarctic Group. specimens. Ellsworth Station, which is situ ated only about 40 miles from the Microbiology: Isolation of micro- Argentine Belgrano Station, was fungi and bacteria in air, soil and established by the United States in snow: collection of the first speci January, 1957, for the International ANTARCTIC June, 1963.

Geophysical Year, and was trans NAVAL HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE ferred to the operational control of Between March and May, 1962, the Argentina in the 1958-59 summer. The closure is attributed to "tech oceanographic vessel "Capitan nical difficulties." Canepa" (Capitan de Corbcta P. Cor doba) carried out an oceanographical programme in Drake Strait. On THE NAVY'S PART February 14 this year the vessel (now commanded by Capitan de The Antarctic Navy Group for the Corbeta J. M. Haedo) left Buenos 1962-63 summer season, under the Aires on Operation Trident III in command of Capitan de Navio Jorge South Atlantic and Antarctic waters. Iriart, comprised the transport This operation included observations "Bahia Aguirre," the ice-breaker in primary productivity and marine "General San Martin" and the biology across the continental plat tanker "Punta Medanos." form in Drake Strait and adjacent waters, as well as physico-chemical "Bahia Aguirre" left Buenos Aires measurements. on November 17 and visited Decep The oceanographic vessel "Com- tion Fcnr>ran7a ("Hr»rw» T3o*7\ nnDeception Island) 17 the materials needed for the instal men. Leader Teniente de Corbeta lation of an ionosonde and an all- C. H. Botto: Navy Hydrographic sky camera. Service. June. 1963. South African Field Party Treks Into Mountains

The 13 men chosen for SANAE IV, Charles Laulenbach, true lo his the fourth South African National medical profession, has been wor Antarctic Expedition, 1963-64, have ried about us bringing too many an average age of 25. The oldest is germs and eventually threatened to a diesel technician, A. M. v.d. Neu- keep out visitors. Fielies on the len, 32, and the youngest, meteor other hand welcomes all visitors as ologist G. J. Reynolds, 21, is de they always bring sweets. scribed as "the clown of the team." At present we have a real heat The team comprises four meteor w a v e . T h i s w e e k w e h a d o u r ologists, two geologists, a geophysi highest, temperature viz. +2.8°C. cist, a physicist, a civil engineer, a Outside work provides an oppor doctor, two radio men and a diesel tunity for tanning. We welcome technician. Of the 13, only three are this weather as it speeds up the out married. side work of which there is still AUTUMN TREK a lot to be done. To name only The latest report we have of one—in the fuel dump there are activities at the South African two thousand drums under the station SANAE speaks of a field snow; they must be dug out this ^y in this light-hearted manner. month. Like Simon van der Stel in the On January 3 Marten du Preez olden days, the "governor" of himself reported as follows in the SANAE, Marten du Preez, is at pre Weather Bureau Newsletter for sent journeying to the mountains. January. With him he took Dirk Neethling On 27th November Messrs. Neeth to collect beautiful stones, Brandjie ling, Olivier and myself in one trac Brand to bring good weather and tor and Messrs. Brand, Kavanagh the two mechanics Danie Olivier and and Fulton in another departed. 30 Henry Fulton to keep them going drums of fuel, food supplies, poles and, last but not least, surveyor and a small hut were loaded on Sean Kavanagh to keep them on five sledges. Due to the heavy load true course. In the meantime the and soft surface progress was very rest of us 'burghers' are holding slow. the fort and are looked forward to the arrival of the 'company's' ship. A new route was marked out and a stake planted every 3 km. from Unfortunately we have no 'fresh vegetables' as 'the crop' has been Norway Station to Dassiekop and a failure this year. However, the from Dassiekop via Leeukop and 'farming' is not a complete dead Witberg, to Muskeg Depot and from loss as six beautiful huskies were there every 6 km. up to Jekselen. born last month. Thc men seem Gravity, geomagnetic and meteor ological observations were made. to be fonder of the little things After the distance between Leeukop than Fielies the mother. Dr. and Dassie Depot was determined by means of tellurometers, one trac Esperanza (Hope Bay) 16 men. tor turned back at Leeukop. It Leader Capitan D. J. A. Garcia was decided to leave the hut at the (Army Base). foot of Leeukop and to take fuel Teniente Matienzo (South Shet farther. The nut should not get land): 20 men. Leader Mayor D. drifted up. R. H. Toledo. Army Base. Progress remained slow and on General Belgrano (Filchner Ice three occasions the sledges had to Shelf) 20 men. Leader Tte-Iro D. be hauled one by one up the steep Jose Tramontana. Army Base. slopes. On the 12th December Jek- June, 1963.

action. McKenzie as correspondent Mtookshelf with the New Zealand section of OPPOSITE POLES: Douglas Mc- the Trans-Antarctic Expedition had Kenzie. Whitcombe and Tombs. a good opportunity to study both 189 pages. 111. Price 18/-. men—he drove one of the New Zea The "opposite poles" of this book land tractors the 230 miles from are Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Ed- Depot 480 to Depot 700—so his con irt of thc book clusions are to be placed alongside is devoted to an assessment of the of those, already published, of Noel character and achievements of these Barber and George Lowe, who, of two strangely-contrasted men of course, knew both men much bet ter than the two newspaper men. It seems a pity to air again the selen was reached and from there unfortunate and happily almost for the geological field work started. It gotten difference of opinion between became clear that the area which the two leaders which was so had been planned could not be ghoulishly blown up by the news covered fully, therefore it was de paper press in the concluding stages cided to cover only part of it of the expedition. But McKenzie dis thoroughly. At five nunataks rock cusses it dispassionately enough, specimens were collected as well as and, significantly, the dust-cover a number of lichen samples. features a smiling Fuchs and a smil Depot 72 was laid close to Jekse- ing Hillary clasping hands at the len. It consists of four drums of South Pole. Let us leave it at that. petrol, 25 gallons paraffin, two boxes Otherwise, "Opposite Poles" is an mican, ro interesting and lively account of lans anti New Zealand's part in the great exploit of the Crossing by one who was erec blue ice where it was a close observer and himself will not ). In the for a while played a part in it. There are faults in the telling. Mc Muskeg Depo...... Kenzie labours some points weari were left behind. Dassie Depot was then dug out and verbalsomely. touching-up And his quite of the unnecessary story at transferred to Leeukop and put on times is irritating. It is perhaps in rock. At Leeukop Depot six drums teresting to know that Hillary wore of petrol were left behind as well "a slowly disintegrating grey pull as additional food tins and wooden over," but who wants to know that poles. The Hannes la Grange Depot "it dripped its ragged circles of was also dug out and put on the parted wool as comprehensively as surface. vermicelli departing from a split At each depot a first-aid tin was paper bag?" placed. Two drums of petrol were left on the route to the mountains. But once through these verbal en This means that a total of 15 petrol tanglements we find a mass of in drums is in the field and will be formation on Antarctic tractor-train travelling, flying and base-life by a of considerable aid to SANAE IV. man who came to the experience as In spite of the heavy load no a novice and so is able to explain mechanical troubles were experi things to his readers as a veteran enced on this journey of 450 miles. Polar traveller woud be unlikely to Everything went well. While we do. And he disarmingly acknow were away (the men) at Base also ledges his own lack of knowledge worked very hard. They dug out and skill—and his dislike of bridged 1,610 diesolene and 24 paraffin crevasses. All in all, a book to be drums and put them on the sur read with occasional annoyance but face. The second ice corridor to over-all enjoyment. the sleeping hut was built and all —L.B.Q. the empty boxes in the corridor were removed. The R/T aerial and cables were lifted and the work At Byrd Station a notice reads: bench and stores properly arranged. "No swimming in the snow melter." June, 1963. From the Sub-Antarctic Islands M A C O U A R I E I S L A N D pect in the Antarctic regions. The temperature was down to 25.9° and (AUSTRALIA) t h e w h o l e i s t h m u s w a s s n o w February activities at the station covered for the second time in three culminated in the arrival of the weeks. "Thala Dan" on March 6. The bad On one of McGrath's numerous weather which delayed the ship trips to check the sheep on Wireless lulled only for the duration of its Hill, he spotted a goat. Goats were stay. The opportunity of using heli supposedly non-existent. copter transport was seized eagerly A tribute by the Leader Bruce by the biologists, who saw to the Ell wood, to the cook: removal of all the gear, including the catamaran from Prion Lake. "Spurred on by a vigorous propa Two men went to Hurd Point for ganda campaign against overweight seal counts and a large supply of being conducted by the doctor, many members of the party find it od was delivered to Bauer Bay. difficult to reject any of John Tar- Generally the weather did not cur tail the biological work at all. buck's dishes which continue to flow from the kitchen. Both of these The ship arrived on one of the men are assisting with the biology calmest days since "Thala Dan's" programme, too. John does a spot visit. She brought two new mem- of bird-watching from over the sink )r. Lyndon" Murray and biolo- which commands a good view of .... ^.hris Thomas, to join the win the color-banded skuas around his tering party. door, while Dave Cooke "ives a pro A plough was unloaded. It will fessional touch to John Ling's many ease the back-ache when the team successful attempts to immobilize are digging trenches for the fuel oil bull seals." line and the power cables which have to be clown before winter sets ON LAKE PRION in. One of the major activities by the The varying weather in March new expedition will be a hydro- kept Met. men Trevor Griffiths logical examination of the lakes on (N.Z.), Korlaet and Rhemrev on the island, for which there will be their toes. On several occasions a collection and classification of snow, hail, rain and sunshine all specimens of microscopic marine occurred on the same day. life on Lake Prion, a large fresh After a rather hectic few weeks water lake in the centre of the Is of crating and packing various land. The lake takes its name from specimens and other items "Nella the thousands of Prion birds that Dan" left for Australia. live and nest around the lake's shores. VISITORS The Catamaran-type craft will During April H.M.N.Z.S. "En have to be carried from place to deavour ' made two calls and, on place by members of the expedition each occasion, as with the visits of so it has been designed in several "Thala Dan" and "Nella Dan," the sections. The total length is 13 ft., Met. boys were able to boast of the and the width 5 ft. beautiful weather turned on for the Each pontoon, which is made visitors. The visit was appreciated from marine ply, is filled with plas by all members of the party, but tic foam for safety and buoyancy. especially by Trevor Griffiths, who The complete boat weighs about hails from New Zealand. On the 200 lbs., and mav be assembled in second visit, Doctor Lyndon Murray a few minutes. It is powered by a was required to treat two crew Johnson 5i h.p. outboard motor and members for minor illnesses. will be used continuously for three Late in the month the weather days about once every fortnight, col was more like what one would ex lecting marine life on the Lake. June, 1963.

CAMPBELL ISLAND H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" paid the (NEW ZEALAND) Islanders a welcome call early in May, bringing mail from New Zealand, on her way to take up relief picket duty. with Maitre d'hotel John D.' Hall Bad news: Flash (officially Augus tus Campbell) the Station dog, nas providing a wonderful meal de scribed in the Christmas dinner died. menu by many unpronounceable Maori names. Although he won't KERGUELEN admit it, it was probably John's own cooking on which he broke a (FRANCE) tooth filling during early January. He returned to Dunedin to undergo The annual relief was carried out by M.S. "Gallieni" on two visits dental treatment before returning to fom Reunion Island between Decem the Island on 30 January by kind ber 10, 1962 and February 13, 1963. courtesy of a round trip of "U.S.S. The 68 men who had wintered Durant." at Port aux Francais were relieved "Durant" struck bad weather dur by 60 new men, including five ing one call at the Island, and got meteorologists and 13 other scien under way in rising winds leaving tists. 960 tons of cargo were un her sailor/postman to enjoy Camp loaded between December 23 and bell hospitality until his ship's re 25. turn a fortnight later. Island his The summer programme included: tory was made on January 19 when A study of the Kerguelen glaciers, two picket ships were in Persever begun last year. ance Harbour at the same time. A geological survey of the archi "Forster" sailed in the afternoon but pelago. "Durant" remained overnight when A gravimetric survey designed to the officers and crew kindly enter tie in the archipelago to the world tained the expedition members with gravimetrical network. a film show. Twenty men were assigned to this Mr Keith Wise, an entomologist programme, including six Air Force from the Bernice P. Bishop museum men equipped with two Alouette II helicopters. in Honolulu spent some l\ve weeks In spite of persistent bad weather hunting Campbell Island "bugs," and his field trips proved success in the mountainous country of la ful not only as regards bugs col Grande He, the observational pro gramme was carried through. lected, but in the numbers of birds Prof. Bellair of the Paris Faculty banded by those who accompanied of Sciences, with two assistants, par Keith on his field trips. 241 Grey ticipated in the summer programme. headed Mollyhawks were banded on The group's studies had reference one trip; 108 Royal and 14 Wander to the existence of a raised marine ing Albatrosses on another. A Sooty level of three-four metres through Albatross banded by J. Sorensen out all the French sub-Antarctic is many years ago was found, as well lands, vulcanology and the Quatern as two bull sea-elephants from Mac ary problem. quarie Island banded in August, The vulcanism of the Kerguelen 1962. Islands will be the purpose of an Two heavily beared "Meties," dis important pubication by M. Jacques guised as Dean Poison and Kelly Nougier. The morainic deposits in Rennell departed their Island home the vicinity of Port-aux-Francais on March 5 after having spent just have been studied by M. Jean Luc on 18 months in "paradise.' Al the Dronne and numerous specimens time of writing they have not been have been collected for ultimate de sighted much in civilisation, prob tailed study in the laboratory. ably being engaged in that time- In addition an examination was honoured occupation of all repatri made of a very well preserved layer a t e d ; c a t c h i n g u p o n c o n of fossil plants in the ravine at Port versation. Jeanne d'Arc. June, 1963. LES ILES CROZET (FRANCE) ONE TIME FAMOUS ANTARCTIC DISCOVERY IS ONCE MORE IN THE NEWS. Late in the year 1771, the French the end of the century wild-life on Government sent out Marion- the islands was practically extermin Dufresnc in command of two ves ated. Many ships were wrecked on sels, "Mascarin" and "Marquis de the inhospitable coasts, often with Castries," with instructions to visit loss of life. Of the crew of the "Terra Australis Incognita," the still French three-master "Tamaris," unknown Great South Land. Leav wrecked on l'lle des Pingouins in ing Capetown on December 28, far 1887, not one man survived. to the south on the morning of Ross visited the j January 22, 1772, and the following was unable to land, in later yi day Marion sighted two previously landings were made, generally with unknown groups of islands. To the great difficulty, by parties from thc first group he gave the name "Terre famous Antarctic exploring ships d'Esperance" (Land of Hope) be "Gauss" (1901) and "Discovery" cause the discovery seemed to pre under Mawson (1929), as well as sage the finding of the long-sought from some less well-known vessels, South Land itself. The other island and from sealers who left no record group, 700 miles further east, he of their activities. called Les lies Froides (the Cold Islands). On the 24th his "second WHERE FEW MEN CAME captain" Julien Crozet succeeded in landing with a party on the largest Apart from such fleeting visits the island of the group, which they Crozets were left for 50 years and called L'lle de la Possession, for more to the snow and the fog. here Crozet raised the Royal Stand Meteorological stations were estab ard and look possession of the new lished on many other sub-Antarctic land in the name of the King of islands, Kerguelen (France), Marion France. (South Africa), Macquarie (Austra Thc two ships now sailed on to lia), Campbell (New Zealand), but the east, and in Jul}' made a fateful not on the desolate Crozets. call at the Bay of Islands, New Zea In November, 1957, Colonel Genty, land. The Maoris, after some friend using a helicopter from the French ly interchanges, fell upon a group vessel "Gallieni" took a series of of Frenchmen who were camped on aeria photographs of Possession Is shore, and Marion and 16 of his land and l'lle des Cochons but bad men were killed. Next day another weather nullified the intention of 11 men were murdered. making a reliable map of the islands. CHEQUERED HISTORY On December 27, 1959, the British Other, later navigators sighted one adventurer H. W. Tilman and a or both of the archipelagos. A few party of five landed at Baie du made a landing. In 1776 Cook gave Navire, Possession Island, from his Marion's own name to one of the 29-ton cutter "Mischief," and spent two main islands in the western 15 days on the island. Members of group, now a South African pos the team penetrated to the interior session. He named the other group of the island, where they carried the Crozet Islands after Marion's out meteorological observations and second in command, who had as research in biology, climbed the sumed the leadership of the expedi three main peaks (the highest 3,150 tion after Marion's death. feet) and banded 200 Albatrosses During the 1800's whaling and and Giant Petrels. "Mischief" sailed sealing gangs, chiefly American, fre for Kerguelen on January 10, skirt quently made the various islands ing the southern coast of l'lle de their centres of operation, until by l'Est. June. 1963.

RECONNAISSANCE There were four days in which to unload 42 tons of cargo. Two days When France decided to set up of impossible weather followed, but i permanent station on the Crozets, on the 24th, Christmas Eve, unload so little was known about the is ing was completed and the ship lands that a preliminary reconnais sailed for Kerguelen leaving 13 wet sance would obviously be necessary. and weary men to set up camp in So it was decided to land a small what was in effect a rain-sodden .▶arty on Possession Island from the relief ship "Gallieni" on her way to gorge. The party comprised two meteorologists, two geographers, Kerguelen in the 1961-62 summer, two naturalists, a doctor and the and to pick the parly up again a essential support personnel. They few weeks later, on the ship's re were housed in light, pre-fabricated turn voyage. metal huts. By the New Year, There was the usual fog, but building operations were complete thanks to radar there was no delay, and all the scientific installations and on December 21, 1961, "Gallieni" ready for use. anchored on the east coast off what Although wild life is now abund appeared from the inicige on the ant again on the accessible parts of screen to be la Baie du Navire. M. the coast, inland there is an almost Alfred Faure, leader of the Expedi complete absence of animal life. tion, writes in "T.A.A.F." of his first Seen from the sea, the island gives impressions: "Everything was grey, the impression of being covered in with mist or fog and heavv vegetation because of the mosses, humidity, and cold. About 8 lichens and algae covering the o'clock the visibility improved and beaches and lower slopes, but a break in the fog showed us la actually above 150 metres, there is Baie du Navire, like a narrow gash no vegetation at all. There is a in the lofty coastal cliffs: the back rank marine plant life. country and even the cliff tops on the coast remained swathed in fog. SITE CHOSEN We could pick out the narrow val A site for the permanent station ley which lost itself in the interior, to be erected in 1962-63 was select and on the beach and lower slopes ed on the plateau to the south of the we could see an immense white bay. patch formed by tens of thousands! "Gallieni" returned from Ker o f p e n g u i n s . " ' guelen on February 3, in fair weather, and re-embarkation, begun at once, was completed just before LANDING MADE another violent storm broke. When the fog cleared a little, a) "On our departure," writes M. reconnaissance party made for the' Faure, "the island was hidden under shore. Everywhere was "excessive a mantle of fog. Rapidly our camp humidity and spongy soil," and on1 disappeared from view. We had the beaches "a veritable zoo" of left the keys on the doors, with a thc usual sub-Antarctic fauna: sea notice in French and English for any elephants by the hundred, royal pen future sailors, whalers, ship-wrecked guins, petrels, skuas, sheath-bills. mariners—or tourists. We cordially The only possible landing place was invited them to make use of our a sandy beach some 40 miles long foodstuffs and of our cellar, but re in a river mouth, a depressing spot quested them to be careful not to not made any more attractive by damage our installations." the smell and the noise. But there A projected landing on ITles des was no shortage of running water! Cochons proved impossible in the One look, by helicopter, at the prevailing heavy weather. country behind la Baie Americaine, "one vast bog bordered by cliffs 250 COLD. BLEAK ISLANDS metres high," ruled this" out as a Le lies Crozet lie in approximate possible camp-site, and it was de ly 46TS., 52°E., in the Indian Ocean cided to set up the base-camp on south-east of Capetown. A French the beach at la Baie du Navire. possession, the two groups of is- June, 1963. lands, with a total area of about the station. Fifteen tons of material 200 square miles, are some 800 miles were now raised lo the plateau site. west of the Kerguelen Islands, also The team completed their task in French. the time allotted, and the auto The climate is cold and bleak. matic station was working before The sky is very often heavily over the team re-embarked on February cast for long periods. Persistent 2. Powered by a windmill, the station will transmit, every three heavy seas, fog and icebergs make hours, to Kerguelen information on navigation difficult and dangerous, particularly on the western sides of wind, pressure and temperature. the various islands. VANDALISM There are four main islands. In The French team was shocked to the more western group is l'lle des Cochons (Pig Island), nearly circu discover on their landing that some lar and seven miles in diameter. The unknown vandals had deliberately damaged a flag-staff and left a dor highest point is about 2,000 feet in altitude. The much smaller lies des mitory open to be fouled by ele phant seals. Acts of gross cruelty Pingouins are 17 miles S.S.E. of l'lle des Cochons. Here the main had also been perpetrated upon pen guins and seals. Such abominable island is quite inaccessible as the conduct is fortunately very rare in sea-fronting cliffs are like the verti cal walls of a fortress. these latitudes. L'lle de la Possession is the H E A R D I S L A N D largest island in the eastern group, and is about 12 miles long and six (AUSTRALIA) miles wide. It rises to a height of When "Nella Dan" called at Spit 5,000 ft. at two points. This island Bay, Heard Island, on March 9, to lies some 53 miles E.S.E. of l'lle des take off the party of six men who Cochons. The melting of the snow had been left there in late January in summer makes the lowland areas (see "Antarctic," March) and had perpetually moist and in many parts been living in a nine-fool square there are extensive bogs covered refuge-hut, heavy swell was causing with a green growth. There are a high surf on the steep boulder two rather precarious harbours, beach, and a pontoon was the only Baie Amcricaine on the north way to land. eastern side and Baie du Navire The "Nella Dan's" motor-boat (Ship Cove) on the eastern side. The towed a rubber pontoon and eight much smaller He de 1'Est (East Is men towards the shore. Thc men land) lies about nine miles east of anchored a buoy just outside the l'lle de la Possession. It is the danger line of the surf and fired a most lofty island of the whole rocket to carry a line ashore, then group (6,560 ft.) but affords no pulled the pontoon in along the line shelter for shipping. through the breakers. After the climbing party's scien tific specimens, camping equipment, MET. STATION INSTALLED and other gear had been loaded on to the pontoon, the party scrambled The main purpose of the 1962-63 aboard. Then came a desperate expedition was to install an auto effort to keep thc pontoon bow-on matic meteorological station pend to the waves. They were almost ing the erection of a permanent through the surf when a giant wave manned station. smashed down on them. The pon It was to erect the automatic toon almost capsized, and Mr Law, station that 13 men landed on l'lle Director of the Antarctic Division, de la Possession on December 17. was hurled into the sea, but he Leaving the temporary camp base swam back to the pontoon and was established in the previous summer pulled on board. The valuable scien on the beach at la Baie du Navire tific collections remained safe, and the team began by installing a the pontoon passed beyond the surf flying-fox leading up to the 100ft. and was lowed a mile to thc "Nella high plateau selected as the site for Dan." ■ ^ ■ ffwwwrr

June, 1963.

After picking up Dr. Alan Gil there was ice; ice cliffs which once christ at Atlas Cove station at the fell sheer to the sea have been re other end of the island, "Nella Dan" placed by shingle beaches, and in sailed for Melbourne by way of Ker one case a glacier front has re guelen. ceded a quarter of a mile. Dr. Budd and his companions were very pleased with their re WILD LIFE RETURNS sults and reported valuable and in Fur seals and king penguins were teresting findings in several fields beginning to establish breeding of their investigations. colonies. No fur seals or king pen ICE RECEDING guins were found breeding on Heard Dr. Budd said that it had been Island between 1950 and 1955. Now, found that the glaciers on the island small colonies are beginning to were receding rapidly. Survey work establish themselves around its with controlled photography, both shores. from ship and from vantage points The climates of the two ends of around the island, produced data the island were quite different from which showed that much change one another, and a number of fea has occurred. tures of the present map of the Great masses of rock are visible island were incorrect and would on the mountains where previously have to be redrawn.

A Scott Base Leader Remembers Mr. Athol Roberts, Leader at New trol tower seemed to be on the other Zealand's Scott Base throughout side of the main runway. 1962, says he "intended to have the "Doesn't look as though we should best year ever if it was humanly be going across here," I said. possible." Some of his experiences, "It'll be right, I'll just shoot across related at our request for "Antarc and then we're at the tower," said tic" readers, suggest that he certain Shanahan. ly lived at high pressure! He roared on to the main runway. For instance . . . Neither of us had been watching Thc day the photographer was due the "Connie" very closely, as it had to depart Mr. R. Shanahan volun still been taxi-ing out when we last teered to drive him out in the looked and for a lime it had been Weasel. I decided lo go with him. hidden by banks of snow. Anyway We were running a bit late and it usually took 5 to 10 minutes rev when about a mile from the airstrip, ving motors and testing everything the Super Constellation he was before taking off. scheduled on, began to taxi on to the We were "almost a quarter way runway. across before I had a clear view up "It looks as though we've missed the runway. il,"I said. I had not believed the saying "my "Yes," said Shanahan. "But we heart popped into my mouth," but mav be able to stop it." I do now. We roared on to the plane park I bit mine as it pooped in and it ing area and the "Connie" was still almost stopped. There, coming taxi-ing near the end of the runway. straight at us and almost on top of "I'll shoot across to the control us. was the "Connie", with full take tower and see if we can get him off speed roaring down the runway. stooped," said Shanahan. "Stop," I screamed at Shanahan. "Do vou know where it is?" T said. He turned to me lo see what the "I think so," said Shanahan and matter was. away he went along what appeared "The Connie. Quick, get out of to bc a vehicle route alongside the here,' I yelled. tax'-ing area from the main runway. He saw the plane and wondered Things had changed since I had what lo do for a split second. been clown previously and the con He tried to get into reverse and Fossiliferous Quaternary Marine Deposits in the McMurdo Sound An Antarctic Saline Lake: J. C. F. Region, A. I. G. Speden. With Tedrow, F. C. Ugolini and H. an appendix on Polyzoa. D. A. Janetschek, in N.Z. Jnl. Science Brown. 6:1, March, 1963, 150-156. Winter Measurements of Sea Cur An Assessment of the Size of the rents in McMurdo Sound: A. E. Cape Adare Adelie Penguin Rook Gilmour, W. J. P. Macdonald and ery and Skuary—with Notes on F. G. van der Hoeven. Petrels. Brian Reid: in Notornis Isotope Dating of Antarctic Rocks: 98, 1963, p. 101. A summary—1. P. N. Webb. Speed of Adelie Penguins over Ice Electrical Resistivity and Ground and Snow: R. H. Tavlor, ibid. 111- Temperature at Scott Base, A. 113. E. I. Robertson and W. J. P. Mac donald. Gravity Observations in the Koet NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF tlitz Glacier Area, A. C. Bull. GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS. Differentiation in Ferrar Dolerites, Vol. 5, No. 5, December 1962. A. B. M. Gunn. A special mechanism for some An SPECIAL ANTARCTIC ISSUE tarctic Earthquakes T. Hather (7/6 Publications oflicer D.S.I.R. Box ton and F. F. Evison. 8018, Wellington). Radiation Measurements at Scott Base. D. C. Thompson and W. J. This special issue contains the foi P. Macdonald. ling articles: New Zealanders in the Antarctic: L. B. Quartermain and G. W. Markham. The Cook The Axel Heiberg Glacier: W. W. Herbert. Section through the Beacon Sand Complains stone at Beacon Height West, An tarctica. H. J. Harrington and I. Paul Teyssier, the 44-year-old G. Speden. French chef who wintered with the Problcmatica of the Beacon Sand Australians at Davis, is annoyed. stone at Beacon Height West: He has made four trips with A. O. S. Vialov. Australian expeditions to the Ant Petrography of Beacon Sandstone arctic. Each trip lasts 12-15 months. Samples from Beacon Height So Teyssier has lived more than West: A. S. E. Shaw. five years in thc blizzards of the Volcanic Detritus in Tavlor Valley, Antarctic — and without a day's A. J. D. McCraw. illness. He returns to his home village I thought he was going to stall the near Avignon in France for 12 motor for a moment and then we months leave between each tour of roared backwards. duty in the Antarctic. The plane rushed past and soared into the air about a hundred yards But when, on April 13, the liner further on. Iberia berthed at Fremantle in The three of us sat for a moment brilliant sunshine, carrying the cook and broke into a sweat at the close to France for another visit to his shave and the thought of what might home, he was laid up in a bed with have happened to ourselves and the a cold. plane. "I travel 15,000 miles from home A lesson none of us will ever for to work," he said, "and now this get. The photographer was put on happens to me. a Globemaster which left about two "I am laid up with a cold when hours later. I am going on holidays!" [We hope to publish more of Mr. Roberts' reminiscences next quarter. He will do two more trips south —Ed.l before retiring to live in Australia. ■ !T*W0-

June, 1963. ANTARCTIC NOAH'S ARK A New Zealand Scot Goes American by C. B. Taylor.

[New Zealander Claude Taylor was Station their leave with widely differing Scientific Leader at the joint United States- New Zealand Hallett Station throughout last emotions. Four American civilian year. In this article he describes one New scientists, three New Zealanders, Zealander's reaction to the American way of and a dozen American Naval life with candour and goodwill. We would welcome an American's reactions to the Support personnel are left, stubbled presence of three Kiwis in their nest. The face to stubbled face, to put up views expressed are of course Mr. Taylor's with the summer invasions and to own, and do not necessarily represent the views of New Zealanders as a whole.—Ed.] form as cohesive a winter party as possible. In our case, at the begin ning of the 1961-62 summer the "And they all went into the Ark, situation was somewhat complicated for to get out of the rain." by the fact that thc leader of the The experience of spending a year New Zealand team was an obstinate in the Antarctic could be likened Scotsman with only five months' to that of Noah, his family and experience of New Zealand and New animals, together in their tiny craft, Zealanders. adrift from the outside world, their influence on the world cut off, In such a predicament ticklish waiting for the aerial dove to bring and humorous situations abound them the sign that the time to and it says much for the eventual return is at nand. overall spirit that, in the minds of the majority, the humorous situa It is a peculiarity of Antarctic tions are more easily recalled. life that, whereas the feeling of community spirit between the sta Our first contact with the tions, separated amongst the vast- American servicemen occurred on nesses of the Continent but linked the flight from Christchurch to by radio, is one of brotherhood and McMurdo. Upwards of eighty men, common purpose, yet this state of cramped together with their bag affairs is notoriously hard to come gage, sat expectantly as the four by amongst the personnel compris engines of the Constellation spat ing a single station. At most llame into thc darkness. As the stations, which are manned by men plane left the lights of New from a single country with a com Zealand to the north the tempera mon basis of ideals and background, ture inside the cabin rose, and the the shaking-down process and the five members of the New Zealand welding of the team into a happy party started removing surplus and effective combination is, in clothing. Conversely the Americans theory at least, easy provided com began gradually to multiply their petition for places is high and the cold-weather garb. Up rose the men have been subjected to the temperature into the 80s. The more same selection criteria. we stripped the more our American A few stations differ, in that friends clothed themselves, giving more than one group from different our sparsely clad party looks of countries is thrown together for a anxiety. Eventually one of them approached us to enquire with vear, each group serving a different solemn concern whether we had parent body, with its own national been supplied with cold-weather background and with its own job clothing. At Hallett the New Zea to perform. land team lived snugly together in At Hallett each year this situa the scientific hut with the tempera tion has to be faced anew as the tures in the 60's, while the Ameri old hands, smiling cynically, take cans lived in nearbv hothouses. June, 1963.

To some of us the greatest shock aviator at McMurdo who fed him was to find just how much our self unconcernedly with steak and tastes, ideals and opinions differed strawberry jelly in alternate mouth- from those of the American service fuls. Nor" shall I readily forget the man. Even after a year we found proprietary pleasure of a Scot who it difficult to separate their seriously tastes bourbon for the first (and expressed opinions from what some last!) time, and realises why trans- might call bravado. Discussion Atlantic whisky traffic is strictly inevitably turned quickly into futile one-way only. argument. The Naval " leader, the We were to notice on many medical officer, was reported lo have occasions throughout the year the remarked that it would be a miracle enormous gulf between the Ameri if the New Zealand team did not can sense of humour and our own. leave Hallett as confirmed Com The relative inability of some of munists. This was perhaps the most our American friends to laugh at disappointing feature of our year themselves made for one or two —our failure to be able lo engage embarrassing situations. In the the majority of the Americans in main our practical jokes failed to mutually profitable discussion. cut much ice. The empty seals in One of the most acute problems the movie hall were most noticeable was to regulate the balance between when, after many evenings of the our intake of plentiful rich food worst of bad Hollywood fare, an and that strictly required for our isolated British ' comedy was well-being. With the knowledge that screened. Nightly film shows were Antarctic man requires more cal our chief relaxation, the only means orific intake than his counterpart whereby we could break thc routine in lower latitudes, we pitched in completely and slip away to another with a will to most things that were world. Most other spare time pur set before us, and a lot more that suits were brief crazes—monopoly, was not. With two members of the cribbage, etc. New Zealand team it soon became One American revealed a wicked evident that the problem of personal talent for cartoons, some showing avoirdupois was getting out of hand. great lack of gentility, others suc This regrettable state of affairs cessfully lampooning everyone on persisted throughout the year, pro the station. These latter were viding good verbal ammunition for received with varying degrees of the remainder of the personnel in grace by the persons depicted, the the incessant struggle for one- reactions frequently being more upmanship. amusing and revealing than the The quality of the cooking was cartoons themselves. excellent thrughout the year. There New Zealand's seismologist, Ross were, however, times when one Exley, happily invented alarms, wished that the beautiful meats buzzers, balloon-bombs, chimneys, could be served unadulterated by booby traps, and became ere long tenderisers and spices, so that one the world's foremost expert in the could taste the meat for a change. adaptation of empty cigar-boxes to At other times one longed for a scientific use. His second balloon- humble Kiwi sausage when faced bomb, filled with a mixture of with yet another turkey. hydrogen and oxygen, produced quite startling effects and his claim We took an early liking to waffles. that his high-altitude hydrogen The machine looked impressive, bomb tests were more frequently 'aming and electric. We were successful than those at Johnston .^on to find that our waffle tech Island was thoroughly justified. nique was sadly lacking. After repeatedly scraping the soggy and For a brief spell the medical clinging mixture from the crevices officer prevailed upon his band of of the hot plates we gave up and Navy men lo indulge in daily sought other less frustrating snacks. physical exercises of a set nature. I have yet to get over the experi Once the novelty wore off these ence of sitting opposite an American proved distinctly unpopular, par- i^wp^'.w

June, 1963.

ticularly with those fast approach itself in many ways. We were all ing middle-age. One set exercise was the better for the mutual close to pedal a static bicycle for the contact. It is perhaps significant, equivalent of one mile distance in while on the topic of the life of a set time. One man whose sopor the American serviceman, to men ific tendencies put Lewis Carroll's tion that thc man who seemed to Dormouse very much in the shade, be best adjusted to the situation believed confidently that the bicycle was the only non-volunteer, the man exercise was thc proverbial "piece selected on his merits and suita of cake." Climbing on, he pedalled bility. Three of the enlisted men madly, his eye glued firmly to the made Chief's rating during the year. distance indicator. Racing to his climax just on time, he fell off the Most of the Hallett news for bicycle in a shattered, yet trium 1961-62 has already been mentioned phant heap. It was much later briefly in this journal. Scientifically, before he was told gently that he things went reasonably well. Two had misinterpreted the distance new programmes in meteorology indicator and that he had in fact and VLF radio physics started satis only travelled one-tenth of the factorily. The main task of the required distance. Another exercise support force was to improve sta which caused spectator amusement tion facilities and tidiness. The was a three-hundred-yard dash, back accomplishment of such a task was and forth across a fifty-yard flat made possible by the erection of stretch near the station buildings. two large Quonset storage buildings during the summer. Prior to this, For nearly all the scientific men new stores and rubbish had lain the life at Hallett was good and side by side under snow drifts worthwhile. The challenge and creating an impossible stores situa interest of the work and surround tion. At the end of the year thc ings made up for separation from station looked a new and tidy place. civilisation, families and friends. In All credit to the Navy team. the case of the Naval men things were less happy. All but one had To each individual the value of volunteered to winter over. Before the experience is a personal matter. even the summer was far spent, The New Zealand team returned nearly all regretted their rashness secure in the knowledge that the and waited only for the day when year had been outstanding and the they could leave. One could hardly experience invaluable. All three blame them. Whatever they may were sorry to leave. have expected when they reached Cape Hallett, the same routine jobs awaited them, as electrician, mech anic, radioman, or weather observer. N.Z. ANTARCTIC SOCIETY Many less pleasant tasks were thrown in, all the work being per WELLINGTON BRANCH formed in fairly taxing conditions in a locality where they were shut At the annual meeting of the Wel off from their basic, though expen lington Branch on May 22, officers sive, pleasures. elected were: Chairman, Dr. T. Hatherton; committee, Dr. R. W. Some seem to realise the chal Balham, Commander W. J. Smith, lenge which this situation presents Commander R. H. Humby, Messrs. and emerge from the experience L. S. Donnelly, P. L. Wilson, F. A. with more than ordinary credit. McNeil, and D. C. Thompson; secre It is indicative of the spirit of the tary, Mr. W. J. P. Macdonald; treas team with whom we wintered that urer, Mr. A. H. Newton; publicity collective morale remained high, officer, Mr. W. Hopper. with a rude bonhomie based on healthy disrespect only just burgeon The director of the Dominion ing into a feeling of comradeship Museum, Dr. R. A. Falla, gave an when the time came to leave. illustrated talk about the expedition Throughout the year the inherent to the Auckland islands last Christ- generosity of the American revealed June, 1963. FAMOUS ANTARCTIC SHIPS IN THE NEWS Three old vessels, two of them having close associations with the Antarctic expeditions of the late Admiral Byrd, and so with New Zealand, and the third once the supply vessel of Finn Ronne, have recently been given prominence in newspaper reports. END OF THE BEAR tarctic Expedition of 1928-30, he little knew that the vessel had un On March 19 the 90-year-old bar- wittingly played an ignoble part in mtine "Bear," which as the the tragedy "of the "Titanic," the Bear of Oakland" took Admiral great White Star liner which sank Jyrd to the Antarctic in 1933-35, and with heavy loss of life on April 14, again in 1939-40, sank about 250 1912, after colliding with an iceberg miles south of Nova Scotia. The near Newfoundland. vessel, built in Scotland in 1874, It has recently been revealed that broke adrift earlier in heavy seas the "Samson's" first officer had sub- while being towed to Philadelphia milted a confidential report to the from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Norwegian consul in Iceland in The only two persons on board which he stated that during the abandoned ship and were picked up night of April 14-15 the "Samson" by a tug after the vessel began tak was operating in the Newfoundland ing water and lost her foremast. area. The three-masted square-rigged bar- During his watch he had sighted quenline was to have been convert "two big stars" which he thought ed into a floating restaurant and had a "peculiar position." The mast museum in Philadelphia. head lookout had reported that they She was 198ft. long and built were not stars, but "lanterns and a to cut through the thick ice floes of lot of lights." Later several rockets the North Atlantic sealing grounds. were seen and shortly afterwards She was bought by the United all the lights suddenly disappeared. States after 11 years of sailing out Afraid of being taken for violating of St. John's, Newfoundland. In territorial borders, and thinking 1884 she relieved the six survivors that the lights meant that they had of the Greely Arctic tragedy, and in been observed, "Samson" changed 1897-98 rescued some 500 whaling course and hurried away. men trapped in the ice off Point After thc ship's arrival in Iceland Barrow. the officer learned of the Titanic dis She was retired to a marine aster. "Wc now understood the museum in Oakland, California, but meaning of the lights and rockets Admiral Byrd found her there and we had seen," he reported. "We had put her back in service for his been 10 nautical miles away when second and third expeditions to the the Titanic went down. What might Antarctic. In the Second World we not have done if we had known." War the "Bear" went to Europe for patrols. SINKING SEALER A St. John's, Newfoundland, re port of April 15 stated that 70 crew SHIP WITH A PAST ? men and sealers had been rescued Another of Byrd's famous ships, from the sinking Nova Scotia seal "City of New York," has also been ing vessel "Arctic Sealer" off the in the news. When in 1928 the then north-east coast of Newfoundland. Commander Byrd bought the 575- The 174ft. "Arctic Sealer" was ton Norwegian sailing vessel "Sam built in 1944. She was formerly son," built In 1882, and had her re named "Port of Beaumont," and fitted and re-named for his first An under that name she carried Finn ■■f^-^W*

June, 1963. Whaling Industry In Peril For years scientists have been warning the whaling industry that unless drastic steps are taken, and taken now, to conserve whale stocks in the Antarctic, the days of profitable whaling are numbered.

A "Times" correspondent writing a few more seasons on the present from Oslo in April, reported a state level may be possible before the ment by one of the leading Nor stock declines below the level of wegian whaling pioneers of the cen economic operation. tury, Mr Anders Jahre. Scientists have foreseen this for "Today whaling is dead as a years. The scientific committee of source of income for Norway," Mr the International Whaling Commis Jahre said. "This is regrettable, but sion has in guarded but unmistak we have to face it. Time will show, able terms repeated its warnings but we must be prepared to write year after year. But each time the off whaling, however reluctantly we economy of the industry gained pre do it." ference over the conservation of the It is true that whaling had its whale stock. ups and downs over the years, even According to reports from a meet to such an extent that the entire ing of the Norwegian Whaling Coun Norwegian whaling fleet was laid cil the main conclusions of the up for one season in 1931-32. But scientists are as follows:— the reason then was the collapse The stock of blue whales is now of the whale oil market. Today the so low that only total protection very basis of the industry is being over a number of years can save eroded. In thc Antarctic" the stock the whale from extinction. of whale is down lo a dangerously But even during the period 1925 low level. lo 1930 the main part of the catch CATCHES DOWN was fin whale, while the blue whale This season neither the Nor was then numerous. This season wegians nor the British, Russians nearly 19,000 fin whales were killed nor Dutch were able to catch their in the Antarctic. The fin whale is allotted quota. The writing is on the second most valuable and the wall. Drastic reductions must second largest whale. According to be agreed upon for the quota. Only the scientists the maximum annual catch of fin whales must not exceed 7,000 to preserve the stock at its Ronne's expedition to Stonington Is present level. land off the Antarctic Peninsula in POSSIBLE MOVES February 1947. This was the expedi Even if a complete ban was tion on which the leader and his placed on all whaling, it would take deputy both took their wives, with eight years to regenerate the stock not very happy results. "Port of of whale in the Antarctic. Beaumont" was frozen in for the In recent years a ban has been winter and had to be freed by two imposed preventing the taking of U.S. icebreakers in February, 1948. more than 15,000 "blue whale units" She was purchased by the Shaw in any one season. Even if that Steamship Company Limited, of quota were reduced to 3,000 blue Halifax, in 1949 and in recent years whale units, which equals 6,000 fin has been on loan to the Canadian whales compared with last season's Government for hydrographic sur 19,000, it would take 19 years to re vey work in Arctic waters during build the stock! the summer months. LAST AREA She left for the Gulf of St. Law This fully confirms the gloomy rence sealing grounds later in March forecast by Mr Jahre. Unless sense to take part in the seal hunt off prevails over shortsighted economic the east coast of Labrador. gains the whole industry, not only June, 1963. for Norway but in a couple of JAMES EIGHTS years also for other nations, will hot be worth while carrying on. James Eights, for whom the This situation is not entirely new. United States Eights Station is Thc North Atlantic and the Arctic, named, was the first American scien once rich hunting grounds for the tist to visit the Antarctic. whalers, were ruined in this way. Born in Albany, New York, in But at that time new hunting 1798, Eights was educated to follow the career of his physician father, grounds were available. Now the Antarctic is thc last major whaling Dr. Jonathon Eights. Instead, he area, and it has been the richest turned to the study of natural whaling area the industry ever had science, especially geology. at its disposal. When whaling draws Little is known of his activities to a close there it will be the end between the early promise of a of the industry on its present scale. medical career and the departure of the ships of the American Ex ploring Expedition of 1830. When JAPAN WILL FIGHT the expedition departed in 1829, But a Tokyo report dated April however, Eights was aboard the 17 quotes the Kyokuyo Whaling ship "Annawan" as naturalist. His Company as saying that the Japan work was supported by a $500 grant ese whaling industry would oppose from the New York Lyceum of any plan to cut its quota for An Natural History. The expedition tarctic whaling. This was said in itself was a private undertaking the face of the report that experts though it had the moral support had found whale resources in the and sponsorship of the government. Antarctic to be seriously depleted. The expedition explored the South Shetland Islands and westward bv MEANWHILE sea along, though out of sight of, the coast in northern Ellsworth Agreement on quotas was reached Land which now bears his name. during 1961 between Norway, the When the expedition returned in Netherlands, Great Britain and Japan, but the Netherlands would 1831, Eights published at least seven not re-enter the Whaling Convention papers that gave America its first unless the Soviet Union would sign scientific information about the An the quota agreement. As the Soviet tarctic. Union would not do this on the His "Remarks on the New South terms laid down, and Norway would Shetland Islands" (in Transactions not re-enter the Convention unless of the Albany Institute, vol. 2, pp. thc Netherlands did so too, stale 53r69, 1833-1855.) contains an early mate was again reached. scientific description of the terrain Talks, however, continued, and as well as this prophetic statement: the Netherlands deposited its re entry document in Washington on May 4, 1962. The following percent age quota agreement was then ber 5), Japan (November 5) and signed by all five parties: Great Britain (November 27) have N o r w a y 3 2 done, and it is hoped to lay before Japan 33 the International Whaling Commis Great Britain 9 sion at its meeting in July of this N e t h e r l a n d s 6 year a finished draft of an inter Soviet Union 20 national inspection agreement for Articles 4 and 5 of the Agreement Antarctic whaling. lay down conditions as to the size of whaling fleets and the transfer SOMETHING COOKING ? of vessels from one signatory to Experts from eight countries in another. The Soviet Union has de cluding Australia and New Zealand clined to commence negotiations on met behind closed doors in London the question of inspection until all on April 3 for a series of talks on iive whaling countries have ratified measures to conserve the world's the agreement. This Norway (Octo- whale population. ,rr^r\yv.rymkMr.

June, 1963.

"A few rounded pieces of granite are occasionally to be seen lying THE VETERANS PASS about, brought unquestionably by F R A N K L . S T I L LW E L L the icebergs from their parent" hill's Dr. F. L. Stillwell, O.B.E., D.Sc, on some tar more southern land, as F.A.A., of Hawthorn, Victoria, died we saw no rocks of this nature in in February. He was geologist at site on these islands ..." In this Mawson's Adelie Land Base in the reference to erratics he is claimed 1911-14 Expedition, and was a mem to have anticipated by some six ber of the party which explored years the findings of Charles Darwin. the eastern coastline of Adelie Land. "The existence of a southern con On his return he joined the A.I.F. tinent within the Antarctic Circle, is but was withdrawn for scientific I conceive a matter of much doubt work. He was in charge of the and uncertainty, but that there are Mineragraphic Section of C.S.I.R.O. extensive groups, or chains of is for 26 years. A prominent member lands yet unknown, I think we have of the Royal Society of Victoria, he many indications to prove, and were was President for two years. I to express an opinion, I would Captain Morton Moyes, who kindly say, that our course from the south forwards us this information, adds: Shetland to the south-west, until "With the passing of Laseron, Hur we reached 101° of west longitude, ley, Watson and Stillwell in the last was at no great distance along the two years, there are only about 10 northern shore of one of these now left of the 1911-14 parties—five chains . . . When Palmer's land be on Macquarie Island, 18 at Adelie comes properly explored, together Land and eight on the Shackleton Ice with the known islands situated be Shelf. It is perhaps a good showing tween the longitude of Cape Horn as all will be over 70 years of age." and that of Good Hope, I think they will prove to be the north eastern termination of an extensive DR. E. S. MARSHALL chain, passing near where Capt. Dr. Eric Stewart Marshall, C.B.E., Cook's progress was arrested by the M.C., who died on February 26, ac firm fields of ice in latitude 71°' 10'S. companied Shackleton on ' his An and west longitude about 105°; had tarctic expedition of 1907-09 as sur that skilful navigator succeeded in geon and cartographer. The Mar penetrating this mass of ice, he shall mountains are named after would unquestionably in a short him. lime have made the land upon He was born in 1879 and educated which it was formed ..." at Emmanuel College. Cambridge. Many of Eights' scientific con He represented his college at fool- clusions have been substantiated by ball and rowing. He entered St. subsequent explorers and scientists. Bartholomew's Hospital in 1899 and Besides his geological work, took his M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.R.C.P. Eights also scientifically described Lond. in 1906. He captained the the flora and fauna of the Shet Bart's Rugby team in 1903-04. lands, particularly the sea mammals Dr. Marshall was one of the party such as thc sea-elephant, sea-leopard, under Professor David who made fur seal, the fin whale, dolphin, and Ihe first ascent of Mt. Erebus. With porpoise. He also gives one of the Adams and Wild he accompanied first detailed descriptions of the Shackleton on his great sou! hern penguin. journey reachine 88° 23'S on Janu ary 9. 1909. Thev had sledged to Eights' interest in Antarctic scien within 97 geographical miles of the tific matters remained with him Pole. for many years. In 1856, some 25 In 1909-11 Marshall went as sur years after the expedition, he pub geon and assistant surveyor on the lished "Description of an Isopod Brit'sh expedition to Dutch New crustacean from the Antarctic seas, Guinea. He served with distinction with observations on the New South in France and Russia in the First Shetlands," in the American Journal World War beinc mentioned in dis- of Science. oaiches and winnim? an M.C. In James Eights died in 1882. 1919 he was created C.B.E. The New Zealand Antarctic Socicly is a group of New Zealanders, some of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, but all vitally interested in some phase of A::'.arctic exploration, development or research. You are invited to become a member. BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: W. J. P. Macdonald, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: Miss Helen S. Hill, 200 Knowles St., Ch'ch. Dunedin: J. H. McGhie, Box 34, Dunedin.

"THE ANTARCTIC TODAY" This volume is out of print, but a limited number of the follow ing separate sections is available, the stapling slightly rusted: Ionosphere Research (J. W. Beagley). Meteorology (A. R. Martin). Marine Biology (R. K. Dell). Aurora Australis (I. L. Thomsen). The Nations in the Antarctic (recent Austral kin, South African, French, etc., exploration by leading experts in the countries concerned). These separates are available at a cost of four shillings each from the Secretary, N.Z. Antarctic Society.

"ANTARCTIC" Published Quarterly • Annual Subscription £1 Copies of previous issues of "ANTARCTIC" with the exception of Vol. 1, No. 1, Vol. 2, No. 2, Vol. 2, No. 4, and Vol. 2, No. 9, MAY BE PURCHASED FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE SOCIETY, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 5/- per copy. Of our predecessor, the "ANTARCTIC NEWS BULLETIN", only the following numbers are available: 5-6, 8-10, 12-20. Price: 4/- per issue.

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