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AUSTRALIA'S MOST RECENTLY BUILT STATION, CASEY. IT REPLACES THE FORMER UNITED STATES WILKES STATION, WHICH WAS TRANFERRED TO AUSTRALIAN ADMINISTRATION IN 1959. THE STATION HAS BEEN AERO- DYNAMICALLY DESIGNED TO INHIBIT THE BUILD-UP OF DRIFTING SNOW. A.N.A.R.E. Photo—L. N. Saunders.

September 1971 AUSTRALIA

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DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS & SURVEY WELLINGTON. NEW ZEALAND. AUG 1969 3rd EDITION BMKT ee^IWiiiB©*lPII©*d (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

63rd ISSUE September 1971 Editor: H. F. GRIFFITHS, 14 Woodchester Avenue, Christchurch 1. Assistant Editor: J. M. CAFFIN. 17 Wilfrid Street, Christchurch 4. Address all contributions, enquiries, etc., to the Editor. All Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: The Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, N.Z.

CONTENTS ARTICLES S O U T H O N T H E W I N G S O F T H E M O R N I N G —Gerald S. Doorly SHACKLETON'S BIBLE • MARBLE POINT STUDY ELEPHANT ISLAND EXPEDITION

POLAR ACTIVITIES UNITED KINGDOM 90 JAPAN 94, 95, 96 U.S.A. 78, 83, 84 NEW ZEALAND 74, 75, 76 77, 96 U.S.S.R 95, 96, 97 AUSTRALIA 92, 93 SOUTH AFRICA 77, 104

SUB-ANTARCTIC CAMPBELL ISLAND

GENERAL ASTRONAUT IN ANTARCTIC SCOTT'S HUT DAMAGE FOSSIL BLUFF RESCUE ICE STUDY PROGRAMME ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF NEW WILSON BOOK

With the advent of another southern summer, Antarctic bases will shortly be humming with new activity as relief staff arrive and the various disciplines and research projects get under way. On behalf of the New Zealand Antarctic Society the editor wishes all Antarctic parties a successful season and a safe return home.

We regret the delay in the issue of the index for Volume 5 of "Antarctic." Arrangements have now been made for the compilation of the index. It should be available to our subscribers before the end of the year. ifis^' Seplember 1971 NEW ZEALAND CURTAILS 1971-72 PROGRAMME New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1971-72 has been slightly restricted because of reductions in national expenditure, and the return of H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour to the United States. Royal New Zea land Air Force Hercules aircraft will make five support flights instead of the normal three between November and December, but the extra flights will not make up for the loss of the logistic support provided by the Endeavour. Government field parties and univer Stanford University, California, will sity expeditions have been affected by install a whistler mode VLF receiving the national economising. Only one system at Siple Station. party instead of four will be placed at Geological field parties from Victoria Vanda Station in the Wright Dry University of Wellington and the Uni versity of Waikato will undertake a Valley. Three university expeditions variety of research programmes in Vic will continue their research, but the toria Land. The University of Canter programme of one has been almost bury research unit will continue its halved, and those of the others have zoology and marine biology studies at been trimmed. The dispatch of other Cape Bird and in McMurdo Sound. Government field parties this summer Details of the programme announced has been deferred to next year. by Mr R. B. Thomson, superintendent Vanda Station will be re-opened next of the Antarctic Division of the Depart month for studies of meteorology, ment of Scientific and Industrial Re geophysics, and hydrology, and four search, arc:— Japanese scientists will continue their SCOTT BASE.—Observatory type hydrological work there. The station programmes will be continued at the will be closed again in February next base and the Arrival Heights satellite year. station in aurora-air glow, the iono This year the members of the New sphere, whistlers and VLF noise, mag Zealand team did their basic indoctrina netic micropulsations, geomagnetism tion course at the Army's training area and earth currents, seismology, and at Balmoral, Lake Tekapo, for a week atmospheric potential gradient. Glacio last month. For the first time two logical monitoring studies of the R.N.Z.A.F. Iroquois helicopters were McMurdo Ice Shelf will be continued, used in the training programme. and a meteorological programme of Government field parties will con more detailed measurements of solar tinue the study of hydrology and radiation and total atmospheric ozone glaciology, and make more topographic will be initiated. surveys in the Wright Dry Valley and along the surrounding mountains. In VANDA STATION.—Four men will the McMurdo Sound area there will be be stationed at Vanda for the summer a number of small research programmes season. A field party will operate from concerned with the biological sciences the station to continue the studies of and nuclear sampling. the unique environment of the Wright The Physics and Engineering Labora Dry Valley. Studies will include: A tory of the Department of Scientific and full meteorological programme; seis Industrial Research and scientists from mology; water balance of Lake Vanda, September 1971

entailing detailed hydrological studies continue the programme of measure of the Onyx River; chemical and ment, sampling, mapping, and fossil physical studies of the lake; mass collection from the flat-lying continental balance studies of the glaciers in the Beacon strata of South Victoria Land mountains surrounding the valley; more from the Skelton Neve to the Mackay detailed topographical surveys. Glacier. ROSS ISLAND.—Three New Zea WAIKATO.—Four men will continue landers will take part in an international studies of geomorphology in the Dry drilling project on Ross Island. This Valley syste, of Victoria Land. The project, which will begin in December, main object is to study the development involves scientists from New Zealand, of slopes and the rates of weathering Japan, the United States, and Canada, and erosion since the last occupation in a three-year, three-phase examina of the valleys by glacier ice. tion of sub-surface geological and CANTERBURY.—Canterbury scien geophysical features on and near the tists will continue their studies of island. Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound. One UNIVERSITY WORK party will remain at Cape Bird for the summer and will undertake a marine VICTORIA.—An expedition of eight biology programme including marine men, and one woman, will study the plankton and marine soft-bottom recent volcanic rocks and basement benthic studies. Its programme of rocks of Northern Victoria Land, and in research on penguins and skuas in this the McMurdo Sound area. It will also area will also be continued. WINTER TEAM AT SCOTT BASE Ten men have been selected to winter land. Base Engineer. He is a main at Scott Base through 1972. The tenance fitter and welder. leader is Major J. R. M. Barker, who Logan R. McGhic (21), Dunedin. has been seconded from the Army to Fitter Mechanic. He is a fitter and the Department of Scientific and Indus turner from Waipori Falls. trial Research. Last year he served David W. Clark (29), Auckland. as deputy-leader for the summer season. Fitter Electrician. He is a Ministry of Most of this season's team come from Works station electrician from Whe- the North Island, and all are New nuapai. Zealand-born except the leader, who Peter J. McNiell (23), Auckland. was born in Yorkshire. There are two Cook. He has been a chef with the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Hob- 21-year-olds in the team, and the oldest sonville since 1968. is 43. Kevin B. Matson (23), Wellington. Members of the winter party are:— Radio Technician. He does the same Jim Barker (43), Christchurch. Leader job in the Post Office. Allan G. Burgess (23), Ashburton. (see "Antarctic", September, 1970. Page Postmaster. He is a Post Office tele 473). graphist. John S. Elder (21), Auckland. Senior Barry E. Pycroft (23), Christchurch. Scientific Officer. He is completing an Technician. He is a telecommunications M.Sc. degree, and has been working in technician with the Civil Aviation Divi the physics department at the University sion of the Ministry of Transport. of Auckland. John A. Maine (23), Auckland. Tech- Malcolm S. MacDonald (30), Auck September 1971 SUMMER SUPPORT STAFF About 50 men and one woman will D. A. C. Bamford (21), Wellington. work at or from Scott Base, at Cape Field Assistant. Bird, and in the Wright Dry Valley, during some part of the 1971-72 sum VANDA STATION mer. They include teams from three C. Johnson (40), Christchurch. universities and the Physics and Engin Leader. He is a communications eering Laboratory of the Department of officer with the Civil Aviation Division, Scientific and Industrial Research. Ministry of Transport, and has served The solitary woman is Miss Rose with the British Antarctic Survey at mary Askin, of Wellington, who will Halley Bay. work with the Victoria University party. D. Davidson (31), Auckland. Tech She was in the Antarctic last season. nical Officer. Two members of the University of Can B. McGuire (27), Auckland. Meteoro terbury team, Messrs J. K. Lowry and D. G. Greenwood, arc going south for logical Observer. the fourth time. R. W. Thornton (22), Nelson. Field Assistant. SCOTT BASE B. E. Jeffcries (27). Deputy Leader. VICTORIA UNIVERSITY He is senior ranger at Tongariro Dr. P. J. Barrett National Park. M. Laird G. VV. Nation (39), Ohakea. Store P. Kyle keeper. He is an R.N.Z.A.F. store P. Andrews keeper who was at the base last sum Miss R. Askin mer. N. Trustrum B. G. Stafford (22), Marton. Main D. Bright tenance Officer-Carpenter. J. N. Foster (24), Temuka. Assistant WAIKATO UNIVERSITY Maintenance Officer. M. J. Selby R. D. Parkinson (21), Christchurch. B. Rains Assistant Maintenance Officer. R. Palmer R. K. McBride (27), Blenheim. In R. Smith formation Officer-Photographer. R. K. Chambers (22), Invercargill. CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY Radio Operator. Prof. G. A. Knox J. H. Bull (27), Greytown. Carpenter. J. K. Lowry FIELD STAFF D. G. Greenwood G. A. Knight A. N. H. Chinn (35), Auckland. T. J. Carryer Field Leader. He is a Lands and Sur vey Department draughtsman, and in G. D. Fenwick 1967 was deputy-leader of the New P. Sager Zealand Andean Expedition to Peru. VV. Farrelly L. K. Cairns (25), Nelson. Surveyor. D. Tattle J. Hawcs (25), Christchurch. Hydrolo- J. I. Burnip gist. W. R. Thompson (22), Dunedin. DRILLING PROJECT Hydrologist. Dr. P. Webb P. H. Jennings (25), Quecnstown. Prof. A. T. Wilson Field Assistant. D. J. Burt September 1971 CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY'S SUMMER PROGRAMME Zoology and marine biology studies nician. Mr D. Tattle, will carry out will be continued by the University of diving at Cape Bird. He did some Canterbury Antarctic research unit at diving with the Americans in McMurdo Cape Bird and in McMurdo Sound this Sound last season during his studies of summer. The unit will also continue its seal behaviour. research programme on penguins and seals at Cape Bird Professor G. A. Knox, co-ordinator and director of the unit's programme Caretakers at says it is divided into three parts: seal research, the study of marine plankton; and the marine benthic study using the Cape Royds trimaran which was taken south last For the third successive season two summer. members of the New Zealand Antarctic Seal research will be conducted by Society will go south to act as care- Mr D. G. Greenwood, senior technician lakers at Cape Royds. The first in the university's zoology department. caretakers in the 1969-70 season were He will be assisted by Mr J. I. Burnip, Messrs P. J. Skellerup and M. the department's photographer, who will Orchard; last season the caretakers were go to Cape Bird later to record activi Messrs S. Smith and C. M. Satter- ties there thwaite. A party of four will work at Capp. Applications are now being called for Bird where the major research will be two caretakers to spend three weeks concerned with the ecology of bottom at Cape Royds, starting late in Novem living animals. This summer the leader ber or early in December. The will be Mr J. K. Lowry. who was Antarctic Division of the Department deputy leader last year. of Scientific and Industrial Research, Messrs T. J. Carryer and G. D. Fen- which will provide special clothing, wick will study marine plankton transport, food and accommodation, has through the ice near Scott Base. Early suggested certain qualifications of value in January Mr Carryer will return to to anyone applying. New Zealand to join the United States These qualifications include interest scientific research ship Eltanin. He will in one or more of the Antarctic research collect plankton samples during the Eltanin's cruise in the Ross Sea. projects, particularly biology or meteor ology, and knowledge of and interest Another zoology department tech- in the historic huts at Cape Royds and Cape Evans, and the conservation of fauna and flora. Other suggestions SOUTH AFRICAN MAGAZINE are that applicants should have prac The first edition of the South African tical experience in some trade or Magazine for Antarctic Research has profession, and mountaineering and or just been published by the South Afri tramping experience. can Scientic Committee for Antarctic The two caretakers will be selected Research. In future it will be the by a panel of representatives from the publication medium for results of society, the superintendent of the original research in various Arctic and Antarctic Division, and the leader at Antarctic scientific fields. Scott Base for the 1971-72 season. The magazine will appear annually Applications can be sent to the secretary and will contain information about re of the society, P.O. Box 404, Christ search programmes and related activities. church. s^:l September 1971 MAJOR U.S. PROJECTS FOR SUMMER SEASON Byrd Station, the main inland station for the United States Antarctic Research Programme, will be closed as a wintering facility at the end of the 1971-72 summer season. There has been a scientific station in the area since 1957. The closing of Byrd Station, and the miles south-west of Dumont d'Urville establishment of Siple Station in Ells Station, was established on the ice cap worth Land as a winter and summer last season. facility, are two of the major projects A brief summary of each science in this season's programme, which will activity follows. involve about 250 scientists, including two women, from 21 universities and McMURDO SOUND research organisations. University of California, San Diego. Other major projects are a survey of Temperature regulation in the newborn prospective sites for the 1972-73 dry Weddell seal. A field party led by Dr valley drilling programme, an interna D. Hammond, working from McMurdo tional effort involving scientists from Station, will continue the research done the United States, Japan, New Zealand, during the past two seasons. Four and possibly other countries; a glacio young seals will be flown to Massey logical study near Byrd Station; and the University, Palmerston North, for remote sensing programme, which further studies of vascular changes. includes radio sounding of ice thickness, airborne magnctometry, and aerial University of California, San Diego. Physiology and Biochemistry of Freez photography of seals and glaciers. ing Resistance in Antarctic Fishes. Research will be conducted at six Three scientists led by Dr A. L. DcVries stations, and aboard ice-breakers in the will study the adaptations which prevent Ross, Amunsden, and Bellingshausen some Antarctic fishes from freezing Seas. The research ship Eltanin will work in the Indian Ocean and Antarctic although they spend their lives at the freezing point of seawater and use part waters; the research vessel Hero will of the ice as their habitat. Two fish continue to operate in the Antarctic houses will be used on the sea ice of Peninsula area from Palmer Station McMurdo Sound for collection of fish. during the summer. The winter programme at Pole, University of Minnesota. Status and McMurdo and Siple Stations will con population dynamics of Antarctic seals. tinue to concentrate on atmospheric Dr Donald B. Siniff will lead a party science, and the emphasis at Palmer to study the movement and migration Station will be on marine biology. The pattern of seals, and collect data on level of scientific effort for the whole population characters. Radio tele year will be about the same as in pre metry and underwater television will be vious years except for an increase in used at Hutton Cliffs, near McMurdo biological work at Palmer Station. Station to track the animals and monitor As a part of the International their diving and sunning rhythms. Antarctic Glaciological Project air sup University of Oklahoma Medical port will be provided for French Centre. Anatomical study of Weddell scientists working along the traverse Seals. Dr W. J. L. Felts and his party route from Carrefour to the Russian will make an anatomical investigation Vostok Station. Carrefour, about 25 of adult and young seals, and correlate September 1971 the results with previous and present U.S. Geological Survey-National physiological and behavioural studies. Aeronautics and Space Administration. Stanford University. Comparative Astrogeologic Studies in South Victoria Lan physiology of the Echinoderm Wall. Mr S. Webster, under the direction of environment of the dry valleys of South Dr A. C. Giese, will examine the physi Victoria Land provide one of the best terrestrial analogues of a typical Mar ology and biochemistry of sea stars and tian surface. Working in the Taylor sea urchins in Antarctica and temperate waters. and Wright Valleys, Dr E. C. Morris and his party will make comparative U.S. Geological Survey. Survey and terrestrial geological studies for the 1975 Mapping in Antarctica. Four topo Viking Mars Lander imaging investiga graphic engineers and one technician tions. will establish ground control points for the mapping of the ice-free valleys and University of Manitoba. Botanical Studies in Continental Antarctica. In provide vertical elevations for the dry a co-operative programme between the valley drilling project. They will test a dopplcr navigation system which could United States and Canada Dr R. E. revolutionise mapping and navigation in Longton will analyse edaphic and micro Antarctica. The party will work in the climatic features and study the mor dry valleys, and at Byrd, Pole, Hallett phology, growth and reproduction of and Brockton Stations. mosses found near McMurdo Station. U.S. Army Cold Regions Research California Institute of Technology. and Engineering Laboratory. Analysis Ecology of Antarctic Micro-organisms. of Polar Ice Cores. Mr A. J. Gow's Field work will be carried out for the party will continue work on the analysis third season by Mr F. A. Morelli under of ice cores from the deep drill holes the direction of Dr R. E. Cameron, to at Byrd Station, and Camp Century, determine the presence of micro Greenland. Moraine features will be organisms in Antarctic soils. He will studied in the McMurdo Sound area, concentrate on the areas being surveyed including the Kocttlitz Glacier tongue, for the dry valley drilling project—the and the Miers, Garwood, Walcott and Matterhorm Valley of the Asgard Range Taylor Glaciers. and Victoria Valley. Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Fresh University of Washington. Rates of Water and Marine Antarctic Fungi. Dr ionic movement in Low Temperature R. A. Patcrson's party will continue for Soils. Previous studies of soil forma the second year a study of the fresh tion in the Lower Wright Valley have water and marine fungi and water shown that ionic migration, necessary moulds in the McMurdo Sound area. for soil formation, is taking place under It will work in the dry valleys and at very dry conditions and under con Cape Royds. tinuously below freezing temperatures. Dr F. C. Ugolini's party will measure Ohio State University. Surface Buck rates of ionic movement, determine soil ling on Meserve Glacier and Adjacent Glacier, Wright Valley. Mr and Mrs moisture, and conduct radioactive M. J. McSavcney will continue assays to determine particle size distri research on the Meserve, Goodspeed bution and surface area. and Bartlcy Glaciers. The purpose is to University of Rochester. Investiga understand the mechanisms of move tions of the Microflora of the Dry ment, development of surface waves, Valleys. In some cases it appears that and erosion of a polar glacier where certain portions of Antarctic soils are the interior temperature is always below truly sterile even though there exist Odeg C. Investigations of the Meserve measurable numbers of airborne bac Glacier have been conducted for four teria. Confirmation of an earth environ summers since 1965-66. ment so hostile that it supports no ANTARCTIC September 1971 endogenous microflora has a practical be the construction of the winter station application to planned studies of soil facilities. during the 1975 Viking Mars Landing. Stanford University. Magnctospheric This project, led by Dr W. V. Vishnfac, Research in Antarctic. Mr J. P. Katsu- will concentrate on the King Valley. frakis, the station co-ordinator, will Ohio State University. Glacial conduct magnctospheric and iono Geology of the Willett and Convoy spheric investigations which concen Ranges. Mr P. A. Mayewski's party trate on the plasmapause region. He will will examine the glacial and bedrock have two assistants in the summer and geology of various nunataks in the two in the winter. These investigations Willett and Convoy Ranges and the are linked with the station's geomag Coombs Hills for comparison with find netic conjugate at Roberval, Quebec, ings in the Transantarctic Mountains. Canada. Bell Telephone Laboratories. Flux- University of Maine. Origin and Age of the Mawson Tillite in Victoria gate Magnetometer Studies. The BTL Land. A party led by Dr H. W. Borns, three-axis fluxgate magnetometer will be operated on a year-round basis by Jr., will conduct detailed stratigraphic and sedimentologic investigations of the Stanford University scientists who will Mawson Tillite, collecting samples at winter at the station under the leader the Carapace and Allan Nunataks to ship of Dr L. J. Lanzerotti. Data from assist in determining the age and origin Siple Station and from three lati- of these geological features. Paleon tudinally orientated stations near tology will also be organised because at Roberval, and a fourth planned in the Carapace Nunatak there arc pond sedi United States will be used for studies ments overlaid by a lava flow which of the conjugate micro-pulsation and contains Jurassic age well preserved magnetic storm characteristics of the specimens of crustaceans, insects and plasmapause region. plants. BYRD STATION Dry Valley Drilling Project. This is a co-ordinated, international project University of Berne. Bore hole Iso involving scientists from the United tope Studies. A party of nine led by States, Japan, New Zealand, and pos Dr H. Oeschgcr will develop the carbon dioxide extraction technique in dry bore sibly other countries. The primary function is the drilling and coring of holes. As much as three tons of ice sediment and rock in the McMurdo will be melted on the spot, and the Sound region. Located in the most fre released gases will be pumped to the quented and intensively explored region surface for Carbon 14 dating. Melt- of Antarctica. McMurdo Sound is a water will be pumped to the surface logical site for the first extensive and and filtered for the collection of extra terrestrial and terrestrial dust and pollen. deep scientific borehole exploration of the continent. This season Dr L. D. The data obtained will be used in com McGinnis and a party of more than a parative studies of climatic changes and dozen will conduct a survey of prospec model calculations ranging over the last tive sites for the 1972-73 drilling pro 30,000 years. gramme. Ohio State University. Study of Ice Sheet Dynamics. Thirty miles north SIPLE STATION east of Byrd Station a party of five led In the Antarctic winter of 1972 by Mr I. M. Whillans will remeasurc research at Siple Station will be con the snow accumulation on the station ducted on a year-round basis. This strain net, and conduct a precision summer construction of the 13 mile-long resurvey of the network reference elevated dipole antenna will be com points. The strain net was laid out and pleted. Major activity at the site will surveyed in the summer of 1963-64 by September 1971

Ohio State University and U.S. Geo loons carrying a dark field microscope logical Survey scientists. and a photo-electric particle counter. The flights will be made to determine POLE STATION the variation with altitude up to U.S. Army Cold Regions Research 100,000ft, of the dust particles in the and Engineering Laboratory. Deep atmosphere over the Pole. Dr D. J. Core Drilling in Ice. A depth-tempera Hofmann's party are seeking informa ture profile at the South Pole will be tion on the origin and global distribu determined, using a thermal pendu tion of submicron particulate matter. lum probe. The probe will melt its way to the base of the ice cap, 2900 HALLETT STATION metres below the surface. Temperature University of California, Berkeley. measurements will be taken through a Patterns and Effects of Chlorinated sensor. The temperature profile, the Hydrocarbons on Reproductive Capacity known current rate of snow accumu of Antarctic Pelagic Birds. Agricul lation, and the climatic history of the tural and industrial pollutants are now area, will give a reasonably accurate widespread, and sea birds are accumu estimate of the age of the ice at each lating high concentrations of some of level in the ice cap profile. these compounds. Reproductive failure, University of Nevada. Natural Con due largely to eggshell thinning, has centration of Silver and Iodine in An been found in pelicans and cormorants tarctic Precipitation. Dr J. A. Warbur- in California, and eggshell thinning has ton and his party will collect ice core been found in other marine species. Dr samples at Pole, Byrd, Siple and R. Risebrough's research, under the McMurdo Stations to determine abso direction of Dr H. S. Olcott, will pro lute concentrations of silver and iodine vide additional data on the fallout pat at selected points, and to compare the tern of chlorinated hydrocarbons over efficiency of methods of removal of par several areas of the world's oceans. A ticulate matter from the atmosphere. study of the reproductive success of Wilson's petrel populations near Hallett University of Rhode Island. Trace Station and Kerguelen Island will be Metals and Halogens in the Antarctic continued. Eggs of the petrel and other Atmosphere. Mr E. Gladney will con tinue the examination of the particulate species will be collected to determine concentration of aluminium, copper, thinning in relation to reproductive suc cess. iron, manganese, nickel, lead and vanadium, and the halogens bromine- University of California, Davis. Com chlorine and iodine in the atmosphere. parative Biochemistry of Proteins. Lockheed Missile and Space Com Studies made for several years of the pany. South Pole Photometric Obser comparative biochemistry of bird eggs vations. A summer and winter party and the blood and muscle proteins of led by Dr S. B. Mende will begin a fishes will end this summer. Mr D. T. new wintering experiment to investi Osuga will collect fresh Adelie penguin gate the Aurora Australis at the South eggs from Cape Hallett for more Pole. To estimate the efficiency of sophisticated laboratory work. protons and electrons for exciting Iowa State University. Embryology aurora, the data obtained will be com and Incubation Behaviour of the Adelie pared with that obtained from a polar penguin. A party of six led by Dr J. orbiting satellite which will be making R. Baker will continue research on the direct simultaneous measurements of incubation behaviour and embryonic the particles before aurora inducement. development of the Adelie penguin. It University of Wyoming. Measure will also study population dynamics, the ment of Submicron Particulate Matter feasibility of new physiological work, in the Antarctic Stratosphere. Two and do annual banding of penguin two-hour flights will be made by bal chicks. September 1971

University of California, Davis. University of California, San Diego. Biology and Ecology of Shallow Water Water Characteristics and Flow North Benthic Foraminifera. This new pro of the Ross Sea. Mr J. L. Reid's party ject will examine the distribution of of five will work aboard a U.S. Coast shallow water foraminifera, and the Guard icebreaker measuring and analys relationships of shallow and deep water ing the physical properties of the water forms. Specimens will be collected by masses of the Southern Pacific Ocean scuba diving and grab sampling from near the Antarctic Continent. Measure the Hero, and Dr J. H. Lipps will lead ments will include temperature, salinity, a party of four. oxygen and nutrient content. University of California, San Diego. University of Idaho. Status and Biology of Deep Diving Antarctic Birds Population Dynamics of Antarctic and Mammals. At Palmer Station Dr Seals. A party of five led by Dr A. W. G. L. Kooyman will complete three Erickson will work with icebreaker sup years of investigation of the hyperbaric port in the Bellingshausen Sea and/or physiology and deep diving behaviour Amundsen. Its project is designed to of birds and seals. He will examine determine the pre-exploitive abundance, the mechanical properties and lung distribution and status of seal resources. architecture of leopard and crabeatcr seals, and available birds, to compare ANTARCTIC PENINSULA their responses to pressure changes. Research in this area will take place at Palmer Station and in the labora Utah State University. Anti-predator tories of the research vessel Hero in and Social Arthur Harbour, at Norsel Point, Port Working ; ception Island, Dr D. Mullcr-Schwarzc Lockroy, Melchior Island, the Argen and his wife will observe the anti- tine Islands, Deception Island, Living ston Island, King George Island, and predator and social behaviour of various the surrounding waters. penguin species. They will apply the data gained at Cape Crozier where they Ohio State University. Glaciology in studied the Adelie penguins' nesting, egg the South Shetland Islands. A party of laying, creche behaviour, and develop four led by Mr O. Orheim will continue ment of young. mass balance and climatic studies at Deception and Livingston Islands. These REMOTE SENSING studies will be in conjunction with those Remote sensing activities continue related to the vulcanology of the area. to play an important role in the U.S. Scientists from Argentina, Chile, Britain, Antarctic Research Programme. This the Soviet Union, and the United States summer there will be programmes in will make a joint study of the effects of radio ice-thickness soundings, airborne volcanic activity on Deception Island. magnctometry, and aerial photography. Texas Technological University. The radio ice-thickness measurements Population Dynamics of Terrestrial and aerial photography will be made Arthropods. Dr R. W. Strandtmanna with a Hercules aircraft, and the mag will lead a party of three in a continua netic survey will be conducted by the tion of studies made last summer and new turbine-engined helicopters. winter on the population dynamics of Scott Polar Research Institute. Air terrestrial arthropods. The work will borne Radio Ice Thickness Survey of be done at Palmer Station. Antarctica. The director of the insti University of California, Davis. Bio- tute, Dr G. de Q. Robin and his team, energetics of an Antarctic Ecosystem. working primarily in East Antarctica, At Norsel Point Dr F. E. Strong's party will make a scries of ice thickness will continue studies of the energetics sounding flights principally in support of an entomological community. These of the International Antarctic Glacio studies were started last season. logical Project. September 1971 NAVY'S LOGISTIC SUPPORT FOR DEEP FREEZE 72 About 2000 men from the United States Navy. Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard, including about a dozen specialised units, will take part in support activities in the Antarctic this summer. Rear-Admiral L. B. McCuddin, the new commander of the United States Navy Antarctic Support Force, says that the American scientific and support effort will be about the same size and scope as in the past. The season will begin officially on It will not be occupied until late in October 8 when Rear-Admiral McCud 1974 or early in 1975. din will lead the fly-in of four Hercules Byrd Station, deep in Marie Byrd aircraft from Christchurch to Williams Land, will be closed as a winter facility Field, McMurdo Station. This season after 10 years. Its buildings have settled he will have three Coast Guard ice since it was dedicated on February 13, breakers, the cargo ships John R. Towle 1962, and are now 40ft to 50ft below and Wyandot, and the tanker Maumee the surface. When Seabees and Antarctic from the Military Sealift Command, to Support Activities men have removed support the planned summer operations. about 300 tons of scientific equipment The Maumee will deliver about six and materials, and crated them for million gallons of fuel to McMurdo removal by Hercules aircraft, the old Station. station will become a refueling point In the next few months more than on the air route from Williams Field to 1800 passengers and about 100 tons of the new Siple Station. cargo will be flown from the United Two hundred Seabees will make im States to Christchurch. More than 1750 provements to the living facilities, roads, passengers and about 550 short tons of fuel lines, and other structures at Wil cargo will be taken on to McMurdo liams Field, near McMurdo Station. A Station. The winter population at new sewage treatment plant will be American stations will grow to more installed in the station area, and a new than 1000 by mid-summer. incinerator will be built and its furnaces Navy Seabees will have a heavy con tested. This equipment is being installed struction programme this season. They because of the need to preserve the will complete the site of a new Siple ecology of the area. Station in Ellsworth Land, and continue Almost 15,000 tons of dry cargo will work on the new Amundsen-Scott South be shipped to Antarctica this season. Pole Station, which was started last year. The Wyandot will unload about 300 Pole Station will be built with pre tons at Palmer Station early in January, fabricated sections and about 500ft of and the icebreaker Southwind, which archway covered like a giant bubble will stand by for assistance, will leave with a geodesic dome 164ft across and 50,000 gallons of fuel for the station 50ft high. This type of construction is before it starts a six-week survey of new to Antarctica. The dome is designed seals in the Bellingshausen and Amund to withstand 125 m.p.h. winds and snow sen Seas. loads of up to 1201b a square foot at The Private John R. Towle is the peak. Studies have shown that this expected to reach McMurdo Station type of structure will reduce the incid about January 15. Its arrival depends ence of drifting snow and result in on the progress of the icebreakers Staten longer life for the station. Island and Northwind in breaking a The new station is scheduled for com channel through the McMurdo Sound pletion by the end of the 1973-74 season. September 1971 Winfly flight ends winter isolation Seven months' isolation in the Antarctic ended for 161 Americans at McMurdo Station on September 1 when two United States Navy ski- equipped Hercules aircraft landed on the Williams Field ski-way. The aircraft brought from Christchurch almost a ton of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the first mail for the men who have wintered at the station. On board the first aircraft, which Minnesota, who is concerned with the left on its 2300-mile flight at 12.18 status and population dynamics of a.m. was the new commander of the Antarctic seals. United States Navy Antarctic support When the aircraft returned to force (Rear-Admiral L. B. McCuddin) Christchurch they brought back about who spent only two hours in the a ton and a half of mail—the first to Antarctic on his first visit. The second leave Antarctica for seven months— Hercules took off at 12.36 a.m. and about 3001b of baggage belonging The two Hercules, which belong to to the men who have wintered at McMurdo Station, and who will be the Navy's VXE6 Squadron, carried flown home next month. eight scientists, 45 construction work The two aircraft, and a third which ers, the support force chief of staff had remained at Christchurch in (Captain H. Swinburne) and the Scott Base engineer, Mr M. S. MacDonald, reserve, left for the United States on who went early to learn about the September 3. All three will return in October. equipment for which he will be responsible during next winter. Cargo for Scott Base included urgently needed spare parts for the five motor tobog gans which will be overhauled for the use of the summer field parties. RARE BOOK SOLD The first flight of the 1971-72 Among the books and manuscripts season, named Winfly by the Navy, sold by auction in Melbourne recently was made so that construction workers, was a copy of "Aurora Australis" edited meteorologists, and air controllers by E. H. Shackleton and published at could prepare Williams Field for the the winter quarters of the British summer support season, which begins Antarctic Expedition. 1907. next month. The flight was made also One of only about 100 copies printed, to enable university scientists to make the book was sold to an undisclosed an early start on their scientific buyer for $950. programmes. In "Antarctic" (Vol. 5, No. 12, De First in the field this summer are cember. 1970) it was reported that two Dr D. Hammond, of the University copies of this very rare work were of California, who led a party to study auctioned at Sotheby's in London, one temperature regulations in newborn being acquired by the Canterbury Weddell seals; Dr A. L. deVries, of Museum for £450 (SNZ961) while the the same university, who is studying second copy also came to Christchurch, the physiology and biochemistry of being bought by Mr P. J. Skellerup, a freezing resistance in Antarctic fish; and member of the New Zealand Antarctic Dr D. B. Siniff, of the University of Society. September 1971 ASTRONAUT IN ANTARCTIC ■ ■■■■■■■

Millions of television viewers last month watched the Apollo 15 astronauts Colonel David Scott and Lieutenant-Colonel James Irwin steering their lunar vehicle on the moon. But only a few New Zealanders and Americans saw Colonel Scott at the wheel of a small New Zealand-built vehicle on land in the Antarctic. Colonel Scott was in the Antarctic early last year, and made a brief visit by helicopter to the New Zealand station at Lake Vanda in the Wright Dry Valley, where he had lunch with the station's staff. A New Zealander, Mr G. H. Lewis, of Christchurch, photographed Colonel Scott (left) driving a three-wheeled Gnat across the rocky ground near Vanda Station. The Wright Dry Valley and other dry valleys in Antarctica are regarded as being very similar to the surface of the moon.

Strong Winds Damage Scott's Hut Gusts of 96 miles an hour recorded at McMurdo Station this winter have damaged the hut built by Scott's first expedition in 1901 at Hut Point, Ross Island. Mr Brian Porter, of Auckland, leader of New Zealand's Scott Base parly, and three members of the winter party, inspected the hut on September 11. They found a section of veranda damaged and three windows broken. A considerable amount of snow had collected inside the hut, and care was needed in removing it to avoid damage to the many artifacts. The two other historic huts at Cape Evans and Cape Royds. both of which are more sheltered than the building at Hut Point, will be visited this summer by two members of the New Zealand Antarctic Society, who will do maintenance work on them. September 1971 Study of Marble Point As New Support Base Marble Point, the rocky promontory about 50 miles from Ross Island on the western side of McMurdo Sound, might eventually replace McMurdo Station as the main United States support base in Antarctica. This month the National Science Foundation, now responsible for the financing and management of all American activities, announced that a private research firm will report on the feasibility of establishing a new base at Marble Point. The study, which should be completed carrying Sir Edmund Hillary and Rear- by the end of March next year, will Admiral G. J. Dufek, then the United compare the cost of running McMurdo States support force commander. Ottei Station against the cost of constructing aircraft used the strip in the early years and running a new facility. International of Operation Deep Freeze, and a small science support needs in line with maintenance unit remained at Marble research programmes, and commercial Point to look after the tractors and logistic support needs between 1971 and earth-moving equipment. 1991, will be covered in the study. After the Marble Point survey which Two special projects have been in- included the collection of data for the eluded in the research programme for siting of buildings, power plants and the 1971-72 season. One is a study of electronic equipment it was suggested the Marble Point airfield, and a re- that the United States had plans for evaluation and operational cost analysis the construction of an all-weather com- of the McMurdo Station runways for mcrcial airfield to provide an air link wheeled and ski-equipped aircraft. The on routes between South America, South other will be concerned with the future Africa. Australia, and New Zealand, use of the nuclear power plant at Estimates of the cost of building such McMurdo Station, and an extensive re- an airfield ranged from 25,000,000 to evaluation and cost analysis of the 100,000,000 dollars, updating of the utilities. By 1960, however, the results of the McMurdo Station was established in Marble Point survey had disappeared 1956 as the support facility for Byrd into the files in Washington. Early and Pole Stations before the start of that year the area was in the news the International Geophysical Year. It again—as a source of marble, not as an has three airfields, a port, communica- airfield site. Navy helicopters lifted lions facilities, shops, warehouses, office three blocks of marble for shipment to buildings, a fire station, dispensary, New Zealand where they were used as science laboratories, and a barracks for foundation stones for chapels at three 350 men. Christchurch hospitals. Marble Point is the only suitable site Some time later the tractors and for a permanent all-weather airfield earth-moving equipment were brought found in a ten-year search of the Ant- across the ice of McMurdo Sound to arctic. A feasibility study of the area McMurdo Station. Since then Marble was made by a survey team in 1957 Point has been only a name on the and 1958. An 1800ft strip was bull- map. And before female scientists dozed by Seabees for use by light air- arrived in the Antarctic, there was a craft, and survey points were made. Ross Island legend that Marble Point The first landing of a wheeled aircraft was the place where women were on Antarctic earth was made on January hidden—well away from the all-male 31, 1958, by a VX6 Squadron Otter population. September 1971 BRITISH EXPEDITION TO ELEPHANT ISLAND Early in February this year members of a British expedition landed on Cape Valentine, Elephant Island, for the first time since Shackleton's men reached the island in 1916 after the Endurance had been trapped and crushed in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Groups from the 1970-71 Joint Services Expedition to Elephant Island also landed at Point Wild where Shackleton's men were marooned for four and a half months until they were rescued by the Chilean ship Yelcho. The story of the landings is told in the official report by the leader, Commander M. K. Burley, R.N. He also led a Joint Services Expedition to South Georgia in 1964-65 when it retraced the route taken by Shackle ton on his first crossing of the island after he, Worsley, Crean, McNeish, Vincent and McCarthy sailed the James Caird past Elephant Island to seek help for the men left behind under the leadership of Frank Wild. Fourteen men from the Navy, Army the highest point on Clarence Island and Air Force and the British Antarctic reaching approximately 5500 feet. Survey spent nearly four months on The South Shetland Islands were first Elephant Island and the other islands sighted in February, 1819, by Captain of the group, making tographical William Smith when his trading brig surveys and scientific studies, and climb Williams was blown off course while ing several of the mountain peaks. rounding Cape Horn. The following Before they left England they held a year, the main island at the eastern farewell party at which the distinguished end was discovered and named Sea guests included the three survivors of Elephant Island because of the profu Shackleton's 1914-16 expedition, Com sion of these seals on the beaches but mander L. Greenstreet and Messrs W. on charts published in 1822 and subse E. Hour and C. J. Green. quently the name became contracted Commander Burley's expedition to 'Elephant Island'. was unique in one respect. It had its There is little doubt that during the own pipe band—a one-man band. last century and particularly during the Captain C. H. Agnew of Locknaw, Royal 1820's, Antarctic sealing vessels visited Scots Fusiliers, took his bagpipes to Elephant Island in the course of their Elephant Island. activities. The first recorded landing, The Elephant Island group of however, occurred in April, 1916, when islands lies some 500 miles south-cast Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic of Cape Horn at the eastern end of Expedition sought sanctuary after the South Shetland Islands in British Endurance had been crushed and sunk. Antarctic Territory. The area of expedi The expedition had been encamped on tion activities embraced six main the north-west moving pack ice for islands of which Elephant Island is the more than five months and when the largest. The weather in this region has ice started to break up, took to its a certain notoriety and the occasions three boats and eventually landed at when Elephant Island is clear of cloud Cape Valentine. It bivouacked along the are singularly infrequent. All the islands narrow beach at the foot of a steep scree in the group are covered with a perman cliff but because of the exposed position ent ice-cap and are mountainous with of the beach stayed only 48 hours. September 1971

During this lime, however, the men made including an ascent of Mount cached ten boxes of sledging rations Agncw (5300ft), the highest peak on inside a secure cranny in the cliffs, well Clarence Island. above high water mark, for safekeeping After flying to Buenos Aires the should a storm suddenly blow up caus expedition sailed to Elephant Island in ing seas to sweep over the beach. the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship After a reconnaissance by boat along Endurance, making a short stay at the the coast to look for a safer site, the Falkland Islands. men moved six miles to the west in three boats and established camp on a SURVEY WORK small spit of land which they called Commander Burley writes that the Cape (now officially designated Point) Endurance arrived off Elephant Island Wild. While Shackleton sailed for South under blue skies in the small hours of Georgia to fetch help, the other two December 4. The island lay spread out, boats were improvised to form the roof a glistening blistered white plateau of a makeshift shelter in which the through which reared serrated ranges remainder existed until their rescue on of black ragged mountains. Closer August 30, 1916. scrutiny through binoculars showed The next visit occurred in 1922 when the apparently regular snow surface to parties from the research ship Quest be rent by countless tiers of crevasses made brief beach landings at Cape shredding the surfaces of successive Lookout and Minstrel Bay. glaciers as they tumbled down to the Since these visits, it is understood that sea. small British, Argentine, Chilean and Before disembarkation on Elephant United States parties have been ashore Island a reconnaissance was made of but these landings have all been of the projected trig points needed for the short durations and no penetrations survey of the island. The Endurance inland were undertaken. steamed round the coast, her helicopters landing on or hovering over each sta CENSUS OF SEALS tion to enable one of the surveyors to In January, 1957, during cloud clear verify the acceptability of the position. ances, Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd. com These points were on a variety of pleted aerial photographic coverage of locations, including precipitous rocky the island group. headlands, congested penguin rookeries, Among the aims of the expedition, isolated and exposed rocks miles out nearly all of which were achieved, were to sea, down to which the surveyors to survey the Elephant Island group, had to be winched, and precarious determine the movement of the main windswept mountain summits. Visiting discharge glacier of Elephant Island, each site called for a high standard of and to study the extent and topography airmanship by the helicopter pilots who, of the island's glaciers. It also made later, had to land and re-embark the representative collections of rocks, survey teams with all their camping terrestrial plants, and soil samples on gear and survey equipment. Elephant Island. By the end of December the initial For the first time a census was and most important part of the survey made of the birds of Elephant Island, work was completed. The four sur particularly of the breeding popula veyors were brought ashore by heli tion. A census of the seal population of copter to the base camp on Elephant the islands was made with particular Island, and the Endurance sailed to reference to possible breeding species, continue her programme in more distant sightings of tagged seals were recorded, parts of Antarctica. and also sightings of whale and A month later the expedition's isola- dolphins at sea and ashore. lation was relieved. The Endurance, Most of the main peaks in the group proceeding northwards to Punta Arenas, were climbed. Twenty ascents were closed the island and dropped off mail and bread by helicopter before resum layers of rubble were solidly frozen and ing her passage. little short of a pneumatic drill would On February 8 a group from the prize the contents free." expedition set out to reconnoitre the All members of the expedition wanted cliffs and beaches of the eastern end of to visit Point Wild where Shackleton's the island. As avalanche scarred men were marooned. Commander Burlcy mountains in the area denied any but decided that three separate groups a very difficult climbing high approach should make visits. to Cape Valentine, the party decided to The first group of five, led by Com seek a possible route by means of the mander Burley, left on February 12 from beach. Chinstrap Camp at the eastern end of After skiing across two glaciers and' the island. the ridge, the party kicked steps down To reach Point Wild the men had a broad snow gully to the beach at the to ascend the island's main glacier, foot of a 700ft vertical rock face. climb a steep mountain ridge, and then About half-way to Cape Valentine follow the edge of the Furness Glacier the party was effectively halted when beside Mount Houldcn. They reached the mountainside plunged precipitously a terminal serac of the glacier about into the surging sea, with no feasible 300ft above the sea. climbing route across the sheer rock HISTORIC SPOT face. Luckily the expedition's boat hove into sight round the headland, and the Then they cut steps down the ice party was able to motor round to Cape face for 120ft to a bank of snow against Valentine. the mountainside, made a 100yd "It was an exhilarating feeling to traverse down the snow slope to the make the first landing on Cape Valen beach, and after a 100yd dash across tine since Shackleton's expedition had slippery boulders trying to evade surging been there in 1916," writes Commander breakers, reached the historic spot at Hurley. "The various cliffs, stretches last. of shore and islets featuring as back "Once again, it was fascinating to grounds in photographs taken by Hurley scan the features depicted in the back in 1916, copies of which had been grounds to the dramatic photographs of obtained from the Royal Geographical Shackleton's expedition," writes Com Society, were instantly recognisable. mander Burley. The three changes "The only change to the landscape which were immediately noticeable were which had taken place was caused by that the glacier snout, which in 1916 a major rockfall from higher up the overlapped the landwards end of the cliff, opposite a basalt pillar on the Point, has since receded a full 200 corner, which had buried the lower yards. The gravel spit is also consider part of the cranny in which Shackleton ably narrower than it used to be. . . . had cached some rations. To reach what "The site of the expedition's impro was originally the bottom of the cranny vised shelter was tenaciously occupied would involve excavating several tons by penguins nesting amongst pools of of rocks, so it was decided to leave the krill-pink mire; recollections by Shackle huge pile of debris in the undisputed ton's expedition of the increasingly possession of the scores of nesting foetid atmosphere inside the close chinstrap penguins which were firmly confines of the shelter as the tempera ensconced over the whole mass. ture rose can readily be comprehended. "The next day, the entire expedition There was no evident trace of the wall visited Cape Valentine with the boat of rocks buttressing the upturned boats relaying parties across the impassable which is not surprising as this low lying stretch of the coast. A determined duo area must have been repeatedly over resolved to make a further try for the whelmed by countless heavy seas during elusive rations but having removed the winter storms." surface rocks, they found that the lower Point Wild is a rocky island connected September 1971

to the mainland by a low gravel spit 400ft to the bottom. All lost their ice about 20yds long by 6yds wide at high axes and minor items of equipment water. The party had to pitch its two but were unhurt. tents in the centre of this narrow spit. Commander Burley and his com "The next two nights were not the panion on the other rope were near most restful of the expedition," is the fracture line and each step they Commander Burley's dry comment. took started an ominous crack from "Two yards to landwards the penguins their footprints to the fracture. But kept up an incessant and indescribably they reached the relative safety of the raucous clatter, pecking periodically at clear avalanche track and descended to the guys (ropes). join the others. A two-hour journey "From one side of the spit the waves through a rising blizzard brought the sluiced up to within two feet of the party back safely to camp before the tents (we discovered later) and on the worst of the storm broke. other, the brush ice crunched relent A second party visited Point Wild lessly a mere two yards away. almost three weeks later. The snow had Throughout all of this, the fur seals deteriorated considerably, opening up cavorted round the tents,, shuffling and many more crevasses, but the men were snuffling with inexhaustible supplies of able to spend a day at Point Wild. energy. . . ." They also climbed Mount Houlden. DIFFICULT TRIP Spasmodic falls of rock from Mount Houlden, unsuitable snow conditions, Commander Burley's party had a and the dangerous state of the snow difficult trip back to Chinstrap Camp. bridges spanning the crevasses, forced A storm was brewing and the snow a third party to abandon its visit to conditions were bad. They completed Point Wild two days later. However, safely the most difficult part of the it was able to climb Mount Houlden descent of the mountain ridge, and and explore the adjacent coastal area. were walking down the last few The topographical survey of Elephant hundred feet in what was comparatively Island, and the eight other islands of the easiest part of the snow slope when the group was the expedition's most an avalanche suddenly swept three men important task. It was achieved although who were on one rope together, some wind, cloud and snow hindered progress.

BRITISH SURVEY NEWS Winter party of 105 men at bases this season This season the British Antarctic Survey will have a winter party of 105 men at its six main bases and the advance base. Fossil Bluff. Sixty men will go south next month in the R.R.S. John Biscoe and Bransfield, and the twin-engined Otter and the single-engined Beaver will be flown from Canada at the end of the month. Routine observations and maintenance celebrated the day in traditional fashion have occupied the 87 men wintering at although at Stonington Island merry- the bases. Preparations have also been making was sandwiched between field made for summer field work. trips, and some men were away from New potatoes grown in the base green- the base, house were on the Midwinter's Day Travel in most areas was hampered dinner menu at Signy Island. All bases when strong winds at the beginning of September 1971

July and in the second half of August coupled with winter darkness it re broke up and dispersed the sea ice down stricted outside activities. When the the west coast of the Antarctic Penin sun rose on August 12 a visit was made sula and in the South Orkneys. At the to the local Emperor penguin rookery Argentine Islands, however, sea ice where the current population was esti travel was possible in June, and visits mated at 35,000 birds. were made from the base to the neigh In contrast to Halley Bay, Signy bouring islands. Several parties stayed Island in the South Orkneys experienced at the old base on Winter Island. unusually warm weather at the begin An inland depot laying and dog train ning of June. The mean temperature for ing trip was carried out from Adelaide the first two weeks was about 20deg F. Island at the beginning of July. Meteor A widespread thaw and heavy rain were ologists placed a line of nine stakes at welcomed as they topped up the base eight-mile intervals between the base reservoir and solved the water supply and the mountains to the north. This problems for several months. was done at the beginning of August to Gales in the second half of June measure snow accumulation over the ice broke up the sea ice and restricted piedmont. travel for most of July. Lack of sea ice Two survey parties which set off with also restricted biological sampling in the bay near the base, but all the ter dogs from Stonington Island at the restrial programmes continued without beginning of June were forced to return after a week because some of the dogs interruption. Trips were made to the west coast of the island to continue developed foot rot. A later party had to return after travelling only five miles observations on Weddell seals. when gales broke up the sea ice. After The weather on South Georgia was lying up for a week until the gales also variable. Heavy snow in the first abated the party returned to base over two weeks of July brought problems of land. drifting up. but this was followed by Later in June four men arrived at the clear, sunny weather which allowed out old British base on Horseshoe Island, side weather to continue. Progress was from which they were able to carry out made with the various scientific pro geophysical work in the northern part grammes which are being built up at of Marguerite Bay. This group con this base (surface meteorology, geo tinued field work through midwinter and magnetism, ionospheric work and completed it at the end of July when it biology). Seismometers were set up in returned to Stonington Island. June, and after some initial difficulties, Other groups from Stonington Island were reported to be running satisfac carried out survey and glaciological torily. work locally and on the Antarctic Penin sula east of Horseshoe Island, and laid depots in readiness for summer-projects. WAIKATO RESEARCH UNIT After the evacuation of two sick men An Antarctic research unit will be from the advance base at Fossil Bluff, established at the University of Wai the two men remaining were able to kato. Scientists from the university resume field work in August, investigat have already been twice to the Ant ing ice shelf movement in George VI arctic, and this season a third party will Sound. They set up a tide gauge at continue studies of geomorphology in Ablation Point, 35 miles north of the the dry valley systems of Victoria Land. bluff, and did optical levelling across the Proposals for the establishment of a sound. research unit put forward by several A record low temperature of —63.8 scientists were approved by the univer deg. F. was recorded at Halley Bay in sity council last month. Most of the June. The mean of* —25deg. F. for the Antarctic equipment needed for the unit month was also unusually low, and is already available. September 1971 MEDALLIONS FOR AUSTRALIANS

Bronze Antarctic medallions, one of between 1968 and 1970. The stations which is shown above, have been are Mawson, Davis, and Casey (form awarded to 164 former members of erly Wilkes), and the bases are Repstat Australian Antarctic expeditions. The and Amery. award has been instituted by the Department of Supply, which has been responsible for the Antarctic Division since 1968. STARLIFTER The Minister for Supply, Senator Sir Kenneth Anderson, announced recently FLIGHTS that he and his department considered Early next month Starlifters of the there was a need to recognise the isola United States Military Airlift Com tion and hardship endured by members mand will begin their major role in of the Antarctic wintering teams at ferrying men and equipment between Christchuich and McMurdo Sound to Mawson, Davis, and Casey Stations. He said that an expedition could achieve support American operations in the its purpose only through a team effort, Antarctic. and in this respect every member was Forty Starlifter flights to the continent arc planned between October indispensable. 12 and January 21. Last summer only Sir Kenneth Anderson expressed the one Starlifter took passengers to the hope that the departmental medallion Antarctic. and its accompanying certificate would Four Hercules of the United States become a symbol of that achievement under difficult circumstances. Beyond Navy's VX6E Squadron are expected to spend most of the summer on the con the contribution of a team, he said, tinent carrying supplies to the various individuals could still contribute signifi scientific stations. cantly to the success of Antarctic ex This season VXE6 Squadron will use peditions, and outstanding personal in the Antarctic six new turbine-engined service would continue to be recognised Bell UH-1N helicopters. These are a by the Polar Medal which the Queen later development of the UH-1D heli awarded from time to time. copters introduced to the Antarctic in So far the Department of Supply has Deep Freeze 62, and used for topo listed 176 names of men who have graphical survey work by the United wintered at Antarctic stations or bases States Army. September 1971 FOSSIL BLUFF ANARE NEWS RESCUE Mawson Penguin Two sick members of the British Antarctic Survey winter team at Fossil Census Bluff in George VI Sound, were flown on September 13 to Palmer Station, on At Davis, a spring journey is planned Anvers Island, for medical treatment. towards the Grove Nunataks to re- Blizzards and gales delayed their rescue measure the strain-grids established on by an Argentine Navy ski-plane for the ice-cap during 1970. The grids will more than two weeks. be extended further along the route, The rescue mission began at the end of last month when Sir Vivian Fuchs, enabling ice movement in the region to director of the British Antarctic Survey, be determined. sent a radio message to the Argentine The party at Casey plans a spring- Antarctic Institute asking for urgent summer traverse to extend glaciological medical help for the two men. One and geophysical measurements from the man, Mr Richard Walker, aged 25, had bottom of the valley below the local .> froMnrort li»o ;inrl was suffering from ice-cap to a further 500 kiloi frostbite. The other, Mr Roger O Dono inland. van, also aged 25, was believed to have On Macquarie Island, the staff have hepatitis, and had been unconscious several times. continued regular observations for With a doctor and medical supplies synoptic meteorology, ozone content of the atmosphere, continuous recording the rescue plane flew first to Palmer of geomagnetic and seismological phe Station. Blizzards and 75-mile an hour nomena, and measurement of tides. gales kept it there for several days. It reached the British base on Adelaide There have also been studies of magneto- Island on September 5, and flew to spheric substorms of magnctospheric Fossil Bluff the next day. structure, including ground-satellite cor relations. Bad weather forced the plane to turn back to Fossil Bluff only a few minutes STATION OFFICERS after it had taken off on the morning of September 8 for Palmer Station 500 miles to the north. The next day the the selection of officers-in-char^ will serve at the four ANARE stations. plane was able to make the 250-mile flight to Adelaide Island but the weather They are: Messrs M. E. Roberts, of was too bad to fly the next stage to Black Rock (Victoria), D. A. Gillespie, Anvers Island. of Crafers (South Australia), D. J. Lukas, of Lismore (New South Wales), An unexpected change in the weather, and J. S. McLachlan, of Naracoortc however, allowed the plane to reach Palmer Station after it had been delayed (South Australia). at Adelaide Island for three days. The Five thousand Emperor penguins were two men were taken to the medical counted by the men at Mawson in a centre where Mr Walker had the cast on census taken at the Taylor and Fold his leg changed, and Mr O'Donovan Island rookeries. responded favourably to a diet of fresh A fuel depot trip in the Prince Charles food after months of eating only canned Mountains, particularly at Mt Creswell, food. is being planned as early as possible in On September 16 the Argentine Gov October. This is preparatory to the ernment announced that the two men coming summer programme of com would be flown to Buenos Aires for bined glaciological and survey activity medical treatment. in this region. September 1971 Japan's Antarctic plans for the coming- year A full scientific programme at Syowa Station (69° 00' S., 39° 35' W.) and a study of marine biology by the expedition ship Fuji are among the plans for the 13th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. The Fuji will carry 40 members ofwill will largely largely follow follow the the pattern pattern of the 1971-72 expedition, leaving Tokyo researchresearch disciplines for the previous on November 25 and proceeding to year.year. There There will will bebe continuouscontinuous studies Syowa Station via Freemantle. of cosmicof cosmic rays, rays, aurorae aurorae and and airglow, airglow, Thirty scientists, base maintenance withwith rocket rocket flightsflights forfor auroralauroral observa observa- mechanics and engineers will winter at tions.tions. Syowa under the leadership of Mr IonosphereIonosphere research research will will be be continued badao Kawaguchi, and ten men will andand a year-rounda year-round record record ofof geomagnet-geomagnet comprise a summer support party. ismism kept. kept. Meteorology Meteorology in in all all its its many The members of the two parties and phasesphases will will be be studied,studied, especiallyespecially wind their jobs or scientific disciplines are: speedspeed and and direction,direction, airair pressure, pressure tern-tem Winter Party. —Sadao Kawaguchi perature and humidity, cloud cover, (leader), Itaru Furizawa, Hiroshi Fuku- sunshine hours and snow accumulation. tani, Takehisa Shiratsuchi (meterology), Seismology or earthquake observation Susumu Isozaki (ionosphere), Norihiko will be recorded on seismographs Seto (geophysics), Dr Susumu Kokubun, throughout the winter. Shigcru Miyazaki, Yoshikazu Tanaka ROCK AND ICE STUDIES (upper atmosphere physics), Hiroshi Sasaki (meteorology), Hideki Narita In the field of geology studies will be made along the coast of Lutzow- (glaciology), Haruta Murayana (geo chemistry), Toshio Miwa (human Holm Bay with special reference to physiology), Terumi Ishikawa (geology), structural analysis. Masao Inoue (diesel mechanic), Asao Glaciological investigation of the ice Masukawa, Kazunori Umeda (mech sheet will be carried out, with deep core anics), Kouichi Sugihara (electrician), sampling down to 400 metres below the Hiroshi Moriguchi, Yasuhiro Kimura surface. Further work will include the (radio operators), Sadasuke Gomi, Seizi study of valley glaciers of the Soya Fukusima (cooks), Yoshiro Tamaki Coast and observations of the sea-ice (medical doctor), Shigeo Yamazaki in Ongul Strait. (electronics), Norihisa Hiruma (rocket Other activities include the collection engineer), Akihida Hirayama, Minoru of cosmic dust at Syowa Station for the Hohtaki (electronics), Masashi Sano, study of cosmic ray-induced nuclides Fumio Okuhira, Susumu Hayasida and the continuous measurement of (logisticians). atmosphereic carbon dioxide. During the summer a living hut for Summer Party.—Zenbei Seino (leader). ten men will be erected and a dome- Tamotsu Bando, Yoshiyuki Iwanaga covered rocket launcher. (physical oceanography), Masao Matsu- zaki (marine biology), Kokiti Kimura SHIP'S PROGRAMME geodesy), Kiichi Moriwaki (geography), From November, 1971, to April, 1972, Masahiro Aoyanagi (biology), Kazuo the Fuji will carry out a programme of Katagiri, Masaaki Naitow (construc upper atmosphere physics, marine tion), Kaneo Sato (logistician). meteorology, and a survey of sea-water Activities at the base during the gravities between Tokyo and Syowa December, 1971-November, 1972 period Station. September 1971

Marine biology will include measure- work at Lake Vanda in the dry valley ment of the chlorophyll content of area of Victoria Land. They will carry surface sea water and an ecological out shallow drilling and stratigraphical study of phyto-plankton and zoo- studies and make a hydrological study plankton of lake waters in the area, including A team of four scientists will also plankton population and species. JARE 12 Journey to Mizuho A glaciological party will leave Syowa One of the main programmes this' Station at the end of this month for year was to shoot sounding rockets in Mizuho, the advance camp about 300 the middle of auroral activity during kilometres to the south-east, which was the polar night. But this was not fully established on July 21 last year at 70dcg accomplished because of unfavourable 42.1min S, 44deg 17.5min E. The party conditions, high winds, clouds, and rela will remain in the field until January tively weak auroral activity during the Nine men led by T. Kimura returned quiet period of the sun's activity. to Syowa on July 26 after two weeks at Up to the beginning of August three Mizuho where they completed mid rocket launchings have been made. winter supply and construction work. Four more rockets will be launched It was the first time that a traverse party before the end of the year, providing has left the station in the middle of the conditions are favourable. winter. Mizuho, which is at an altitude of about 2100 metres, was used during a brief period in the summer of 1970-71 Soviet Theories on by a traverse party from JARE 11. This time the party left Syowa on May 30, pulling a load of about 25 tons with Earth's Crust three KC60 and two KC20 vehicles. It Studies by Soviet geologists in Queen arrived on June 28, two weeks behind Maud Land have revised accepted schedule because of bad weather and views on the earth's crust. Rocks of low temperatures of minus 40 to 50c. fantastic shapes indicate a huge inter The party erected a small prefabri mediate layer between the crust and the cated hut and dug a trench for installing basalt of the upper mantle. generator and glaciological equipment. Professor Mikhail Ravich, of Lenin Last year a corrugated iron warehouse grad, has detected traces of this layer was erected. About five men will be in Charnockite, a mysterious rock which accommodated at Mizuho for glacio makes up half the mountain ranges of logical work. East Antarctic. On July 12 the party left Mizuho for This rock, combining features of Syowa where it arrived on July 26. The basalt and graphite, has been found in men suffered from light frostbite on crystalline formations, but its origin has their faces during the trip but all arrived been a mystery. back in good health. A welcoming Professor Ravich has shown that the party was held concurrently with a rock forms between the crust and the delayed mid-winter ceremony. mantle at high temperatures, and under Twenty-nine men, led by Dr Takasi pressures of up to 15,000 atmospheres. Oguti, professor of upper atmosphere The layer has not been detected physics at the University of Tokyo, are before, probably because it is so narrow. all busy at Syowa Station with research Professor Ravich estimates that, on a projects and preparing for the coming world-wide scale, the layer is less than field work during next summer. six miles thick. September 1971 Rocket Observations of Aurora at Syowa A series of rocket observations of the aurora was started at Syowa Station on June 24 by members of the winter team of the 12th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. The first of six S210 rockets was sent aloft at 4.05 a.m. JST, and was guided on a designated path through the

Part of the observation machinery Dr Oguti said that the rocket began to mounted in the rocket went out of order spin satisfactorily 47 seconds after it left because of electrical trouble which the launching pad and was separated developed 8.3 seconds after launching. from its nose cone 61 seconds later. It As a result part of the data wanted by fell about 100 km south of Syowa Sta the winter team could not be collected. tion five minutes and 46 seconds after Otherwise the launching was successful. it was sent aloft. Japan has launched three S160 rockets, The rocket is five metres long. 21 which are one size smaller than the centimetres in diameter, and weighs S2I0 and have a range of 90km. since 260 kg. February 10 last year. The new series of experiments is expected to shed light on the mystery of the aurora pheno menon. In a report to Tokyo the winter leader, Dr Takasi Oguti, said that the rocket, fired in fair weather, streaked, Endeavour is Now through the aurora's glowing zone at an altitude of 100 to 120 km, and Dragon Spring reached a height of 130 km two minutes H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, the Royal and 50 seconds later. New Zealand Navy's Antarctic support ship for the last eight years, has changed her name and her navy. She is now the Ron Lung Chan or Dragon Spring, QUEEN MAUD LAND and has been borrowed by the Nationa LAKES list Chinese Navy from the United States Navy. Soviet scientists in the Antarctic have Since she was lent to the Royal New- been studying the strange lakes which Zealand Navy in October, 1962, the lie beneath the ice in the mountains of 27-year-old former petrol carrier has Queen Maud Land. Some of the lakes been used primarily to carry supplies are 300ft deep, some cover an area of for Scott Base and fuel for McMurdo several square miles, and others are Station. She has also been employed on 3000ft or more above sea level. oceanographic research and on supply Most of the lakes are formed by the missions to the remote Pacific Islands melting of ice in summer; some seem administered by New Zealand. to have been produced by subterranean Built as a Patapsco class petrol carrier heat. The ice covering apparently pro the Endeavour was originally the U.S.S. tects them from freezing right to the Namakagon. She was refitted and bottom. strengthened for service in ice, trans These lakes are rich in diatoms and ferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy algae which give the water an unusual under the Military Aid Programme and bright green colour. renamed. September 1971 Soviet Expedition Will Set Up New Station Another research station—the seventh—will be established by this season's Soviet expedition to the Antarctic. With a research team of 420, including scientists from Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, India, Rumania, and the United States, the expedition will be the largest ever sent from the U.S.S.R. Although the new station has not been the discovery of a new pengr1, identified, it is probably the one which about 10,000 strong. In the . the Russians indicated earlier would be they found a breeding ground used by established at Cape Dart, on the coast sea elephants, fur seals, and sea cows. of Marie Byrd Land. Its location is A report on the animal world of King 73deg 6min S, 126deg 20min W. The George Island, known to the Russians establishment of Leningradskaya, on the as Waterloo Island, will be published Oates Coast, about 200 miles from Hal shortly by the Arctic and Antarctic lett Station, was announced last season. Institute. The whole area, close to the This season's expedition will explore North Foreland promontory, has been declared a reserve. and map the area of the Amery Ice Shelf between the Lars Christensen and Ingrid Christensen Coasts. It will travel to Antarctica in four ships, includ ing the veteran Ob. The advance party will leave Leningrad aboard the Ob late in October. A number of light aircraft will be taken by the expedition, and—for the first time—two large MI-8 helicopters. Winter Research by The helicopters, like those which will be used by the United States Navy's VXE6 Soviet Ship Squadron, are turbine-powered. A Soviet research ship, the Academi As a transport helicopter the twin- cian Knipovich (4000 tons) has sailed engined MI-8 carries 28 passengers and from Sevastopol for an eight months' two pilots. The cargo-carrying version season in the Antarctic. This will be has 24 tip-up seats along the side walls the first Soviet winter exploration in of the cabin, a winch for lifting heavy these southern waters. cargo, clam shell loading doors, and Scientists aboard the ship hope to hook on ramps for vehicle loading. discover more shoals of putassu, a type Carrying nearly three tons of cargo of cod whose liver is particularly rich the MI-8 has a range of 264 miles. Its in oil. They will also continue the service ceiling is 14,700ft. and its search for edible forms of plankton. normal cruising speed is 140 m.p.h. This The Academician Knipovich was built is reduced to 112 m.p.h. with a 2^-ton in the Nikolayev yards on the Black Sea load. eight years ago. At the request of NEW PENGUIN COLONY the United Nations Food and Agricul Soviet scientists at Bellingshausen ture Organisation it has also operated as Station on King George Island, off the a training ship for young scientists from Antarctic Peninsula, reported recently the developing countries. September 1971 SOUTH ON THE WINGS OF THE MORNING By GERALD S. DOORLY The first part of Gerald Doorly's memories (see "Antarctic" Vol. 6, No. 2, June, 1971) told of his early sea career. He joined the S.Y. Morning as third officer when she was selected as a relief vessel to the Discovery, the National Antarctic Expedition ship under Captain R. F. Scott which had sailed for the Antarctic in August, 1901. The Morning left London a year later.

The Bay of Biscay treated us kindly. seven knots, while the big four-masted Once in the finer weather, we dragged barque was making twice that speed. the piano from obscurity to settle it in She was the Herzogin Sophie Char its new home in the wardroom. To our lotte, from Hamburg, a North German dismay we found it was too wide to Lloyd training ship, with the cross-kevs pass through either door leading below of the North German Lloyd marked in to the wardroom. large black lettering across her main However, Morrison, the practical- royal. minded chief engineer, solved the prob As she drew abreast of us ensigns lem. were dipped and her German band "I'm no musician." he said in finest struck up "God Save the King," fol Glasgow, "but having examined the lowed by a spirited rendering of "Der construction of the instrument. I dinna Wacht am Rhine," and much huzza-ing. see it would suffer much detriment bv The huge four-poster was hull down being cut in halves!" on the horizon ahead of us at dusk. An astonishing and original sugges We struck a leak when south of the tion. The carpenter, using a cook's Line, which caused some anxiety. We meatsaw, hacked through each side of pumped with both manual and engine- the keyboard and dissected the "instru room pumps almost continuously, but ment". All parts were passed below, the water reached up to 6ft in the hold. neatly secured with glue and a few At one time the captain considered wooden dowels, and hove tight by a making for Pernambuco. on the Brazil rope and a belaying pin. The keys were ian coast—our nearest port. reshipped, and a grand concert was Fortunately the leak lessened and the held that evening with most of the bilge soundings were gradually reduced crew. to normal. One of the mysterious We called at Madeira to replenish "deeps" that beset an ancient wooden coal bunkers which had been supplied whaler. generously by the Union Castle Com pany. ROUGH WEATHER Setting off again, we followed the Rounding the Cape the little ship general sailing ship routes and met wallowed in the Roaring Forties, gale quite a number of them. after gale making her "easting down" At dawn one morning a large sailing across the stormy Southern Ocean ship appeared out of the blue from the One night we broached to. A sudden horizon astern, and was up to us soon squall broke over the ship and threw after noon. We were well into the her nearly on to her beam ends. North East Trades, ambling along at I fell out of my bunk, shoved my feet September 1971 into a pair of slippers and tore uo on with masses of detached ice, like deck in my pyjamas. chunks of icing sugar, floes and jagged The wind shrieked, lashing the sea bergs making a magical scene. into a barrage of hail and spray which Christmas Day stands out in mv drove in sheets up over the lower vards. memory. I was awakened by the dull The lee rail was engulfed. Evans had grinding sound of ice crunching along been caught with the t'gallants set! the ship's sides. Hastening on deck, a I groped aft, clinging to the weather thrilling sight met my eyes. The oblique rays of the sun cast weird shadows rail, and reached the poop, with Evans's across the fantastic bergs which sur voice, faintlv through the fury, shout rounded us. and reflected superb tints ing. "Give me a hand with the weather of sapphire and azure through their t'gallant brace—quick!" weather-worn caves. Both t'gallants sails had been let fly. I dived below to the wardroom and and, with hailstones peppering our crashed out "Christians Awake. Salute backs, we managed to get the main- the Happy Morn!" on the piano, which t'gallant yard pointed sufficiently to aroused the whole ship's company, who spill the wind out of the sail. tumbled out of their bunks and we all The captain dashed ud the companion wished ourselves a Merry Christmas. hatch, struggling into fractious oilskins The wardroom was hung with out "In mains'l and upper tops'ls. too!" gaudy coloured sledge flags, and the he ordered. imposing array of parcels labelled "Not All hands toiled hard, and by the end to be opened till Christmas Day" was of the watch the shin was snugged pounced on and eagerly investigated. down. Drenched and dirtv. Evans and T NEW ISLAND FOUND went below to the comfort of clean Steaming for some hours through a raiment, the warmth of a hot rum labyrinth of icebergs, we sighted what toddv and the bliss of a cosv bunk. appeared to be a gigantic one with its After a spell of three and a half underside black. The captain pro months of eternal sea and sky, thr. nounced it to be an island. We had Morning, true to her name, arrived at made a new discovery, a beautiful un Lyttelton, New Zealand, at the first charted island, on which the eye of man streak of a beautiful dawn had never before rested! Unhappily, when steaming close to the shore we SOUTHWARD HO! struck a submerged rocky ledge upon For three weeks we worked at high which the ship banged considerably— pressure, relieved bv a round of social indeed, part of her false keel broke activities and much kindness which was away before we got free. lavished on us by the good people of A boat party landed the captain on a New Zealand. rocky point, from which he claimed Early in December, 1902. we sailed the island for England. Three cheers from Lyttelton, amidst cheering crowds, were exchanged between the shore and gay bunting, marine bands and tooting ship. We called our discovery Scott sirens, and set out on our venture into Island, and it is situated in latitude 67° South Polar regions. 7' S., longitude 179° 50' W. Heavily laden, the Morning flound For a week we fought the pack ice. ered through stormy seas for three with the ship straining and struggling weeks, the weather moderating when to smash into and through an appar she reached the Antarctic Circle in lati ently impenetrable mass, for 300 miles. tude 66° 33' S. That happened to be We made the acquaintance of several Christmas Eve kinds of seal—crabeaters, Weddells. and We were now in perpetual sunshine, an occasional leopard seal: and. of the sun skimming the southern horizon course, the comical Adelie penguins, at midnight. The ocean was sprinkled whom the men dubbed "The Harbour September 1971

IQBHHBHfl

The Morning in McMurdo Sound

Board" by reason of the quaint manner belching from their caves, were hurled in which they filed, flipper to flipper, from the wave's crest against the help standing on the ice-edge as they less vessel. Several oak planks were watched the ship crunch through the floes. split along the waterline. After battling through the pack, a Weary and dazed, with eyelids drooping and faces cut by icy blasts, gale caught us practically at its southern we managed to con our ship safely edge, and it increased so violently that we were blown clean out of the pack. through an eternity of four awesome days and nights. Here was a test for us. "Whatever any of our little crew The sea rose rapidly and the ship may say. we were all of us thoroughly was bumped on to the rolling, spur- frightened," to quote from Admiral projecting dangers. The full force of Lord Mountevans' book "The Desolate that south-easterly blizzard threatened Antarctic". to overwhelm us. Shortly the ocean became a sea of CONTINENT SIGHTED storm-tossed ice derelicts; no canvas The gale abating, we ploughed to the could be set owing to the fury of the south-west and soon sighted land—the wind. The engines were going, but they first glimpse of the ice-clad mountain hardly made steerage-way. peaks of South Victoria Land. It was impossible to avoid collision, We reached Cape Adare, the northern and we suffered sickening shocks when extremity of the Admiralty Range, and great bergs, sobbing and seething as landed on a pebbly beach occupied by they rolled, with water hissing and a rookery of screaming penguins, and a September 1971 hut built by the Southern Cross party. similar in size and appearance to Scott (See "Antarctic" Vol. 5. No. 11. p. Island. We had an anxious time strugg 466.) ling through rough floes; but we man Captain Colbeck was as excited as a aged to land on a beach—the inevitable schoolboy as he ran up the slope to penguin rookery beach. the hut. and broke in the outer porch; A blizzard broke upon us suddenly more excited still, he found a red- from the south. Steaming our hardest to the eastward, we escaped in the nick painted cylinder with Discovery marked in white letters—the first clue of our of time, into the more open waters of search. (It was dated January. 1902— the Ross Sea. exactly twelve months before.) The hardest feature, however, was The captain said, "When we left this our failure to secure a record. Well, we must keep moving. Proceed place four years ago, wild horses couldn't have dragged me here again; ing due south we picked up the trail and yet . . .!" He showed us where the at Cape Crozier. in latitude 77° S., then ten men had bunked, and existed; we the farthest south point known. hadn't the time to visit Nicolai Hansen's On the slopes of an extinct volcano. grave, which was at the top of the Mount Terror (behind which is its bigger sister. Mount Erebus), in the cape, a thousand feet up. midst of a huge penguin rookery, we PUSHING SOUTHWARD found a wooden post with three red- From Robertson Bay we steered painted cylinders marked Discovery towards the south-east along an impos lashed on to it. With much excitement we read the ing mountainous coast, dodging in and out between stupendous tabular-shaped contents, and knew that the Discovery was only about 90 miles from us—in bergs. McMurdo Sound! We searched a penguin rookery on one of the small group of islands— Hastening on board, we got under the Possession Islands—but found no way with a full head of steam and steered to the westward along the record. Erebus shore. Owing to especially heavy pack we We were soon held up, unfortunately, were unable to get within 15 to 20 miles of the land. Coulman Island, a by the heaviest pack we had encoun tered, and it took a week's strenuous large round-backed ice-capped island, slugging before we broke through into lay well to the north of Wood Bay; and a narrow channel between Cape Bird Mount Melbourne, a perfect ice-covered and Beaufort Island. cone of 8000ft, was on its southern We were then free enough to steam side. We tried again and again to push in towards this bay, because we had all out to the south up McMurdo Sound, and at midnight precisely, we high hope that the Discovery might have wintered there. sighted the trucks of two of the Dis We came upon some strange looking covery's masts over a ridge of land. ruts across the entire length of a large They looked for all the world like a couple of tiny matches in the middle floe. The marks were similar to those of that desolate wilderness of ice and of skis—or a sledge. We were keener snow. than ever to push into the pack towards the land. THE DISCOVERY However, after careful examination Ten blizzard-blown explorers, includ we found these double ruts to be made ing Armitage, second-in-command, and by penguins, which sometimes propel Skelton. the Discovery's chief engineer, themselves in this way on their breasts. welcomed us after they had sledged Working south we made a determined across ten miles of bay ice to the attempt to force the floes to Franklin Morning. Island—a small island well offshore and Armitage had recently returned from September 1971

his pioneer sledge journey up the west ducked into the pantry to have another ern mountains of McMurdo Sound, go at the remains of the meal. About accompanied by Skelton (later Engin 2 a.m. I heard him rousing Shackleton, eer-Admiral Sir Reginald Skelton). whose cabin was next to the one I was They spent a few days with us in the in. Morning, lapping up the news of the "I say, Shackles." he called, "How outside world, and telling in turn of would you fancy some sardines on many exciting happenings in the south. toast?" They were particularly interested and The smell of toasting bread at the happy when I dug out their packages of mail from the mail locker. wardroom fire was overpowering, and Scott spent the early hours stoking up The Discovery was frozen in her his inside and those of his two raven winter harbour at the foot of the ous companions. This pathetic gorging majestic volcano Mount Erebus, over continued for several days. 12,000 feet above the sea. A hut had been built on the north The magnetic observer of the expedi tion, Armitage "swung" the Morning point of the bay, Hut Point, as a refuge one day for compass adjustment. Our should mishap befall the ship. It was flanked inside with stores, mostly ship being built of wood, there was >oxes of biscuits. The vacant space little to divert our compass needles within was used for occasional theatri from the path of rectitude; the earth's cal shows during the winter. These magnetism, however, upset them suffici entertainments went over well, the audi ently to compel us to steer in the ence applauding every number, vigor direction of north-east when we really wanted to head for the South Pole. ously clapping hands and stamping feet—they would have been frozen stiff During "swinging" operations killer otherwise in that devitalising icebox. whales frequently shot from under the The barn was called "The Royal Terror ship, cascading vapoury jets from their ."heatre". blowholes when they surfaced. As they usually rose to windward, we often SOUTHERN PARTY RETURNS received forceful squirts in our faces. A week after the arrival of the The killer's dorsal fin is like a high Morning in the Sound, Captain Scott, three-cornered jibsail which lists over Lieutenant Shackleton (R.N.R.) and Dr heavily when the whale's back surfaces Wilson returned from the pioneer south in a strong beam wind. We did not ern sledge journey over the Great Ice. know then how treacherous and vicious Barrier, having reached latitude 80° 17' killer whales are. Captain Scott found/ South. They suffered much from this out, to his cost, in his last expedi scurvy, and all their dogs perished. tion, several years later. A "banquet" marked the fine feat, Captain Scott had named the southern but after weeks of scanty sledge rations point of the winter harbour Cape the blow-out of New Zealand mutton, Armitage. "A graceful tribute," said potatoes and plum duff put too severe a Armitage, "and the more appreciated strain on their digestive organs and because my name was thereby associ they were promptly sick; but they ated with those of Ross's two senior couldn't stop eating. They said it was officers, Captain Crozier and Lieutenant "heavenly" being at home again, and Bird." continued devouring both food and (Rising abruptly from Cape Armitage their big mail. there now stands, on its summit. The relief ship had brought them all Observation Hill, a huge jarrah wood good news, and Captain Scott said, in cross overlooking the Ross Ice Shelf— a short speech after dinner, that it was the memorial to Scott and his four a blessing aptly to quote "Joy cometh companions who perished when return in the Morning". ing from the South Pole ten years S»ott was restless. Frequently he later.) September 1971

SUB-ANT ARCTIC Life on Campbell Island DEREK LAWS REPORTS: Ten months of our year on Campbell Island have now passed and this will be my last report for "Antarctic". For the eight people out of the nine who came here, wintering has been an experience they will long remember. Two of the meteorological staff had been to Raoul Island but only our cook, Bryan George, who stayed over from last year, knew exactly what it was like to spend a winter on Campbell Island. On the whole the weather over the chuted the five containers plus seven past ten months has been fairly kind free drop containers. The main feature to us, and compared to the period of this airdrop was the pinpoint fOctober to July in previous years accuracy, and all units landed within a some interesting comparisons emerge. 50-yard radius of the helicopter pad. The total rainfall for this period was The whole drop took only about 40 slightly above average, there being 12 minutes and within ten minutes of the large landslides during February after aircraft's departure the weather had 1.3 inches of rain fell in three hours. closed in so we consider ourselves It would appear that no landslides of extremely lucky to get our mail and this magnitude have occurred for many supplies. years. During the winter months a building The temperature for the period has similar to the Sorenson Hut at Bull been above average 0.4 degrees Celsius. Rock has been built at North West The winter months have been warmer Bay. The hut is sited just up from by a good one degree Celsius up to Beach Bay which is one of the smaller the present, with an absence of any inlets of North West Bay. The design heavy falls of snow although there is and all of the work were carried out still time for this to happen. by Neville Brown and Lindsay Barker Sunshine has been less than normal with assistance from other members of and we have had only about two-thirds the expedition from time to time. Some of our fair share though the period of the awkward loads that were tied to March to July reveals a total of 131 pack frames and carted across there hours above normal. The rest of the had to be seen to be believed. The year showed a drop of 186 hours. first course of the journey is up the One feature this year has been that fence line and with a heavy load that there are three very active ham radio is quite a haul. From then on the operators. They have flashed their call journey was fairly easy except for the signs ZL4JF/A, ZL4JL/A, ZL40K/A, climb out of Windlass Bay. both by voice and morse. Between Work is still progressing on the hut them they have contacted most coun with such refinements as a water supply tries in the world and other ham radio and a front patio. It is a very cosy operators are keen to contact Campbell retreat to get away from it all. Island, as in the international code it Socially our last big event was the is listed as a separate country. mid-winter celebration of June 21 and We had our second air drop by 22. The dinner commenced on the 21st R.N.Z.A.F. Orion on June 29 and in and was yet another masterpiece of almost perfect conditions they para the culinary art on the part of our cook. September 1971

The courses were many and varied and is Vince Sussmilch who has already toasts were drunk to our companions experienced a year here as senior on expeditions in other remote places meteorological observer in 1967-68. I and friends and organisations who extend to Vince all the best for his celebrate mid-winter's day. tour of duty. At present it appears as On June 22 six of the party took fo though he will not be as fortunate as the water and enjoyed a mid-winter we were with ships calling and bringing swim. Their remarks were that the visitors, but something may turn up. water was not all that cold. A pre The Royal New Zealand Navy no recorded tape was made and sent to longer has the Endeavour, the ship that 4ZA Invercargill and our request for has called many times at Campbell a programme especially for Campbell Island with three visits this year. Island was broadcast on the morning of Most of us now look forward to our June 21. return to New Zealand. Neville Brown The usual recreational activities of and Keith Herick will be staying on tramping, bird banding and photo for the summer period and they will graphy have been popular during the be joined on the meteorological staff winter months. Several bird banding by Mark Crompton who left here last trips have been made to the Mowbray March. area and over the top of Mt. Honey Best wishes for a very successful and several more are planned before the tour of duty to the 1971-72 expedition end of September. to Campbell Island. Progress has been made with items of the works programme. The main task was the complete re-laying of the Marsden matting road down the hill from the top intersection to just past the power house. Also a sleeper road from the wharf to the powerhouse was AWARD TO SANAE lifted and relaid from the area Marsden matting to the reef. With LEADER some used drains dug in the vicinity The BP Antarctica Gold Medal for of this road the whole area dries out T971 has been awarded to Mr Henry better and is considered a vast improve Fulton, of Pretoria, who has spent more ment. than three years in the Antarctic. Mr Many other jobs have been completed Fulton was leader of Sanae 10 in 1969. and July was an exceptionally busy The South African Antarctic Associa month. There is much activity at pre tion has announced that the medal has sent with the annual overhaul of the been awarded to Mr Fulton for the station boat and with luck this should qualities of leadership he displayed on be finished by the end of August, the three expeditions in which he took leaving September fairly clear to tidy part. up the camp area and prepare for Mr Fulton was appointed junior servicing in October. diesel mechanic with Sanae 3 in 1962. Of the two chess matches with Scott He returned in 1966 as senior diesel Base started in May one has ended mechanic and deputy leader of the with a victory for the boys down south Sanae team, and was appointed leader in and the other game is still in progress. 1969, spending another 12 months in It is quite nicely poised and we are the Antarctic. hoping to win the series. The Antarctic Association has praised With next year's expedition members highly the way in which Mr Fulton and now appointed time is steadily running three members of his team explored the out for the 1970-71 expedition. The hazardous and unmapped terrain where leader for Campbell Island for 1971-72 they eventually established Borga Base. September 1971 Shackleton's bible returns home after many years Fifty-six years ago Sir Ernest Shackleton threw away a Bible on the ice of the Weddell Sea. A handful of golden sovereigns and a gold watch and chain preceded the Bible. The date was October 30, 1915. Three days earlier Shackleton and his men had abandoned their ship, the Endurance, which was slowly being crushed to death in the grinding pack ice. On October 30 they began their march with the ships three boats across the ice in an attempt to reach Paulet Island and safety 346 miles away. Before the party left Dump Camp It was retrieved by a member of the Shackleton gave the order that personal expedition. Thomas F. McLeod, who gear must not exceed 21b a man. This was a fireman aboard the Endurance. meant that nothing but bare necessities He retained it throughout his privations could be taken on the march. Shackle in the boat and on Elephant Island. ton set the example by throwing away Early this year Commander M. K. the Bible, the sovereigns, and his watch. Burley. leader of the 1970-71 Joint Ser In his book "South" Shackleton vices Expedition to Elephant Island, writes: "I tore the fly leaf out of the gave a talk at the British Embassy in Bible which Queen Alexandra had Buenos Aires about the Joint Services given to the ship, with her own writing Expedition to South Georgia, which he on it, and also the wonderful page of led in 1964-65. Job containing the verse: After the talk Commander Burley was given a Bible by Miss I. MacLean. Out of whose womb came the ice? It was the Bible from the Endurance. And the hoary frost of Heaven, who In the expedition report Commander hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone Burley says that after Shackleton's men And the face of the deep is frozen. had been rescued from Elephant Island and brought to Punta Arenas by the "The other Bible, which Queen Alex Chilean ship Yelcho, McLeod presented andra had given for the use of the the Bible to Miss MacLean's parents, shore party perished when the ship re with whom he had stayed, in apprecia ceived her death-blow." tion of their hospitality. Shackleton's biographers, Margery Commander Burley took the Bible to and James Fisher, say that he removed Elephant Island again, and says that it from the Bible the inscribed fly leaf, will be given to the Royal Geographical two pages from the Book of Job with Society for safekeeping. verses particularly appropriate to men McLeod probably believed that alone in an ice-bound land, and the Shackleton was courting bad luck by page containing his favourite 23rd Psalm. throwing away a Bible. Somehow the pages from the Bible He seems to have been pessimistic survived the incredible journey to about the expedition's chances of sur vival. On October 26 a little knot of Elepant Island and the voyage to South Georgia. They are still treasured in his eight Emperor penguins stood near the family. ship singing what sounded like a dirge What Shackleton never learned up to for her. McLeod remarked, "do you the time of his death was that the hear that, we'll none of us get back to Bible was not left behind on the ice. our homes again." September 1971 Ten-year International Ice Study Programme A ten-year concentrated programme of collaborative glaciological studies of a sizable part of the East Antarctic ice sheet is planned by scientists from France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Australia. The first stage of the International Antarctic Glaciological Project, which begins this summer, will include two traverses. For the international project the cargo will be unloaded. Carrefour was French have planned a joint traverse established by the French last season with the Russians, and the setting up on the icecap about 25 miles south-west of a station on the Polar Plateau in of Dumont d'Urville Station at an alti Wilkes Land. tude of 900 metres. The French will set out on the 1000- As well as landing scientists and cargo mile traverse from their Dumont at Carrefour, the United States Naval d'Urville Station on the Adelie Coast, Support Force will establish a series across Wilkes Land towards Russia's of fuel depots along the ice-flow line Vostok Station, the Russians working between Dumont d'Urville and Vostok from their station towards the French Stations. party. Four phases arc envisioned in the A 900-mile traverse will be made by International Antarctic Glaciological men of the Australian National Project. The first two are: (1) Sys Antarctic Research Expedition. It will tematic aerial surveys of ice thickness follow a route from Casey Station, on and base rock topography, including runs the Budd Station, to Vostok Station. along proposed traverse routes and In effect the party will be retracing the theoretical studies of ice flow; (2) route of the 1961-63 party from Wilkes traverses undertaking velocity and strain Station (now Casey) led by Mr R. B. surveys with a series of shallow drill Thomson, now superintendent of the holes continuing theoretical develop Antarctic Division of the New Zealand ment of the first phase, and including Department of Scientific and Industrial feasibility studies of new techniques for Research. core drilling in cold ice. Australian glaciological programmes In the third phases there will be already exist in the international pro traverses perpendicular to the main ject area, which is within Longitudes flow lines, and attempts with deep 60deg and 160dcg East, and Latitude drilling in the vicinity of the ice divide. 80deg South. They have been remodelled Data from the first two phases will be to match the international project pro used to determine the sites of additional posals. deep drill holes. The final phase will In addition to radio ice thickness be re-measurement of the strain lines in sounding flights by a ski-equipped 1976 with additional theoretical work Navy Hercules, the United States will resulting from analysis of the data from provide logistic support for the ground phases two and three. parties sent out from Dumont d'Urville Station. A Flying Tiger Line pilot. Mr E. A Navy Herucles will transport be Long, plans to fly a Piper Navajo over tween 10 and 20 scientists from Christ the South and North Poles. Late in church to McMurdo Station, and then November he is expected to make an to the small French station, Carrefour, 18-hour flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, where nearly three and a half tons of to McMurdo Station. S;plember 1971

ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF

DON WHILLANS — PORTRAIT OF A MOUNTAINEER By Don Whillans and Alick Ormcrod IX + 266 pp. ill., index. Wm. Heinemann Ltd., London. 1971. This is certainly a portrait of a 17 years old; he had never received any mountaineer! A portrait of one of the climbing instruction: nor had he been able to benefit by climbing with a guide greatest mountaineers to come out of or an experienced partner. I mention post-war England, and indeed of one of rs in the world this so that the lay reader will better appreciate the masterly understatement today—for Don Whillans is certainly all of Whillans' 13-word description of the of these. And so with keen anticipation climb. I scanned the pages of the life story of After this audacious beginning he this remarkable young climber. teamed up with various experienced Whillans' restless character is soon snow and ice climbers, and broadened portrayed in incidents of his early his experience on more alpine-type school days in the rather tough suburbs climbs. It was a year later, 1951, that a of Manchester, where at the age of 14 chance meeting heralded the first great years the yearning to roam and explore partnership that was to mark Whillans' had already taken him on long week climbing career. He was out on one end treks among the Derbyshire moors: of those legendary Sunday strolls "... I thought nothing of 30 miles a when he saw quite a group of people day when I'd been at it a bit."—and watching some hair-rasing climbing on Ihis from a 14-year-old schoolboy! A a 70ft overhanging rock face. He year or so later, while out on one of watched with intense interest as the lead these solitary hikes, Whillans met and climber gave a masterly display, but teamed up with another kindred spirit when the second man attempted to by the name of Worthington, and in the follow, it proved beyond his capacity course of their regular excursions they and he gave up. Suddenly Whillans would sometimes stand amused and could contain his eagerness no longer, "watch foolhardy young men clinging so he yelled up to the cliff top: for dear life on the gritstone outcrops." "Hey, can I have a go?" Until one day Worthington suddenly "Aye, if you like," came back the said, "Hey, why don't we have a go?" reply. So they purchased a rope (but only So with great gusto Whillans attacked because this seemed the thing to do!) the face, to be met on top by a young and set off to the foot of a rock outcrop man who had ... "a mouth packed up which Whillans gazed in awe: ". . . with big white teeth, and he grinned a I wonder if anybody climbs up here. It hell of a lot." None other than Joe looks a bit frightening." Brown—a young British climber who And with these few words they pro was then so far ahead of his contem ceeded on their first climb, and found poraries in advanced rock climbing after their success that the route up was techniques that he literally had no one graded 'Severe'; which was quite mean to partner him. This historic meeting ingless to them but which, twenty years was later to form a climbing partner ago in Britain, indicated a reasonably ship the likes of which England had high standard of climbing. A few weeks never seen; and over a period of later they were back again, this time several glorious years the Whillans- Whillans leading a 'Very Severe' route Brown stamp was to be indelibly on Phoenix. Remember he was barely marked on all the greatest climbs in September 1971

England, Wales, Scotland and through certain death very closely in the eye. out the European Alps. I thought it a great pity that more of The second great partnership started this open, unabashed style could not in another casual sort of a way when, have been maintained—but then moun in 1958, Whillans and a companion set taineers of Whillans' calibre are notori out to try the famous (or infamous) ous for their modesty. "Bonatti Pillar", and it so happened To read this book is to read of the that an Austrian pair and another great flowering of British mountaineer English pair (one of whom was named ing techniques and achievements, which Chris Bonington) were also waiting to have probably advanced further in the attempt this great climb. The six finally past 20 years than in the previous entire succeeded in the second ascent of this century—and the man in the forefront route, but only after some pretty of this revolutionary development was anxious and hectic moments; but out of undoubtedly Whillans. The book suffers this climb merged an affinity with a little, as it reflects that common Bonington that was to lead to even characteristic of outstanding Englishmen greater heights than previously. Whillans in whatever their field of endeavour, writes: ". . . we were an ill-assorted that of being just a little too modest pair but we balanced each other—his and a little too conservative—and one impetuosity, my stolidness; his volu or two maps would not have gone bility, my terseness. On a climb we amiss. But these are small criticisms made a sound partnership, and 1 indeed. Brian Hearficld. enjoyed climbing with him immensely." In the book we are able, albeit some times very briefly, to re-live the tre mendous achievements of this climber NEW WILSON BOOK over the 20-year period which it covers —the "apprenticeship" on the rocks of In 1972. the centenary of Edward Wales and Scotland; the great face Wilson's birth, the Blandford Press will climbs in Europe; the four expeditions issue his diary of his final project, the to the Himalayas (now five); two Terra Nova expedition led by Captain Scott to the South Pole in 1910-11. This -•.xpeditions to the Patagonian Andes at ihe extremity of South America; one to important publication follows the inter the central Andes of Peru; and an national success of Wilson's "Diary of the Discovery Expedition to the Ant amusing interlude with climbs in the arctic Regions 1901-4" and his "Birds Yosemite Valley, where the crack of the Antarctic." British climber was really tested by his American climbing "friends". And of "Journal of Scott's Last Expedition" all the many epic stories in this book. will include 24 pages of Edward I thought Chapter 18 dealing with the Wilson's remarkable water colour paint ascent of the South Pillar of the ings—most of them never before pub Marmolata di Penia in the Italian Alps lished—and many of his pencil sketches was the best of them all. as well as photographs, documents and extensive maps. This climb, under the appalling The text has been edited by H. G. R. conditions encountered, must have been King, the librarian and information long remembered by the tough and officer of the Scott Polar Research seasoned Whillans—certain it is that he Institute in Cambridge, and will include writes with a more expansive mannei than in previous chapters, and the pages of the original journal in facsimile, among them the poignant and result is a gripping account. You courageous last letter written by Wilson, vividly re-live the inch by inch perilous which was found in the tent opposite ascent of this veritable wall of ice- his body. plastered rock, on which Whillans and The price of the book will be ap his companion more than once looked proximately £5 English currency. '"><" ^V-VTA**5^ ■

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