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

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

r

^*"'- !

G ■

i %

HEY! YOU DON'T BELONG HERE! A straying Adelie penguin chick gets little sympathy —Photo F. O'Leary, Dominion Musoum

DECEMBER, 1965 Winter and Summerbises. Scott S u m m e r b a s e o n l y . . . t H a l l e f r

NEW ZEALAND Transferred base Wilkes U S tvAust Temporarily non-operational *Syowa TASMANIA

, C»mphill I. (N.l)

Mitquarie I.

_Ma"e* (i/.ij

Fj'iitt ia$«rC INU-'jIS

N/A-.mH«.n-Sc0lt(t/.5.; A A N TV A R fe\ \ »0a.vlO~A frrttf A

, * f * M i w A i t f h \

■■ (i!rlnd

\ # • / ^^a

.Marion I. (JMJ

DRAWN »Y DEPARTMENT OF LANDS 1 Sl"*VE' WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, MAR.I»b+- 1-." EDITION ee £

(Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

Vol. 4, No. 4 DECEMBER, 1965 Editor: L. B. Quarter-main, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Assistant Editor: Mrs. R. H. Wheeler. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z.

CONTENTS EXPEDITIONS New Zealand

Spring Journey to Cape Crozier: D. R. Lowe N.Z. Aircraft Makes First Flight to Antarctica France Japan Australia U.S.S.R Belgium-Netherlands South Africa United Kingdom Argentina Chile U.S.A Sub-Antarctic Islands Men from Three Nations at Lake Vanda Antarctic Stations: 4 — Mirny Whaling Antarctic Awaits the Hovercraft Another Value of Antarctica: Adrian Hayter Antarctic Bookshelf The Veterans 50 Years Ago ujoquou oqi uo 'pjig odL'3 iv "ajoqo -a\oh uo|33.i A3|[BA A.ip oqi ojui Suio SI AllSJOAIUfl BUOJOIA. °M1 OJOLU 30UO luoj, puB A^sut-M pojj Aq ino pdM -JE0 Supq MOU OJB SOLULUEjSojd |BDlSO[ UJiiqAy poy puB Suiioa. uoa 3J^ sls!3 -oiq joqjo puB oluij uoqs b luods sBq ppy -0|03S 3l|X "1U3luAb>i Auojl si iubjsissb - u b j 3 u q o f 3 J 3 H • l u n a s n j A j u o i u r u o q p p y s q j p u B A q q i g u b i v s i Ay B d s q i sqi Aq opBLU Supq oje SOipnjS ||iiS BIU|S jo JopB3"i Sui|iiEq-uBiu sjb Aoqi puB puB uinSuod '1PUBH 3dKD l,; '3SCH HOOJg MB3A a\3u sqj oi Ajjbo ppy oqi jo ino oq jo qjiou oqi 01 sqim pojpunq jiioj osjb him Aped sjqx suouipodxo s.noos •AqjBQ uqof puB SSOU puB s.TJOjapPBqs qjoq uo sjsijaaps ->jjbh OBJ Aq uosbss siqi popmuq Supq Aq pojJodoj syssoj joj 3ui>jooi si AlJBd 3.ib B3.IB punos OpJllJApiAI &$ u! SIR3S [B3lSO{033 UBLU-JHOJ J3l|10UB 'ojoiupjBog 'VFH q°H PUR 's'l'3A JoSsjq Aq pajsjssB oqi jo pBoq oqj jb 'osBq jo qjnos Supq si 3H -Sjaqjoyodg BBJ Aq p3||OJi •bibjjs >poj -UO0 3iipq si pofojd oqi a\ou puB uos OiqdjOLUBlOLU puB AjBJUOUIipOS U33A\pq -B3S oqi'jo u'sd Ajjbo sqi isnf joj spAoy 3UOZ pbiuoo o[qissod B joj jjooi OJ '.IBOA jB sbav osnoqouois 'JO "spAoy odEO ib mou A|jbo oqi yiun 's>joom xis jnoqB Apnis jo jboA jsbj .ipqi uo sjb osnoq ppy sqi ui sq him puw suESSoqoj joioui -suois H ja i° QOJJDSJtp oqi jopun Sujsn si Ai'.iBd sjqx -Asubabo jjoiy puB iuB3i Aiisjoaiuq Ajnq'jsiuBO v P-MH uoslubpv usqoy OJB sisiSojooS oqi puB odBO pus 'iPIPH 3dv3 "spAoy 3dv.j jb sojBg Jo3oy si lUBjsissB ppy oqi "XjJBd suop Supq uibSb si >|.ioa\ pioiSojoig p?0lSO|O03 B '3uipB0J SI 'J0AO-p3J01UIA\ [•pa—•«ii"* 3u!°p» jsn'f SBq oqA\ 'omoi 8ABCI '3SGcT J1°3S J° sc pa^odDJ si oh "SjpsAv oai» jnoqE joj qubu oqi o; 'jopBjo ipqduiBO oqi uo Hudson ipjnip»suqo oq» ui aq oj papad •3ui|nBq-uBiu -xo' si puB juappaB aqj jo sjnoq z\ OjqjfAi si .loqio oqi puB suB3Soqoi joioui Suisn pUBJBaZ M3{sl O) JIB Aq p3)BI13EA3 SBA\ si sopjBd Suiaolu s_uosbos siqi jo ouo 3H 'pajnpBJJ 3J3M UUB JJ3J J3MO| piIB • p o f o J t i j p q s M I qiiiuqj S.HJH •IIISlUBipaill 3l[| OJUI UAiBJp opjniApjAj 3M1 Suunp jpqs oo; oqi jnoqB SBAV PUB j|Up 3l[) OJ 3ZOJI pUBq pBAOlS sAouanof uoqs joj posn oq yiM sSop siq OZ JaquiaAOfsj jo uooujbjjb aqj uo ouios 'joaomoh 'pospjoxo Apodojd s3op 3SBg U03S jo qjnos sa[iiu oa\j >|joa\ jb oqj doo>( oi >jjoa\ luoioyjnsu! si ojoqi 3|iq;\v •suojjBjado rfuqiup jo sjbsA Aiibui osiiBooq soiiJBd qons joj ojqBjins jou oje ui" juappaB jsjij siq pajsjjns seq U!H sSoa "sdiuBO osBq jpqi uiojj jbj Suiaoiu AJjSIlf JEI|J ppi! OJ 3lIIABl| J3J33J 3av] lou puB sbojb uosoqo UI SupjJOM OJB SOI} •uBuiippnjAi uBug puB |UH Anstif -.iEd ppy poiO|diuoo uobq SBq eoiiojbiuv s.i3||up puB *>isiy oSjooq ispisAqdooS jo A3o|oo3 ]ejouo5 sqi jo isoiu lBqi mom si unq qjjAV •('Hl'S'a 'Aoajiis |Bois/iqd ■jouituns siqi ssijJBd ppy JofEiu sqi jo -boo") upjsqooH 'IAI Ja i° uoipojip oqi Aub Aq posn Supq oje sluboi Sop on jopun o'uop Supq si siqi puB soipnis pib •osBq jo quou sojiiu 0Sc s! ^'J''d -isAqdoo3 joj j'pqs s^i opjnjApj\ 3i|l jo |Bdpuud joqio oqi puB OSBQ noog jo Sui||i.ip oqi si jboA siqi pofojd a\3u v qin'os so|iui q^ si AjJBd ujoqinos oqx •U3I1JBCJ J3So>] pUB LUIS iao sai-LHVd aiau Asojpuy 'PAon qipM Aq pOJSISSB Supq si oq puB siuoiusAoiu j|oqs ooj opjniAjoiAj •pojOAoo Suioq soouops redpuud oqi oje oqi uo >(joa\ jb uibSb si supn pioujy A3oioiob|3 puB 'soisAqdooS 'A3o|Oiq 'A: •qj;ius ubi puB -poo -Aouopuodorj ssoy oqi ui 3ui^joa\ a\ou oje sopjBd ppy •cl-yV'Z'N usaos 'xooubh lusqBJO 'uosjopuoH qog we luiq qiiA\ puB 'luoqo 'Q '3 "Ja s! dno.iS [■AqdjnjAT uqof Jooyjo suoiiBpy oi[ oqi SuipBS-j -AlJBd S.UOSB3S JSB| UBqi -qnj uiojj 3uiiiiEj3ojd jouiuins s4poBp33Z .io|[BUis qonui si usiu jnoj qi|A\ puB A|uo A\3fsJ JO UOllBllllS J3qiU3AO[\I 3qi JO 3UI[ 3UO pjOlSojOSS B SI AjJBd S..IB3A Siqi 'J3A3 -ino Suia\o||oj sqi poApooj OAEq o^] A0N3QN3d3a SSOH 3H1 NI A¥M mam hhom emu nsrans

S96I 'Jo^sodQ December, 1965

MEN SOUTH In addition to the main summer party THE BIOLOGISTS working at Scott Base during the 1965- 66 summer, listed in our September issue, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY other New Zealanders will be in the The University of Canterbury biologi Antarctic on short-term projects. cal unit will this summer complete a E. J. Drunimond and F. N. Blaekwell five-year phase of the University's re from the Ministry of Works will be in search in the Antarctic. vestigating electrical and mechanical ser The party to go south in November vices, especially the problems associated was Dr. Bernard Stonehouse. leader: with the installation next summer of new Ian Spellerberg. who will observe Mc- generators at the Base. Brian P. Sand- Cormick skuas for the third season: Gre- ford and G. A. M. King, both veterans gor Yeates, who will spend his second of earlier New Zealand expeditions, will season on behaviour studies of Adelic be checking the Scott Base Auroral and penguins: Ian Harkess of the Canterbury Ionospheric equipment respectively. branch of the New Zealand Antarctic- As guests of the Antarctic Division the Society, and John Darby, a university following spent about a week in the Ross photographic technician, who will mark Dependency in early November: Mr. seal pups (I-Iarkness for the second sea R. W. Wiliett (Director, Geological Sur son); Ian Stirling, who will arrive from vey, and deputy Chairman Ross Depen Canada in December to take up a teach dency Research Committee), Mr. A. H. ing fellowship in zoology and study Wed Newton (for many years treasurer of the dell seals in the Antarctic: and Robert N.Z. Antarctic Society), Mr. J. A. D. Kirk, who will run the weather station Nash (scientific adviser to the Assistant at Cape Royds. and investigate micro Director-General D.S.I.R.), Mr. V. A. Lc climates and the temperatures of fresh Page (senior administrative officer, water lakes. D.S.I.R.), Mr. L. White (External Affairs Department, who signed the Antarctic NOW—THE SNARES Treaty for New Zealand), Mr. C. Green Applications arc now being made for (in charge of technical aspects, Meteoro finance to make future studies in the sub- logical Service), and Mr. M. S. Nestor Antarctic islands, centred in the Snares (scientific adviser, National Party). group, where the university zoology de Commenting upon New Zealand's re partment established a small research la cord in publishing the results of her boratory in 1961. Antarctic reseearch projects, Mr. Wiliett A five-year programme based on the says, "One third of the Antarctic Con Snares was planned to train students on tinent's exposed rock is in the Ross De the Sub-Antarctic and also to make a pendency, which gives New Zealand an complete ecological survey of this un obligation to do the best work possible touched and unspoiled area, study the in the area. It is difficult to predict . . . New Zealand fur seal, the brown skua, and the second a fault in the radar, put the southern population of the red-billed sub-title. For South Africa read Norway. gull, mutton birds (of which there were how much more fruitful work can be three to four million on the Snares), done in the Dependency, but as a unique native flora, and endemic species of land laboratory the area still offers a wealth birds. of work." BIRD RESEARCH AT CAPE BIRD A C O R R E C T I O N We regret an error in our September Dr. Euan C. Young, whose earlier issue, where two men designated as field Antarctic bird studies in 1959-60 have assistants were stated to be wintering been widely acclaimed, is going south over next year. In fact, the selection of again this summer, and will spend the field party men to remain at Scott Base period from late November till the end for the 1966 winter has not yet been of February, with R. Blezard, at Cape made. Bird, the north-western angle of the tri angular Ross Island. Dr. Young's object is to study the relationship of skuas and penguins at a big rookery, free, unlike Blezard, is studying the penguin life. the small rookery at Cape Royds, from December, 1965 interested but often disturbing visitors. IT WAS A GOOD YEAR (See Dr. Young's article "Cape Royds: AT SCOTT BASE Tourist Resort of Antarctica" in "Ant- Buildings, vehicles and equipment at artic", June 1960). Scott Base were in particularly good AND AT HALLETT order this year, said Mr. R. B. Thom son (superintendent of the Antarctic Di F. C. Kinsky, ornithologist at the Do vision) in Christchurch, after his return minion Museum, who spent a period at from a 10-day inspection tour of the Cape Hallett two years ago, will com base. This high standard, he said, was a plete his programme there this sum mer. He left for the south early in reflection of the good work of the win November. With John Cranficld and tering party under the leadership of Dr. T. Choate, Mr. Kinsky will continue Adrian Hayter. the study of such factors as the age of "You know, there was a different at maturity, the mortaliy rate, and the effect mosphere at Scott Base. Normally you on the penguins of human disturbance expect a wintering party to be eager to of the colony both directly by biologists get off the continent and head for home. and indirectly because of the proximity But this was not the case this year. Per of a manned station. haps this was because of the excellent co-operation with McMurdo Station and Skua population and behaviour studies the greater social exchanges that have will also be carried out by the two bi taken place between the two bases dur ologists, making use of the banding pro ing the winter months", said Mr. Thom gramme initiated in 1959 by B. E. Reid. son. There is a skua colony of about 150 THE DRY VALLEYS breeding pairs close by. New Zealand was interested in the Mr. Kinsky hopes to discover among establishment of a joint satellite station other things just how much an Adelic in one of the dry valleys not far from penguin chick cats. He will have at McMurdo Station, he said. "We wish Hallett the progeny of from 50,000 to to see this set up to get a close picture 60,000 mated pairs upon which to base of annual weather conditions which will his estimate. help us to resolve how the valleys were MORE EMPERORS formed and still exist. Cranficld returned to New Zealand "New Zealand has done most of the on November 26 after four weeks at work in this area. The Americans have Hallett. The most interesting develop done some and the Japanese spent a ment in his work was the discovery of summer there. Last year the Soviet ex a previously unknown Emperor pen change scientist at McMurdo Station guin rookery on the point of Cape spent some time in the valleys. All these Washington, containing, he estimates, scientists have expressed an interest in between 10,000 and 12,000 pairs. Mr. conntiuing their work there jointly". Cranficld last summer discovered an Mr. Thomson said he personally would other rookery of about the same size like to see New Zealand return to Hallett at Cape Roget. We hope to publish Station. The destruction of the labora an account of these two rookeries and tory by fire two years ago was a great their discovery in our next issue. loss to New Zealand, particularly in up Kinsky and Choate expect to remain at per atmospheric research. Hallett until about the end of January. ANTARCTIC FLIGHT Dr. Choate of the University of Otago Asked about future participation by is directing an experimental penguin the Royal New Zealand Air Force in programme in which Cranficld was also the Antarctic, Mr. Thomson said the engaged. possible reactivation of the Antarctic flight would be most welcome. "We still have the hig hangar down there with IN OUR NEXT ISSUE R.N.Z.A.F. painted on the outside and Another "Antarctic" Poem nothing inside". Two more Emperor Colonies Mr. Thomson said it was possible that Winter Base in Dry Valley? next year New Zealand would partici- December, 1965

pate in a major rocket research pro dip on the sorthern skyline formed be gramme to be conducted at McMurdo tween the slopes of Mt. Erebus and Station. "This upper atmosphere re Crater Hill. We know now that the search will be in the regions where satel lites are now orbiting". night is really over. New Zealand field parties had come, "The most obvious reaction is a feel to an end of general geological recon- ing of sudden release. Suddenly, it aissance and more emphasis would be seems, there are now hours of daylight given in future to intense specialised when we can go outside and see. There work on geological anomalies. are new ways to find and mark across the ice shelf to the new airstrip being THE DOGS built five miles south of the Base. The A decision on the future of the huskies pressure ridges have changed during the at Scott Base will be made in two years' long night and now provide new attrac time, he said. "Then we will decide tions for the photographers. Even the whether they are worth while and eco daily snow collecting for the Base water nomic for logistic purposes as opposed supply has suddenly become more inter to our more modern means of motorised esting, because instead of having to fol transport and taking into account our low the one marked route as we did dur changed field party requirements. At pre ing darkness we can now seek for new sent there are 37 huskies at the base. and better places. Already we arc talk This number will be reduced to 30 to ing of when we shall sec the first Skua provide three teams with a few extras gull, the first seals, and when the pen on stand-by. guins will arrive at Cape Royds. SPRING ON THE WAY American activities also create inter est, apart from the fact that these so Scott Base reported on August 2: closely affect our own. From the Base "Although the sun will not peep above we saw them towing the first aircraft the horizon for three weeks, its light is across the ice to the new strip, and a reaching higher and becoming more few days ago we saw the first helicopter powerful. A week ago a powerful glow of the season in the sky. All these things lit the northern sky at noon, running in seemed to have happened suddenly, be a reddish line along the horizon and cause time plays strange tricks here. The rising in a great pale emerald green arc behind Mount Erebus. Then it faded present and future slip past with sur into the starlit sky. prising speed, but if you look back to any fixed event in the past, even as far "Yesterday the base party called it as a week, it seems like centuries ago daylight, and the two-hour noon glim with the unreality of a dream. mer was long enough to take the huskies on their first spring run. "Soon the new team will be arriving "During the long Antarctic night the to relieve us and we have little time in 27 dogs have been chained to long wire which to conclude our tasks in prepara spans just out of sight of the base. tion for handing over—making sure the "Yesterday they went crazy as the dog stores and vehicles are in good order; handlers arrived with sledge harness. As checking again on supply lists so the the animals were slipped from their new team will not go short during their chains and taken to the sledge they season: putting the last touches to the fought viciously, and the sledge party sledges and motor toboggans, the field wielded rope ends to break up the scrap. equipment and food boxes for the com The dogs' thick fur prevented any ser ing field parties; building new sleeping ious injuries". accommodation and (if we have the ma terials) a new meat cave to replace the SUNRISE! old one wrecked by last year's unusually On August 30 the sun itself appeared. heavy ice breakout. We arc also having a spring clean inside the base; structural "Light has been returning for the last few days, but today for the first time renovations and painting have been com pleted and the last task is to wash down in months sunlight itself touched Scott all walls and ceilings. The heating sys Base. For an hour around noon it came tem coats these in months with a thin flooding in past Castle Rock, through the film of oily soot, which must be washed December, 1965 off with hot soapy water to restore paint had a slight disagreement over what work to its original freshness and colour. must have been a very important mat "For all of us the winter has passed ter. Stephan wound up second best and surprisingly quickly, and looking back lay twisting with pain, van McDon now it has been a unique and enjoyable ald, after attempting to alleviate the pain, experience. Yet we did have our lows rushed him through a blizzard to the and frustrations, and during these pass McMurdo dispensary where he was X- ing periods of depression we have dis rayed. liked the place, as happens anywhere; When it was found that the right hind but now with the flag flying again and leg was broken, Stephan's life hung in all this means, our task nearly done and the balance. After all. what good is a wc hope done well, we experience again sled dog with a broken leg? the strange but persistent attraction of But Dr. Hughes, assisted by the Mc this place, and we all know wc will leave Murdo dentist, nut a cast on the broken it with regret. Perhaps this winter per leg. Stephan was a remarkably well- iod can best be summed up for all of behaved patient and didn't even whim us by one who at one time said 'I would per when the cast was put on, nor did not winter over again for £500', and he move when given penicillin and strep later added 'nor would I have missed it tomycin shots. for a thousand'." The new cast will be quite a burden to Stephan in future dogfights, but as MINOR TRAGEDY Dr. Hughes put it when he spoke final At Scott Base on October 16. Stephan. words to the dog before Stephan left a 105-pound Greenland husky, and for Scott Base, "If you can't bite them, Franz, a 10 month old, 95-pound puppy, you can sure kick hell out of them". Zealanders' Spring Journey To Cape Crozier By D. R. LOWE

[The Antarctic Division in Wellington the thoughts of many, even more so, it received the following brief signal from seems at times than their return to New Scott Base on September 13: "Lowe with Zealand. Calvert, Dorringlon, Wright left for Cape This year at Scott Base, Cape Crozier Crozier on 11 Sep. with two motor to entered the conversations on many oc boggans, two sledges. Returning Base casions. An opportunity to test our 14 Sept.". motor toboggans after their winter over These words recall one of the most haul and in low temperatures was suf famous exploits in the story of Antarc ficient excuse for us and on September tic exploration, the extraordinary journey 11 in fine weather and a temperature of of Wilson. Bowers and Cherry-Garrard -35°C, Bob Wright. Jack Calvert, from Cane Evans to Cape Crozier in Brian Dorringlon and the writer left for mid-winter. 1911, man-handling in what Cape Crozier with two motor toboggans Scott, on their return, called "The Worst and two sledges. Journey in the World." We asked Dave Our chosen route took us along the Lowe, the leader of the New Zealand edge of "Windless Bight", an area of parly, to tell our readers how they little wind, deep snow, and low tempera fared.—Ed.] tures. It was in this area that Dr. E. A. Wilson. Bowers and Cherry-Garrard With the increasing daylight in Aug on their "Worst Journey in The World" ust and the approaching end of many of experienced their lowest temperature of the base personnel's stay in Antarctica, -109l°F of frost, and forced as they the idea of a spring journey to some were to spend some days in crossing it, place of interest becomes uppermost in December, 1965

accumulated considerable quantities of where the pressure ridges curved in to ice in their clothing and sleeping gear. crush against the 300 ft sheer or over Cherry-Garrard's sleeping bag alone had hanging volcanic rock cliffs. 27 lbs. of ice in it by the time they re turned to Cape Evans. An interesting point noted on our re turn to Scott Base and a study of the Four hours and 25 miles from Scott 1911 map of the area was that the pre Base we stopped for lunch. This was sent ice front is about two-and-a-half our coldest point on the outward trip, miles further advanced at Cape Crozier -15°C. The thermoses of coffee and than it was in 1911. soup were most welcome although drink ing was made very difficult by the solid A hurried walk over very smooth sea mat of ice round everyone's beard. To ice, for three-quarters of a mile along avoid pressure rollers and crcvassing we the ice front brought us to a rookery had kept well out from Ross Island, of about 1,000 birds, many carrying but now we turned north-cast and head chicks. No walking chicks were seen ed into the "Trough", a wide valley lying and after a few hurriedly taken photo between the pressure ridges of the main graphs and the collection of some aban "Ross Ice Sheet" and Ross Island. doned eggs we headed back into a stiff breeze. Better time was made on the At 5.45 p.m. in falling light we drove return and we reached camp at 6 p.m. up alongside the small volcanic mound where "Wilson's Stone Igloo" commands This night and the following morning a view of what is possibly the most the wind was gusting up to 50 knots but desolate and inhospitable location in this in the afternoon it died down for us to section of Antarctica. make a quick clmib up to Wilson's It had taken Wilson's party on their Igloo, 200 ft above us. winter manhauling trip in 1911, 17 days This is now only a tumbled down to reach this point from near Scott Base. square of rocks, a few tattered remains On the last ten miles of the 25 miles of canvas still tied to them and a small of travel down the Trough where one emergency depot of New Zealand stores is passing between steep and crcvasscd and fuel alongside. We stood there in ice slopes half a mile on the left and a 30 knot wind, shivered and hurried crcvasscd pressures ridges half a mile back to the warmth of our tents. away on the right wc were considerably Next morning, our fourth, I woke at slowed down by the very large and hard 5.30 a.m. to the roar of a toboggan en sastrugi. But at least the temperature had risen — to -33°C — and this gine. Bob had been up since 5 a.m. healing the engines with the blow lamps, was much appreciated all round, as mo a necessary preliminary whenever tem tor toboggans would be almost the cold est form of transport yet invented. peratures are below about - 30°C. By 9.15 we got under way back to Just sufficient flat space was found Scott Base. Soon after passing through amongst the sasturgi to pitch our two the sastrugi section, turning one sledge tents and all gear well secured, as this over three times in the process, we ran area is, by reputation, extremely windy. into a 20 knot wind and surface drift While cooking dinner and during the with temperatures going down into the night the tents iced up badly, but by -50°C region. nine the next morning we were under The loss of engine power became no way on foot for the Emperor penguin ticeable and for the next two hours we rookery in a cold southerly wind. We drove along huddled well down into our had' cm decided by travelling to make downan attempt between to reach the down clothing and windproofs: every one silent in his own world of discom v.ape Crozier cliffs and the pressure fort and continually pounding hands and ridges. At 2 p.m. we gained the sea ice feet on toboggan or sledge to keep cir at the front of the Ross Ice Sheet. culation going. The four miles between our camp and At 5 p.m. we drove up to Scott Base, the ice front had been full of interest. very pleased to have made the trip, but Travelling roped together, we had made also glad at that moment for some our way over jumbled masses of ice warmth and hot drinks. December, 1965

New Zealand Aircraft Makes First Flight To Antarctica notable part in the operations associated with the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition of 1956-58, and in New Zealand field work in sub sequent years, up till this summer no New Zealand aircraft had flown from New Zealand to the Antarctic. Then in less less than than three three days days one one appreciated by himself and those in the Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force completed three "All the crews," Wing Commander return flights from Christchurch to Wil Wood continuued, "have gained valuable liams Field in Antarctica. The last flight returned to Christchurch at 5.25 a.m. experience from these flights and the operation has been a good preparation on October 30. should we ever be called on in the During the operation the aircraft tra future to carry out similar work." velled 12,900 miles carrying a total of Although two of the pilots, Wing 75,000 lbs. of miscellaneous cargo for Commander Wood and Squadron Leader both the New Zealand and United States R. B. Craigie of Nelson, had had an Antarctic research programmes. earlier familiarisation flight to the Ice, This was the first time that an RNZAF the experience was a new one for most. aircraft had flown from New Zealand It was one of contrast for some too, as to the Ice. The first flight, under the they had only a few days before com command of Wing Commander B. A. pleted a routine flight to the tropics of Wood of Geraldine, left Christchurch at Singapore. noon on October 27 after a series of delays, and arrived at Williams Field On hand to meet the first aircraft at seven and a quarter hours later. The Williams Field was a large gathering of delays, the first a defect in the compass New Zealanders from Scott Base and and the second a fault in the radar put United States servicemen. Wing Com back the schedule of flights by about a mander Wood was welcomed by the Commander of Task Force 43, Admiral day and a half. However, by making faster "turn-rounds" at Christchurch and F. E. Bakutis, U.S.N. Williams Field, the three flights were The crew of the aircraft and the ser completed only 12 hours behind schedule. vicing party, led by Flying Officer John Four crews were used to fly the one Kelly of Wellington, were well protected aircraft to and from Christchurch. This from the —14° temperature that greeted overcame the difficulties of crew fatigue them as they stepped from the aircraft. but more important, gave these aircrew The aircraft servicing party remained at valuable experience. Williams Field until the last flight carry ing out refuelling and servicing duties as Wing Commander Wood said that the each of the three flights was completed operation had gone as well as anyone there. had expected. "The flying was different and challenging. We were fortunate in The crews and the servicing party were having good weather throughout the en accommodated in comfortable huts at tire operation." the Field. Probably the highlight of the He went on to say that the lengths that stayover of the first crew was the visit both United States Navy and Air Force to Scott Base where they were shown at Harewood had gone to in briefing some of the research work at present be them before the operation on condi ing undertaken. Some tried their skills tions they were likely to find, was greatly at skiing. December, 1965

—mB£w»i;-2 i ■

■afcu , " _ ^IUm ■ ■ i ^^ki-

New Zealand Air Force Hercules lands at Williams Field on October 27 and is unloaded on the ice, with Mt Erebus in the background. R.N.Z.A.F. Photo. U.S. APPRECIATION tion of officer commanding the adminis Admiral Bakutis and other high-rank tration wing at RNZAF Station, Wigram. ing officers of the McMurdo staff were As Squadron-Leader Claydon he was at the air-strip to welcome the New Zea senior pilot of the RNZAF Antarctic land aircraft. The RNZAF has clearly Flight during the Commonwealth Trans- made an excellent impression on the Antarctic Expedition of 1955-58. With Americans at McMurdo, from top to Hillary and Miller he accompanied the bottom. Scott Base reports that "Ant Advanced Party in the "Theron" to the arctic conversation" at the American Weddell Sea Shackleton Base. He later station has been centring round the three played a very significant part in the flights. The Americans admire the New route-finding and depot-laying operations Zealand Air Force for its enterprise in by the New Zealand Ross Sea compon flying their Hercules to the Antarctic in ent, and his skill, initiative and courage the first season after they have acquired contributed largely to the success of these them. They also praise the RNZAF operations and of the whole Expedition. personnel and others concerned for the He was awarded the Air Force Cross for quick turn-rounds and the amount of his Antarctic work. Claydon Peak in cargo carried. the Queen Elizabeth Range is named after him. JOHN CLAYDON RETIRES In 1960 he was posted to Washington A varied career with the Royal New as deputy head of the New Zealand Joint Zealand Air Force will end with the Services' Mission, a position he held for retirement of Wing Commander J. R. two years. Claydon, of Christchurch, next month. Before taking his present appointment at Wigram late in 1963 he was deputy In 29 years he rose through the ranks director of operations at RNZAF Head from a recruit fitter to his present posi quarters, Wellington. December, 1965

THREE CRUISES FOR ENDEAVOUR HIGH HONOUR AWARDED The Navy supply ship, H.M.N.Z.S. PETER MULGREW "Endeavour," will make two trips to the New Zealand's 'Three Outstanding Antarctic and one oceanographic cruise Young Men of 1965", chosen by New during the coming summer season. Zealand Jaycees from more than 200 The oceanographic studies will be nominations, were presented with their made between Stewart and Campbell Is awards on October 29. lands. Award winners were former naval officer, Antarctic veteran, and Himalayan Now refitting at the Devonport dock double amputee Mr. Peter Mulgrew, 37, yard "Endeavour" is due to begin load now an executive with an electronics ing supplies at Auckland late in Novem firm: Auckland medical researcher Dr. ber. She will sail on December 1 for Albert William Liley, 35; and Rotorua Lyttelton where final loading will com school teacher and Maori leader, Mr. mence on December 6. She will leave Peter Hcremia Anaru, 35. for McMurdo Sound on December 8. The selection was made by a panel of judges headed by the Ombudsman "Endeavour" is due at McMurdo (Sir Guy Powles), who presented the Sound on December 17 and to leave awards at the Jaycees' annnual conven again for Lyttelton four days later. She tion in Invercargill. will arrive back in New Zealand before The idea of the "three outstanding the New Year. young men" originated many years ago Her month-long oceanographic cruise in the United States, where such later will begin on January 7 and will include outstanding figures as John Fitzgerald a call at the Auckland Islands. She will Kennedy, and Richard Nixon were make visits to Ports Ross and and Cam- chosen long before they became national ley to land members of the Department figures, said Sir Guy. The idea spread of Scientific and Industrial Research and internationally and this was the first se the Dominion Museum. lection in New Zealand. ACHIEVEMENT AND SERVICE The supply ship's second trip to the Antarctic is timed to begin on February The award sought to give recognition 11, when she will again sail from Lyttel to personal achievement and community ton. She will spend four days at Mc service. The aim was to provide this Murdo Sound before returning first to recognition at an earlier stage than com Lyttelton and then Auckland. She is munity recognition of service was norm due at the Devonport naval base on ally given. March 14. Selection of three from 77 finalists had been most difficult. BURSARY AWARD, 1965 "We were impressed', said Sir Guy, The Canterbury branch of the New "by singleness of purpose, by initiative, Zealand Antarctic Society has awarded by courage, by sheer competence at the job. by a sense of service, also by humil Mr. R. Kirk, the 21-year-old son of ity. Many indeed of the nominees Mr. N. E. Kirk, M.P., its 1965 bur showed these characteristics to a marked sary to carry out research in the Ant degree, which is most encouraging for arctic. the future—there is no doubt that we He is the third recipient of the have seen much evidence of real qualities award. Last year the bursary was of leadership. Our country's future is shared between two men. in good hands. Mr. Kirk will man a synoptic wea WITH HILLARY TO THE POLE ther station at Cape Royds, and when Mr. Mulgrew's citation recounted his not engaged in this work he hopes to South Polar journey with Sir Edmund further his interest in geomorphology Hillary as a chief radio electrician in around the small lakes in the region. the Navy for which he received a The branch established the bursary B.E.M. and a Polar Medal. He then to enable young students to carry out studied for and later received a naval practical research in the Antarctic dur commission and later joined the Anglo- ing the university summer holidays. New Zealand Himalayan Expedition. December, 1965

On Makalu he was struck by pul monary thrombosis and later frostbite. A REMARKABLE FILM He lost both legs and several fingers, The New Zealand National Film but resolved to walk again and to re Unit's Antarctic film, "140 DAYS UN visit the Himalayas. Both these deci DER THE WORLD", reviewed after sions were carried through. He re its initial preview in "Antarctic" has turned to his naval career with the re now been released for general screen search laboratory, and later as an in ing. It will thrill everyone: no Ant structor, and now heads the telecom arctic enthusiast should dream of miss munications section af an electrionics firm. ing it. WIDE ACCLAIM SCOTT BASE LEADER'S Produced in wide screen format, it ROTARY AWARD is perhaps the most important piece of cinema to come from the Antarctic. The Scott Base leader, M. M. Prebble, It was nominated for the documentary has been awarded a Rotary Foundation award of the Academy of Motion Pic Fellowship for a year's study overseas in ture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood in polar research. 1965, and was widely acclaimed after A son of Mr. and Mrs. O. Prebble, of a presentation at the New Zealand Hinau Street, Eastbourne, "Mike" Preb Embassy in Washington. "140 Days U n d e r t h e Wo r l d " w a s p r e s e n t e d ble is a brother of the recent Victoria at the opening four months ago of University Antarctic Expedition leader Warwick Prebble. Both are veterans of the Bercy Theatre in Melbourne, where several Antarctic expeditions. it is still running, and has been run ning over three months in Sydney. In Mike's introduction to the Antarctic the United Kingdom it is being dis was as a volunteer Antarctic Society tributed by the Rank Organisation. member of the Huts Restoration Party To shoot this film, cameramen Kell in 1960-61. He returned as a dog- Fowler and Sam Grau made several handler in the 1961-62 summer, and trips to Scott Base and other points again as deputy leader, Scott Base, in in the Ross Sea Dependency where the summer of 1964-65. He will be New Zcalandcrs were working. As the wintering over as Leader, 1965-66. successive batches of colour film ar The Rotary Fellowships for single men rived at Miramar studios, it became 20-28. are part cf an international effort apparent that its content and quality for further understanding and friendly were remarkable and would justify relations between people of different production of a 30-minute picture—10 nations. minutes longer than planned. Mr. Prebble, an old boy of Hutt RIOT OF COLOUR Valley High School, attended Victoria There are fascinating colours in the University of Wellington where he re icflected light and shifting contours, ceived a B.A. (Hons.) in 1961, and an in the delicate vapours and clouds and, M.A. in 1965. He received his diploma not least, in the creatures which, by of teaching in 1963 from the Christ returning every summer to renew their church Teachers' College and a certificate species, bring life to a frozen land. to instruct bushcraft from the Cobham For senior unit director Ronald Outward Bound School. Bowie, who edited the film and wrote the commentary, the problem was se lection. "The colour was wonderful", he says, SUCCESS "and so were separate images, speci a Billing's Antarctic novel. ally some of the close-ups of faces. "Forb'ush and the Penguins," reviewed To try to connect all this, to convey in our March issue, was recently a the significance of the research being choice of the American Book of the done, the excitement of the whole ad Month Club and is reported to be hav venture and the beauty of the snow- ing big sales overseas. capes was a fascinating task for me". December, 1965 FURTHER BUILDINGS PLANNED FOR FRENCH ANTARCTIC BASE

The 2.000 ton Danish ship "Thala Moreover, a team of five additional Dan" left Le Havre on October 14 with technicians will be quartered in the build a 900 ton cargo of high precision scien ings of the old "Marret Base". A total tific equipment, prefabricated buildings, of 30 men, 12 of them scientists, will gas-containers and other material for the winter during 1966. French teams in Adelie Land. She will FOURTH TIME call at Hobart to pick up the 30 expe dition members (compared with the usual Leader of the 16th French Antarctic 20) who are being flown out from Expedition in Terre Adelie (TA16) will France. The summer relief season in be Rem Merle. He will be wintering Terre Adelie will extend from mid- over for the fourth time. In 1957 he December 1965 to the beginning of was principal radio officer. In 1958-60 March, 1966. he was Leader of the 9th Expedition, and The summer works programme com in 1961-62 of T.A.12. prises the renewal and extension of the Chief Scientist will be Bernard Mollet ionospheric station by the installation of who wintered over in 1958. His special ionospheric sounding equipment and sev responsibility will be the reconstruction eral fixed and turning antennae: the con of the Ionospheric Station. struction of a mast 74 metres in height; the construction and equipment of a Twenty-five men will participate in the summer work. Four technicians will rocket-launching site; installation and be working on the erection and instal putting into operation of new all-sky 10 colour night-sky recording equipment: in lation of the ionosphere mast, and the stallation of long-term seismic register construction group will number 12. As ing equipment; and a new DECCA wind usual, Paul-Emilc Victor will lead th>- radar. summer party. When this programme is completed, ALL MOD. CONS. AT DUMONT towards the end of the 1965-66 summer, D'URVILLE the ionospheric station at Dumont d'Ur According to the experienced Austra ville Base will be one of the best lian Don Styles, the new Dumont d'Ur equipped in the Antarctic, whether from ville will be one of the most modern, the point of view of technical methods most comfortable and, scientifically anr" used or from that of simplicity of opera technically speaking, best equipped bases tion and automatic functioning. in the Antarctic. In addition, a new communal build Already two new laboratory buildings ing (18 x 18 m.) for the winter party have been constructed to house the seis and a new dormitory (24 x 8 m.) for the mological, geomagnetic, auroral, meteor summer party are to be constructed and ological, biological, glaciological, radio equipped. A start will be made on the activity and cosmic ray installations. The installation of plant for the pumping magnetic station has been completely and distillation of sea water to provide renovated. During the coming summer fresh water for cooking purposes. A new the seismological station will be com telephone network is to be installed. pleted by the installation of the long- The completion of the two new labor term equipment, and the ionospheric sta atory buildings (384 sq. m.) by removing tion will also be completely renewed. from the living quarters the scientific in The substructure required for the future stallations they previously housed, makes launching of rockets to record disturb free additional space for the wintering ances in the ionosphere will be con party. This permits the strength of the structed. New living and sleeping quar winter team to be raised from 20 to 25. ters will also be erected. December, 1965

The water pumping and distribution service will function experimentally dur JAPAN ing the 1966 winter. The whole system will come into operation at the beginning PREPARES of 1967. Following a successful trial voyage, The telephone system will be com the new Japanese ice-breaker "Fuji" has pleted during the 1966 winter. It will been taken over by the Defence Bureau necessitate the laying of four kilometres as from July 15. Captain T. Honda and of cable. his crew, including the airmen, have en A temporary hospital, essential be gaged in a number of sea-going train cause of the greater risk of accidents due ing exercises. "Fuji" will carry two ' ) the increased numbers, will be set up Sikolsky S-G1A and one Bell 47G; also ..i No. 2 Laboratory. It will be ready a powerful new snow-car KD60 of for use from the commencement of the 140 h.p. 1965-66 summer. The permanent hos The 40 members of J.A.R.E. VII were pital will be situated in the winter party finally selected on October 25. They in dormitory building, the construction of clude a wintering team of 18 men with which is scheduled for 1968. Dr. A. Muto of Keisci Hospital as leader. Features of the new living quarters The leader of the whole expedition is will be a dining room to seat 60 men, Antarctic veteran M. Murayama. Three pressmen will accompany the expedition library, bar, record-player room, two on "Fuji", as will Mr. H. Francis as photography darkrooms (one especially for the use of amateurs) and a kitchen United States observer. capable of producing meals for 80 men. "Fuji" will leave Tokyo on Novem This building will be ready for use in ber 20 and travel via Frcmantlc, Western 1967. Australia (December 5-11). She is ex pected to reach the pack-ice about the end of the year. The landing of the France commemorated on January 20, wintering-over party and the discharge 1965, two notable anniversaries: it was of cargo will be carried out as from the 125 years since the discovery of Terre beginning of January 1966. Adelie by Dumont d'Urville in 1840, Dr. K. Kizaki of Hokkaido University, and it was 15 years since the first land a geologist, will winter with the Austra ing on the Antarctic Continent of Ex lian expedition at Mawson. peditions Polaires Francaises in 1950— 'POLAR NEWS" the party led by A. F. Liotard. The Japanese Polar Research Associa ve pioneered ionos- tion, which was founded at the end of -s the first issue of its - "•' News", which will be Mihhshed every few months. Unfortun- lost "Antarctic" readers, the I news items, both domestic are in Japanese: only the i«uiw ui contents is (tantalisingly) in i. The first ionospheric station was opened on February 14, English. Director of the Polar Research Asso 1951, and functioned regularly until it ciation is Professor S. Kaya, formerly •e'11 of the Japanese Science Con- e'—• The Chief Secretary is Dr. T. was renewed in 1956. Torn of Chiba Technical College, well The summer party dormitory will known to many New Zealanders. house 46 men. There are two one-man rooms and eleven four-man rooms. September, brought many fine but cold TERRE ADELIE days. A caravan and a weasel were The July-September quarter was char brought back from Pointe Geologic and acterised by heavy cloud and consider completely renovated in view of the pro able snow-fall. The end of August, and posed glaciological journeys in the sum- December, 1965 NEW SEASON PREPARATIONS FOR AUSTRALIAN ACTIVITIES

The Australian Government has STATION LEADERS Leaders of the parties who will serve again chartered two polar vessels to with the Australian National Antarctic make voyages to relieve Australia's Research Expeditions during 1966 have Antarctic stations during the com- been appointed. ming summer. Mawson: Kenneth W. Morrison (34) is a The motor vessel "Nella Dan" will process engineer on the administrative leave Melbourne for Macquarie Island staff of a Victorian manufacturing coi on December 2 with 19 men to replace pany. With a sustained interest in th the 1965 party, which will return to Mel Scout movement, he is at present Dis bourne on December 17. trict Senior Scout Leader for Ringwood, The relief expedition will be led by Victoria. Mr. Morrison has had exten F. P. McMahon, logistics officer of the sive experience in bushwalking through Antarctic Division. out Victoria and in organizing canoeing After loading stores in Melbourne, expeditions. "Nella Dan" will proceed to Antarctica Wilkes: Alan J. Blyth (57). Servin with an exnedition led by Dr. Phillip with the Royal Australian Artillery fro 1940 to 1945, Mr. Blyth was promote^ Law, Director of the Antarctic Division. The ship will call at Wilkes Station in the field to the rank of Lieutenant- to construct a new settlement to be Colonel, being commander of artillery built on a site adjacent to the present in the Ramu and Markham Valley cam station. paigns. New Guinea and in the Balik- "Nella Dan" will then proceed west papan landing in Borneo. Mr. Blyth is for the relief of Mawson Station by manager of his own construction com pany and has been engaged as a master a team of 26 men. builder for over 20 years. After a short inspection of Davis Sta tion, which is unmanned at present, the expedition will explore the Knox Coast STATION NEWS and the Banzare Coast of Australian MAWSON Antarctic Territory. A Beaver aeroplane will be carried to assist with this work. August was not a pleasant month with "Nella Dan" will then pick up the many days of drifting snow and bliz construction party at Wilkes and return zards, during one of which the wind to Hobart on March 9. reached a near record of 134 m.p.h. A second ship, "Thala Dan", will Afflick stayed on weather-watch throu out this blizzard to obtain wind recoiu- carry out the relief of Wilkes Station. It will leave Melbourne on January ings when the ancmobiagraph broke 10 under the command of Don Styles, down. The station escaped practically the Assistant Director of the Antarctic unscathed except for damage to a hut Division. window, and to the radio aerial. How The expedition will call first at the ever, on the Plateau, two miles from French station, Dumont d'Urville, to dis station, the vanes of a wind-driven La.- embark seven French scientists, and will lery charger disintegrated in the blow. then proceed to Wilkes. EXPEDITION EMPEROR The Australian party to replace the At Kloa penguin rookery, 160 miles 1965 party at Wilkes will comprise 27 away, a bird-watching field party, com men. prising Bensley, Baggott, Watson and The shin will remain at Wilkes for Lachal, with two dog teams, reached about ten days while stores are unloaded their objective in just over two weeks— and construction continues at the station. an exceptionally good effort, in regard This expedition will return to Melbourne to the conditions encountered. Five on February 15. weeks after departing from Mawson the December, 1965

party returned from their long dog trip to Kloa, and Fold Island emperor pen WILKES STILL THE HUSKY guin rookeries over the sea ice and were accorded a rousing welcome home. They Two two-man teams under McLaren, gave glowing reports of the magnificent a Canadian glaciologist. each with a spectablc of thousands of emperor pen sledge hauled by seven dogs, returned guins wandering in and around the ice lo Wilkes after three weeks in the field. bergs. Over 400 miles were travelled, They had set out to accomplish com a credit to the four men and their husky bined programmes of glaciological and teams. survey work at Midglcy Island and Haupt Nunatak. The men and dogs EARLY SPRING were sorely tried by blizzards blowing With temperatures rising to an unusual for long periods at hurricane strength plus 20-odd degrees a barbecue night and by temperatures dropping to 57°F was held on August 21, but the rising below freezing point. wind curtailed the enthusiasm for steaks Each dog team was required to pull on the open fire. The lowest temperature a load of 900 pounds and the men had in August was minus 24.9°F. only the shelter of polar tents through out their journey. When the weather Motor toboggan teams of Cameron. was at its wildest one sledge was blown Haigh, Gordon and Poulton spent a over by erratic wind gusts eleven times week on a journey to Taylor Glacier in eight miles. rookery, their primary objectives being a census of the Emperor penguins and On occasions the men were short of to depot for the following Kloa party. food and fuel when bad weather held them back from reaching dumps of sup Approximately 3,500 birds were tallied, plies established earlier in the year. With many with chicks. Meanwhile, Woinar- three sledge runners broken by the rough ski, Allison, Martin and Vrana had a terrain, the parties limped back to their successful six-day trip to Austcr rook- station, full of praise for the wonderful cry, where some 30,000 birds were ob served, many with chicks. The snotrac performance of the locally bred huskies. broke down whilst en route to Fischer Despite the difficulties, the men made with three men to instal the auroral important glaciological observations on camera. The minor trouble was imme- the movement of the Vanderford Gla dately repaired and the following day cier, 2 miles S.S.E. of Wilkes, as well saw the camera in position on Fischer as surveying Midgley Island en route. Nunatak. REFUELLING The Auster rookery trip was repeated The station tank farm was refullcd twice during September. Early in the this month under the capable eye of month a four-man party did the return Shcnnan. Allen and Dcmech lent con trip to Auster rookery in one day. This siderable assistance to the operation by 70-mile round trio was repeated later in driving the D4 tractors. The rest of the the month by a further group. Figures station took it in turns to help with the vary regarding the number of penguins loading and unloading of the drums. at this rookery, but Woinarski considers Physiologist Hicks after constructing it best to count their legs and divide by his new physiology laboratory almost two. single-handed, started business in Aug By September the Antarctic spring ust with his first blood samples. had brought about a sudden and most Walking still appears to be more re welcomed change in climate after a liable than motor-cycling or motor-to- month fraught with high wind and bliz boganning, as it would appear that a man zard conditions. The temperature range on foot easily outstripped both other was high, with a minimum of minus means of transport on a trip to the I9°F, and a maximum of plus 21°. The cabin at Jack's Donga. This spot has highest wind gust in September was 104 a magnificent view over the Swain Is m.h.p.; average daily sunshine was a lands. scant 4.9 hours with a daily average CLIMATE FOR AUGUST temperature of minus 4.5°F. Warmer weather has also seen the seals return Average temp, plus 7.1°F. maximum temp, plus 33.1°F, lowest temp, minus ing. I3..VF. December, 1965

The maximum wind gust was 104 Expedition at Syowa Station from No m.p.h., which explains why one day vember 1959 to March 1961. He has there were aerials and the next only been a research assistant at Hokkaido twisted aluminium. University since 1952 and has published a number of papers on the geology of Mechanics S'hennan, Wiggins and Japan and Antarctica. He is a member Glenny, between Repstat and keeping of the Alpine Club of Hokkaido and the Wilkes" in fuel, spent their time, including Japan Alpine Club. many nights, working on the traverse vehicles. These are to be taken out WIVES' CLUB on the spring traverse early in Octo ber by Lanyon, Allan, Wiggins, Holmes The wives of the men who go down to and Forecast. The party was to leave the Antarctic have formed the Antarctic for an extensive geophysical survey mea Wives' Association (Australia). suring ice thickness, gravity and elevation The president, Mrs. Philip G. Law, over a large area about 100 miles south vice-president, Mrs. D. F. Styles, and of Wilkes. Secretary Mrs. R. A. Saxton. McLaren, the Canadian glaciologist, Mrs. Saxton says. "The idea is that the has continued his examination of ice wives will be able to get together to structures. He is doing some very in exchange news and publications, and teresting work on the structure of ice learn a little about the Antarctic, the crystals and is frequently interrupted by continent where they're not allowed to others wanting to take photographs of go". them through his microscope. Mrs. Law, the President, is looking When Forecast dropped his motor for the right association badge. She feels cycle through a tide crack, he and Mc- that their emblem should be a snow Kcnzie spent some time fishing for it with a strong rope and a three-pronged white bird, pure and beautiful. "You hook through a hole in the ice. Twenty know, symbolic of our lonely virginal fathoms of water and rapidly forming lives at home", she said. ice made them return empty handed. SUPPLIES LOST For September: Maximum tempera ture 22°F, minimum minus 14.8°. Maxi The Australian Antarctic expedition mum wind gust 78 knots; snow and/or had its whole year's supply of tobacco drift on 13 days. and cigarettes stolen from a Melbourne wharf during the week-end of Decem ber 4-5. A Japanese scientist, Dr. Koshiro Kiz- LATE NEWS FROM aki. has been appointed as glaciologist MAWSON with the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions at Mawson in With October came the welcome extra 1966. He will shortly arrive in Mel hours of daylight which not only brought bourne to begin preparations at the Ant- back the bird life but also made possible Mvision and the Department of many sea-ice outings after tea. One trip of interest was a day's outing to Gigan- corology. University of Melbourne. Dr. Kizaki will be mainly engaged in teus Island to observe giant petrels a study of petrofabrics near the Casey nesting. Range 19 miles W.S.W. of Mawson. This Poulton has been active on the sew investigation seeks to determine the re ing machine making engine covers for lationship between the movement and the tractors, while Gordon has been deformation of ice and the ice crystals, fitting radio equipment to the various of which it is composed. He will also spring-trip vehicles. By the look of the '•ontinue measurements of the heat bud- food sledge, reports leader Woinarski, the trippers should enjoy excellent jet of the plateau ice commenced this menus. year by the present glaciologist at Maw son. As an indication of the weather, on Dr. Kizaki, aged 41, was born in Japan Saturday evening, the 30th, a barbecue and is married with two children. He held outdoors was enjoyed by all, the served as geologist and glaciologist with husky pups being in strategic positions the Fourth Japanese Antarctic Research to pick up scraps. December, 1965 SOVIET STATION REPORT ON WORK ACCOMPLISHED AND PLANNED News from the Russian Antarctic committees make it clear that the Soviet bases in Antarctica will be humming with activity as extensive build ing projects get under way this summer, and are carried on next year even after the return of the Polar ships to Europe.

For this description by E. I. Tolstikov leadership of meteorologist N. Artemiev of work planned for the coming summer will study the climate, the ionosphere, we are indebted to "Moskovskaya aurorae, cosmic rays, the earth's mag Pravda" for September 12. netic field and the origin of radiowaves "As compared with earlier expeditions, at Vostok. An American scientist is to 'Ob' will leave for the Antarctic almost join the group. a month and a half earlier, in mid- "Of special interest is a project to de October. 'Ob' will arrive in the Antarc termine the thickness of the ice sheet by tic at the beginning of the Antarctic radar detection. These experiments will summer. A tanker carrying fuel will be carried out in a special area south for the first time arrive in Antarctica of the Davis Coast. One of the main together with the 'Ob'. tasks of the expedition will be to keep "The number of scientific projects Soviet whalers informed of weather planned is large. Meteorological, geo conditions in the high latitudes of the physical and actinometric research will Southern Ocean." be carried out, as well as the study of ionospheric phenomena. The crew on Geological and geographical research board the 'Ob' will carry out oceano will go on in the Enderby Land moun graphic investigations. There will also tains. Glaciological and hydrographic be geologists at work, along the shores research is to be carried out in Alasheev and in many inland areas, which they Bay by a group headed by J. Koblenc. will reach by plane. Physicists and gla- Medical observations are regularly car ciologists intend to measure the thick ried out at all stations with regard to ness of the ice-cover by means of a new man's adaptation to the harsh climatic radar method. conditions of Antarctica. "We are planning to send to Antarctica A scientific centre for Soviet Antarc biologist-aqualungers. Their observa tic research is to be established at Molo tions will uncover new underwater worlds dezhnaya in Enderby Land (see below). along the shores of the ice continent." A group of builders is being sent to Antarctica for this purpose. Many of ON THE EVE the members of this group are proficient in two or more trades. Writing on October 21. a few days be- for 'Ob' was due to sail from Leningrad, The members of the ship's crew will : the well-known Soviet Antarctic author carry out oceanographic research from ity A. Nudelman said: the "Ob" in Antarctic waters, from "The main task of the expedition will Pravda Coast to Queen Maud Land. be the continuation of a complex pro Endeavours will be made to explore gramme for the International Year of the again the Amery and West Ice Shelves. Quiet Sun. The new arrivals will con As mentioned previously, Soviet scien tinue the scientific watch in Mirny, Vos tists discovered that these ice shelves tok, Molodezhnaya and Novolazarev- have shrunk considerably. skaya. Unique scientific observations will Several thousands of tons of fuel are be carried out at two poles, the Geo to be delivered in a tanker directly from magnetic South Pole and the Pole of the Black Sea to Mirny and Molodez Cold. A group of 15 men under the hnaya. Before the arrival of the ship in December, 1965

Alasheev Bay, workers hope to have the snowstorms made life very difficult in fuel storage tanks finished. the settlement. Personnel of the 11th expedition will "Over the years we have learnt much number over 300, including the crews of about Antarctica, we have carried out research and studied new areas. One ships and planes. The overland party will be headed by geographer L. Dub- of these areas, Queen Maud Land, ap peared to us the most suitable for our rovin, the author of numerous papers on future 'capital'. Here in 1963 we set geography, hydrology and glaciology, and" at one time in charge of Lazarey up Molodezhnaya Station and over the Station in Queen Maud Land. He has past few years we have been building it also taken part in three Arctic expedi it up into our main base 'Mirny-2'. tions. Seasonal work will be carried out "At present aluminium dwelling under the direction of D. Maksutoy, houses, mess rooms and scientific pavil assistant director of the Soviet Antarctic ions are being built at Molodezhnaya. "But 'Mirny-1' will remain a scientific Expedition. In charge of aerometeoro- observation point, for it is a meteorologi logical and geophysical teams will be cal observatory which assembles meteor geographer A. Koptev and engineer V. Smirnov. Aerometeorologists will be ological reports from all other stations headed by hero of the Soviet Union, V. working in Antarctica". Borisov. ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT Taking part in the expedition are also This description of the winter work scientists from Czechoslovakia, the Ger on the new Molodezhnaya buildings was man Democratic Republic, Hungary, Po published in the "Stroitelny Rabochi" on land and the USA. August 21. **> In addition to scientific personnel we have a gang of building constructors NEW CENTRE FOR working at the station. In spite of harsh SOVIET RESEARCH Antarctic conditions the "work of the future Molodezhnaya Observatory never Several puzzling and apparently con stopped for one day. For the first time tradictory reports concerning the rela in Arctic and Antarctic building prac tive future importance of Mirny and tice a large building of aluminium wall Molodezhnaya seem to be explained in panel sections is under construction. The the following authoritative statement. building is a future power station. A D. I. Shcherbakov, president of the practical approach of the gang to the Interdepartmental Commission on Ant task made it possible to assemble within arctic Studies, told a correspondent on very short time 460 m2 of wall panels. October 10: "Mirny, the central base of Frequent blizzards and strong winds Soviet Antarctic Research is changing do nothing to help the builders. In June . . . We are planning to build a new we had 29 days of blizzard and in July centre, new scientific pavilions and 22 days. Compared to last year the dwellings. July temperature this year is 8 degrees "What is the reason for this trans lower, fluctuating between - 10°C and formation? -25°C. Maximum wind velocity was "When Soviet ships arrived for the 32 m. per second. first time on the shores of the sixth con Our Antarctic settlement is changing tinent, to the first polar explorers who in appearance every day. 30 m. high when on shore it was nothing but a radio masts rise above the ground, huge "blank white spot". They had little idea diesel storage tanks, multi-coloured Arbo- of its climate or topography. A settle lite buildings on metal piles enhance the ment, Mirny, was founded on the shore site. of the Davis Sea which later became SET TO GO known as Pravda Coast. Trips were I. Petrov reported to "Vodny Trans undertaken from Mirny to the Geomag port" on September 21 from Mirny that netic South Pole and the Pole of Rela the men were looking forward eagerly tive Inaccessibility. Polar researchers to five windless days (as he wrote the wintering over in other stations, includ wind velocity was 15 m. per sec. and the ing Vostok, used to reutrn to Mirny, but temperature - 20°C). Windless days strong winds, continuous blizzards and were necessary so that they could start December, 1965

getting ready for the projected sno-cat taken into consideration in the produc trek to Vostok, which is 3,500 m. above tion of the 500 maps, covering such sea level. aspects as weather, temperature, geology, Eight weasel-truck-tractors had already oceanography, seismic sounding, glacio been overhauled and work was still in logical profiles, aurora (e.g., frequency progress on several large metal sledge- in different areas), geophysical character trailers. Small huts were being built and istics, the continental relief and the re fitted with navigational aids and radio lief of the ocean floor in Antarctic equipment. Living huts and galleys were waters. The two volume atlas will in already finished. clude 500 completely new maps, on 225 The tractor-team will carry large pages, the remaining 75 pages of the quantities of fuel and equipment of vari first volumes being devoted to the explan ous kinds to Vostok. It will have to atory text. The second volume will con cover 1500 km. from the Indian Ocean tain articles of an encyclopaedic nature to the South Geomagnetic Pole. devoted to a description of all the natural During October half the load was to elements in the Antarctic. be taken by truck tractor about 100 km. from Mirny—the first 100 km. are the It is expected that the first volume of most difficult, as the ice cover rises the Atlas will be published later this steeply here from the shore to the ice year, and volume two in 1967. cap. The Mirny team was busy preparing to CO-OPERATION meet the new arrivals and had cleared The Director of the Arctic and Antarc the slope from the high "barrier" to the tic Institute, Leningrad, told Tass in fast ice where the "Ob" will arrive. August that the interchange of scientists between Russia and other "Antarctic NOVOLAZAREV nations" was a significant factor in the Novolazarev Station on June 30 re growth of International Co-operation. ported strong winds with gusts of 50 m. During the past year no fewer than 50 per second (112 miles per hour) which foreign scientists had spent some time at caused considerable damage to the an Mirny or one of the other Soviet Ant tenna system. On July 20 again there arctic stations. They included the group were winds of 45-55 m.p.sec. in the of French glaciologists who made a long Schirmacher Oasis area. traverse in tracked vehicles; Japanese Radio communication was being main scientists who inspected their temporarily tained with the Belgian Roi Baudouin unoccupied Soya Base from Soviet Base 500 k.m. to the east, and meteoro planes; and (for the first time) an Eng logical observations were being trans lish exchange-scientist. mitted from Port Stanley in the Falkland It was anticipated that during the 11th Islands to Mirny. Fourteen men wintered Expedition then in preparation scientists at Novolazarev. from the U.S.A., Hungary, Poland, Ar VOSTOK gentina and Japan would be visiting Soviet bases. Aerologists, actino- A radio message on July 11 reported metrists, geodesists and microbiologists the coldest temperature "for a long time", from Poland, East Germany, Hungary, -83°C (-117.4°F). At about the same Czechoslovakia and the U.S.A. were ex time the temperatures at Mirny and pected to winter over. Molodezhnaya were -28°C (-18.4°F) and - 12°C (+ 10.4°F). A - 80°C temperature was also re UNDERWATER RESEARCH ported on July 31 with an atmospheric D. M. Maksutov, assistant director pressure of 600 m.b. Under these con of the 11th expedition, says that the ditions it was proving very difficult to Russians will undertake Antarctic micro carry out the normal observation work. biological research for the first time. ANTARCTIC ATLAS Three members of the Leningrad Zoo Work is progressing on the forth logical Institute will be the first Soviet aqualungers in the Antarctic. They will coming Atlas of Antarctica to which descend to 30 m. and take samples in we have previously made several refer order to study the conditions of life of ences. The work of 12 nations has been the micro-organisms. December, 1965

TOUGH LIFE AT THE POLE OF welding plant was exhausted. It was COLD close to mid-winter—aircraft could not leave Mirny, the Australians could not help nor the Americans. Herald" flew from Australia to Byrd As Siderov tells the story: Station. Antarctica, in October last year (see "Antarctic" December 1964, p.552). "We remembered that on a late sup At Byrd he had as his room-mate Ben ply flight of the previous autumn, a para Ignatov, who was station leader at Vos chute had failed and the oxygen cylin tok in 1959. In an article in the "Her der air-dropped to us lay somewhere be ald" of August 28 Burke tells something neath the plateau snow. of what life is like at Vostok, the Pole "We staked our hopes on finding that of Cold. cylinder, although it seemed impossible. Vostok is a tiny settlement, 2,900 miles "Except for three men, our whole party set off for this location, laying rope lines to guide us a mile through the freezing darkness. lived 15 members of the 10th Soviet "Oil, wood, clothing and rubbish wen Antarctic Expedition. taken to start a bonfire on the snow and digging began. As we went deeper, a They last saw the sun on April 24. tent was rigged on top of the shaft and On or about August 24 each year the a cast iron stove placed inside. temperature is at its lowest, somewhere "For 80 hours the digging went on. about -125°F. Long before that the At 50 feet we found the end of a cord. diesel oil and kerosene are as thick as At 58 feet our shovels struck hard metal. syrup, engines refuse to start, rubber "A cry came up from the bottom of hoses and cables break like glass, paint the shaft—the cylinder was intact. We work explodes to strip woodwork and lived." metal bare, and iron has the brittleness of toffee. As Ignatov told Burke: "Imagine us, TRAFFIC JAM some men bleeding from the ears and (Late News from McMurdo) nose. One of our comrades could not A gigantic piece of ice covering an stop the blood and we had to return area more than nine times that of New him to Mirny. The rest who stayed York's Manhattan Island is threatening suffered bad insomnia. Our minds were to temporarily close the newly-cleared on edge when we lay down to rest. When channel leading to McMurdo Station. we finally slept there were the night The ice breaker U.S.S. Glacier noticed mares." the long transverse crack developing Outdoors, in cold weather rig and face while carving a channel to McMurdo. mask, the Vostok man might well be mis Located about 8 miles north-west of taken for a visitor from another planet. McMurdo, the floating ice measures 10 His bulky dress contains a 40-watt bat miles by 20 miles and averages 4 ft. in thickness. tery and heating coils for hands, chest The direction and force of the wind and feet. His mask of compressed, will determine which way this huge foamed polystyrene has a double shield chunk of ice will move. through which the air is warmed elec If the wind blows the ice across the trically before inhalation. new channel and closes it. the ice break The small silver-zinc storage battery ers U.S.S. Burton Island, U.S.S. Atka he carries, with a life of six hours even and U.S.S. Glacier will be required to at minus 112°F, has almost the import recut much of the area they have already ance of a second heart for without it, in cleared. winter, when exterior movement is This might delay the arrival of the limited to 15-20 minutes, he could die first supply ship to McMurdo, U.S.N.S. quickly, even on his own doorstep. Alatna. which is due on December 13. In 1960, Vostok nearly froze to death. Although this large piece of ice is a Siderov was the leader that year when threat to the open channel it is expected the bed plate of the main diesel generator that it will soon move into open waters suddenly fractured, cutting the power and allow re-supply of McMurdo Station supply. Their precious oxygen for the on schedule. December, 1965

Belgian-Dutch Expedition Prepares For Second Change-over The official occupation of the Belgian Base Roi Baudouin by Expe ditions Antarctiques Belgo-Neerlandaises took place on February 6, 1964. The new base adjoins the older station of the same name, which was occupied by a Belgian expedition from January, 1958 till February, 1961. M/S Magga Dan is scheduled to leave WINTER PROGRAMME Antwerp in the first week of December The winter expedition is to continue with stores for another year at Base Roi the programme of the 1965 expedition Baudouin on board. Also on board will (meteorology, aerology, ozone recording, be a 'Cessna 180", a jet powered heli- ionosphere, geomagnetism, radioactivity, copter and an "Otter" aircraft, this lat- glaciology). An extension of the research tcr on loan from the U.S. Navy.}. Iia tiuiiu3f»iiciiuin atmospheric BUHvixjuiiy electricity is is piannea planned Two teams of huskies fresh from while a second riometer will be added, Greenland will furnish some company functioning on 20MC. to the oceanographcrs who will leave A rather extensive field programme is Belgium by ship. The rest of the party planned: the geologists will continue the will join the ship by air in Cape Town. geological investigations in the Sor Ron- e expedition„ ...... leader , . , is _ geologist dane mountains T. gian Antarctic started Expeditions during of the 1958 Bel- — Van Autcnboer, who has wintered twice 1959 anfj 1950. before at base Roi Baudouin while sur- veying the Sor Rondane mountains. In JJ ,sIt a'so is also Joped hoped to to extend extend these these investi- addition, T. Van Autcnboer accompanied «£?? ,to the Belgicafjella hitherto only several Arctic and Antarctic summer vlsl,,e °l air- The combined ice flow expeditions. Other polar veterans are ancl "-e.thickness investigations (by gravi- pilot de Biolley, in charge of the avi- me 0™'" m u R°ndane ar,ea- started ation team, meteorologist Cordis, bio- '" .,959- will be continued and extended, logist Van de Sandc, physicist Buis and ll IS a]s° h°ped i° cx,tend the gravity sur- m c c h a n i c P i e r r e . v e y o f t hvey e S of o the r SorR o n Rondane. d a n e . The strain network on the ice shelf SUMMER ACTIVITIES near Base Roi Baudouin put up during The coast which was mapped during I965 wi" be remeasured the 1960 expedition will be remapped. It is hoped that the comparison of the 1960 NEWS FROM THE BASE and 1966 maps will furnish additionalNews in- received -J^EL SSRfcS in Belgium iTf indicated S 10I? formation on the movement of the shelf. ^ftLgn£&?S l.tf & u ^ The—. surveyors... , , ,will expeaition be landed for (leadei carried out W. according Bogaerts) to programme is being astronomical fixes at different points Ti10 c,lrvpvr.r ,,.,rlni\ u:„ fi„M \ •

photographs Maximum and minimum recorded 1 ne Biologists and oceanographers temperatures during the past three will continue their previous surveys. months were: -6.8°C and -43.7°C while also the study of the penguins and while the wind velocity attained a mean seals will be continued by the biologists. of 20 knots. High altitude balloons will be launched Tnc .members of the team had the op- r the study of solar cosmic radiation portumly to have some radio-telephone T. ,, ... . , conversations with their families at . I , he r aircraft . 1 • will , , also J ■■ be" ■ usedii».. to nit lay home. caucuiuud The expedition unuer under prepara- prepara- depots for the inland traverses of the tion received much valuable information winter party via the telephone. December, 1965 SPRING COMES TO SANAE BASE We are indebted to the South African Weather Bureau, Department of Transport, for the following outline of conditions and activities at SANAE during August, September and October, 1965.

Although the sun reappeared towards eter survey field work was to be com the end of July and 38 hours of sun bined in one expedition which was ex shine were recorded in August, this pected to leave early in October. Both month showed no rise in temperature available muskegs and a dog sledge team (mean -27.9°C) and in fact the lowest would be used. One of the muskegs temperature (-50.0°C) of the winter would, however, return to SANAE after occurred during the month. However, the tellurometer survey to Dassiekop and with the reappearance of the sun the Marstcinen has been completed. The men experienced a burst of energy, and dog sledge party would consist of Pol even the huskies seem to feci the same, lak and Ezekowitz; the support and especially after some practice runs. The depot-laying muskeg party would consist men were at this stage faced with the of van Wyk, Hodsdon and Smit; Strydom task of digging out stores and replenish and Steyn would make up the survey ing the indoor supply of diesoline. team with the other muskeg. With half the team out on field work at times, the Pollak and Sharwood spent most of fellows remaining at the base would the month at the substation on an ex have their work cut out to maintain tensive gravimetric programme to try the routine programme at SANAE. and determine the effect of the tides on the floating ice shelf on which SANAE October and the substation are situated. Sur veyor Strydom was a very busy man October started off with the worst after the winter hibernation. Besides storm this year. So fierce was the blow nightly star fixes, he was testing his tell- that the strongest gusts could not be re uromctcrs for the proposed survey be corded—the highest recorded was 100 tween SANAE and Dassiekop. He was knots. However, after the storm the also extending his ice-strain network. first snow petrels of the season were Joubert was working on neutron monitor seen as a sure augury of warmer wea results while the Met. men of course ther, which duly came. While South carried on their routine work. Africa was shivering in bitterly cold wea ther, a "heatwave" hit SANAE, with an September absolute maximum tmeperature of -1.9°C. The mean temperature for the September with a mean temperature of month, -19.4°C, was 11.4°C warmer -30.8°C proved to be the coldest month than September's figure. of the winter and the lowest minimum of _47.8°C came very close to the After many unforeseen delays the absolute minimum of -50.0"C re mountain expedition was making slow corded in August. Several weeks but steady progress. Three days after of bitterly cold weather were ex departure from the base van Wyk had perienced and the temperature remained to bring Hodsdon back to the base as below -40°C for long periods. Bril he was suffering from appendicitis. Joii- liant mirages of the buktas and icebergs bert, his replacement, hastily packed his as well as miraged columns of sea mist bags to join the field party. Since then were regular features on all sunny days. the muskeg has had to return to base The Aurora Australis was also particu twice. Strydom and Seyn were success larly widespread and was seen to move ful with the tellurometer survey but in north of the zenith. tended returning to the base early in November after the survey to Dassiekop The first expedition to the mountains had been completed. which was due to leave at the beginning jf September had to be postponed and Ezekowitz and Pollak reported that all geological, geomagnetic and tellurom- the dogs were behaving excellently de- December, 1965

spite the short time available to train The mapping of the bedrock geology them. During evening radio skeds Smit- and geomorphology of the Borgmassivet tic relayed back to the base a cheerful Mountains in western Dronning (Queen) and amusing account of the day's events Maud Land will be continued. It is an in the field. ticipated that two geological parties will Meanwhile the indoor explorers had be in the field with motor toboggan sup been very busy keeping the base pro port. grammes going. The mechanician was still working on the muskeg Bernadine The existing geomagnetic field stations to try and get her back on the road. in the vicinity of S.A.N.A.E. will be re- Statt had become a fresh air addict, so occupied. that he now spent most of his time out Budgeting studies of the Fimbul Ice doors working on a new antenna sys Shelf will be continued. The rate and tem which he hoped would greatly im volume of the discharge of the Jutel- prove radio communications. Joubert straumen Glacier will be investigated by was preparing another cosmic ray bal repeated tellurometer surveys. loon instrument for a flight early in No The Trolltunga geophysical traverse vember. Sharkwood had everybody up will be completed, possibly using radar in arms when he ran his noisy ionosondc sounding equipment. once every minute to cover the possible Special efforts will be made to reach ionospheric effects produced by the maximum possible heights with radio Ikcya-Seki comet when it was approach sonde soundings as part of the I.Q.S.Y. ing the sun. Dr. Jan de Witt has come forward programme. with some excellent delicacies at meal times His koeksisters are everybody's ANTARCTIC MEDAL favourite. One who is really appreciat The South African Antarctic medal ing the longer days is Joubert who no has been awarded to Victor von Brunn. longer needs a torch to take the mid Von Brunn was appointed geologist- night Met. readings. It seems that "ab geophysicist-glaciologist for the First sence really makes the heart grow South African Expedition, 1960, which fonder" as wc have now had four en was planned and organised at very short gagements announced from down here. notice. He left for Antarctica as a young The latest two arc Nico Smit and Johan man fresh from university with instruc Joubert, who have announced their en tions to "do your best." gagements to girls back home. During his year he was responsible THE NEW TEAM for more scientific disciplines than any The leader at SANAE for 1966 will subsequent expedition member. He also undertook, in the company of his leader, ue Sean Kavanagh (27), who graduated a journey of 500 miles by dog sledge ^t the Witwatersrand University in 1960 which lasted six weeks, during which /ith a B.Sc. engineering degree in land he did extensive field work. surveying. He has done underground, aerial, engineering and land surveying When he returned to South Africa, throughout South Africa and was re scientific circles were astounded at his cently engaged on the Orange River Pro achievements in all of the scientific ject. He spent 1962 in Autarctica as disciplines for which he had been re- surveyor to SANAE III. The remainder of the team comprises a medical officer, two geologists, a geo- THE PENGUIN COURTEOUS magnetist, an ionosphericist, three me Visitors to the Antarctic Division of teorological officers, a cosmic ray scien fices in Wellington are greeted on the tist, two diesel mechanics and two radio stairway by a dignified Emperor penguin. operators. "Percy" is frequently in demand as the Survey support to the glaciological re prize exhibit at Antarctic displays in vari search programme will be provided by ous parts of New Zealand. During these the measurement of ice movement in the periods of absence on duty a card vicinity of S.A.N.A.E., in the "hinge" placed on his customary stand reads area south of the base and between the "GONE FOR A WALK. base and the ice-front. PERC." December, 1965 TRAGEDY STRIKES BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY THREE LIVES LOST IN CREVASSE The loss of John Wilson, David Wild side. Though this may mean an early and Jeremy Bailey, working from Halley break up and an easy season for the Bay in the region of the Vestfjella, has ships it is not so good for survey in the overshadowed all other news from the area east of Adelaide Island. Already a British Antarctic Survey base. survey party have found themselves marooned at the old Base W on De- The men were in the cab of a Bom taille Island. They are well off for food bardier Muskeg tractor towing two and fuel and are in no danger but it is Maudheim type sledges. On October 12 frustrating for them not to be able to get they were travelling over country which on with the work. appeared safe when the tractor broke through a crevasse bridge. It was sup FLIGHTS LIMITED ported for a moment by the tow-bar of the leading sledge but this broke and The De Havilland Otter flew south the tractor fell down backwards about to Adelaide Island on September r<\ hm 150 feet. The tractor was badly wrecked owing to bad weather over th in the fall and it is certain the men Strak it was forced to stage at the Argen died instantly. tine Islands. The second leg of the flight was completed on September 28. John Ross, a Scottish geologist, who Although, in the absence of a second was the only man of the party not in the aeroplane, air operations arc limited to tractor, did his best to get down the routes which can be guarded on the crevasse but, without assistance, found it ground the Otter is already proving its impossible. Fortunately Ross had a dog worth. Apart from sorties in support of team and he was able to sledge the 50 field work on the east coast and to miles to Pyramid Rocks in the Heim- Blaiklock Island, two men were flown frontfjella. Here he met another group into Fossil Bluff for base and vehicle who reported the news by wireless to maintenance. base, about 300 miles away as the tractor travels. They then accompanied him back A geological party left Stonington on to the scene of the accident. A man went September 18 and reached Mobiloil In down on ropes only to find that nothing let on the 20th. Shortly afterwards the was recoverable and things were left party split in two, one to work south of exactly as they were. Cape Hinks and the other northward. Another geologist from Stonington is Both parties at work in the area had working on the west coast north of the been attempting to finish the geological base. and topographical surveys started three years ago and, up to the time of the WITH THE SHIP accident, good progress had been made. The "Shackleton" reached the Falk- The remaining men are carrying on as lands on November 2 and sailed for best they can before returning to Halley South Georgia a few days later. From Bay in December. No further work there she will go to the South Shetlands will, however, be possible this season on to land a field party on Livingston Is the sounding of ice thickness by radar land and to discharge cargo at Decepcion. since all the equipment was lost with After that she starts her seaborne geo the tractor. physics programme, which includes seis ANOTHER PARTY MAROONED mic sounding using sonar buoys and the two-ship method in conjunction with Reports from other bases show that on H.M.S. Protector. the whole their programmes are going well. The spring temperatures around The "John Biscoe" sailed from South the Peninsula have been on the high ampton on October 29 and is expected December, 1965 to reach the Falklands on November 26. When he sailed for Halley Bay his Her first task will be the re-supply of enthusiasm for the prospect of extending Signy followed by hydrographic sur these studies to Antarctica was un veys (using Hi-fix) of the western ap bounded. He had that combination of proaches to the South Orkneys. scientific education and instinctive human Early in the new year she will sail for understanding which pays such divi the west coast of the Peninsula to re- dends in the field. He was ideally suited to the whole project and continuously supply the bases there, and to continue hydrographic surveys in the vicinity of happy in it. During the course of several the Argentine Islands. hundred miles of traverses from Halley Bay he acquired many original records The "Kista Dan" will, as usual, sail of value. It is to be hoped that some of in early December to relieve and re- these may be recovered; their use at supply Halley Bay. On board will be Cambridge will be the contribution to Sir Vivian Fuchs, who is visiting the base his memorial which he himself would for the first time since it was established have wished. early in 1956. D. P. WILD H.M.S. "Protector" will co-operate David Peter Wild was 24 years old. with the Survey in various ways including He was educated at St. Asaph Grammar sea seismic work, support for field work School and the University College of in the South Shetlands and on topo Wales, where he gained an honours de graphical reconnaissance of the Cape gree in geography. All his life he was Kater area. "Protector," an ice-patrol a keen mountaineer besides being a ship, will be making her eleventh voyage Queen's scout with much experience of to the Antarctic. camping and travelling. In 1961 he seized Field work in the South Shetland Is the opportunity to join his University ex lands is primarily concerned with a study pedition to Arctic Norway where his of their geomorphology with particular chief interest lay in the raised beaches reference to raised beaches. At the same and moraines. At the University he time it is hoped to complete a general undertook additional courses to fit him geological reconnaissance. for survey work in the Antarctic and finally joined the British Antarctic Sur vey as a topographical surveyor in 1963. SHORT LIVES BUT FULL His evident qualities of leadership and We are indebted to the British Ant his great good humour made him a popu arctic Survey for providing us by request, lar member both on board ship and at with the following notes on the three his base. At the time of his death he young explorers whose lives have been was in his second Antarctic year and given in the cause of Antarctic research. would have returned in 1966 with an extensive coverage of the mountains at J. T. BAILEY present being mapped. Unfortunately Jeremy Thomas Bailey was born in it is feared that most of this work was Hertfordshire, in 1941. lost with him. He attended Watford Boys' Grammar J. K. WILSON School and then went to the University of Bristol where he gained a second John Kershaw Wilson was just 29. class honours degree in Physics. In 1963 Born at Stafford he was educated at he went to the Scott Polar Research In Bedalcs School and Queens College, Ox stitute in Cambridge as a research stu ford, where he took his B.A. degree in dent and candidate for Ph.D. Under animal physiology in 1959. The next Dr. Stanley Evans he worked on a radio three years were spent in studying at echo instrument for sounding the depths Middlesex Hospital Medical School of ice sheets in the polar regions. He where he gained the degrees of Bachelor went to Greenland with Dr. Evans and of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. He took the first continuous records of the successively held posts at Mounf Vernon character of the terrain beneath the Hospital, Northwoood, Middlesex Hos- Greenland ice sheet. (Continued on page 192) ANTARCTIC December, 1965

ANTARCTIC STATIONS—4 80-100 metres. There is a group of MIRNY rocky islands, the Haswell islands, near the peninsula. To the South of the 66° 33' S. Latitude, 93° 01' E. Longi station the thickness of the glacier is in tude, 33 metres above sea level. creasing and 100 kilometres from the Geomagnetic Coordinates: 77°.0, 146.°8 station already reaches 1,500 metres. The Mirny is a scientific research station sea near Mirny is covered by ice which and the main base of the Soviet Antarc by the end of the winter stretches for a tic expedition. It is situated on the distance of more than 40 kilometres. By coast of the Davis Sea (in the Indian the autumn this ice breaks up and floats Sector of the Southern Ocean) on a away, but there are always many ice small prominence called the Mirny Pen bergs near the station. insula. The coast in this area and ex When Mirny was established in 1956, tending to the West and East of the twelve standard panel houses were station is called the Pravda Coast. erected on steel truss foundations. Sev The station structures are placed eral buildings were also built for storing partly on four exposures of rock and food-stuffs and scientific apparatus, for partly on the surface of the glacier. The repairs to vehicles, etc. In the subse thickness of the glacier in this area is quent years additional buildings have December, 1965

•**"*.; -

been constructed, new houses in place of In the centre of the settlement there those destroyed by fire, etc. The station is a galley and dining-hall for 90 per equipment has also been improved. sons which is also used as a mess-room. By 1964 there were 42 buildings of There are food depots near this build different types in Mirny, 18 of them ing. In addition there are other depots being simultaneously used as dwelling for food-stuffs, spare scientific equip and office apartments. These buildings ment, fuel, stocks, spare parts for trans comprise 56 dwelling and office apart port vehicles, workshops, an electric ments of a total area of 580 square power station and radio station in vari metres. The majority of the buildings ous places of the settlement. A storage are under snow. Each house which needs for frozen food-stuffs has been built in heating, has its own autonomous elec the glacier 12 kilometres to the South of tro-water system which is operated the station. through an electric boiler with a thermo- The electric power station is built of regulator which permits the maintenance metal panels covered with wooden panels of constant temperature. All dwelling and roofing iron. and office apartments have telephone There is a workshop for repairing systems which operate through an auto vehicles and scientific and domestic equip matic telephone station. ment. December, 1965

The radio centre consists of two radio (from page 189) stations: transmitting and receiving. These stations are situated 530 metres pital and the Ipswich and East Suffolk apart. Hospital. The station has two take-off and land- In 1964 he volunteered for service in the Antarctic with the British Antarctic g strips on the glacier: a small strip and a large one. Survey. The next five months were spent at the Human Physiology Depart The Meteorological station is in the ment of the Medical Research Council building which was built in 1956, and is developing the research project he was 110 metres to the South-West of the to carry out at Halley Bay. This was settlement. The Aerological pavilion is chiefly concerned with variations in on Komsomolskaya Hill . manual dexterity and sensitivity of touch in varying degrees of cold. The ionosphere station is in the stand ard panel house with special theremo-iso- In December 1964 he sailed for Halley lation and is situated on the western part ay where he immediately became a of the settlement at an equal distance ropular and active member tically taking part in the ge (400 m.) from the transmitting and re besides following up his own research. ceiving stations. This building has two Indeed he became so keen that he applied office apartments for personnel. to stay on for a second year, an appli The seismic station is a panel house cation which was immediately accepted. consisting of a lobby, workshop and working room. HOLD FLOODS Apparatus for geomagnetic observa The British research ship Shackleton tion is in a special magnetic pavilion had one hold flooded after having been erected on a rock foundation. damaged in the Antarctic Ocean, 400 miles off the South American coast in In February 1957, there was equipped November. a special pavilion for the apparatus regis tering cosmic rays, and in March there The 1.103-ton vessel was supplying was built a pavilion for the observation the base at Deception Island when the of earth currents. hold was found to be flooded. The Shackleton may have to be repaired at Station Mirny was officially opened on a South American port. February 13, 1956. Observations are carried out at Mirny PERSONNEL in: meteorology, aerology, synoptics, 92 30 antinometry, ionosphere, geomagnetism, 1956 earth currents, cosmic rays, polar radi 1957 138 43d) ance, measurements of tensity of radio 1958 145 38(2) stations' fields, observation of radio- 1959 97(3) 31 signals of artificial satellites, glaciology, 1960 106 41(4) oceanology, aerial photography, medi 1961 88 24 cine, biology and geology. 1962 55 23 Mirny is the main base of the Soviet 1963 67 24 antarctic expedition on the Antarctic con tinent. It is from here that all main ex (1) Including one American. peditions to the continent and all air- (2) Including on Czech and one Ameri flights into the heart of the continent can. and over the sea are carried out. It is also the main base for aerial photog (3) Including one Czech. raphy.. All supplies of the continental stations and changes of personnel are (4) Including three East Germans, two carried out through Mirny. Czechs and one American. December, 1965

Argentine Activities Planned For 1965-66 The work to be undertaken during this summer by the five organisa tions responsible for Argentina's Antarctic activities is outlined in the following programme issued on October 21 by Capitan de Corbeta (R.E.) Enrique Ortiz, Publications Officer of the Argentine Antarctic Institute. A preliminary flight was made by the reliefrelief and and re-supply re-supply of of Deccpcion.Decepcion. AlmirAlmir- Naval Aviation Group in order to gather anteante Brown Brown and and Esperanza Bases, serser- information on ice conditions prior to vicingvicing of of naval naval and and hydrographic hydrographic buoys, buoys, the commencement of relief and re- andand the the final final inspection of Orcadas supply operations by the Navy. A DC4 Station. 2T5 aircraft commanded by Capitan de TheThe tnjrd third pnase) phase, scheduled scheduled to to occupy Corbeta R. B. Ambrosio left Rio Galle- approximatelyapproximately 30 30 days days will will comprise comprise the gas at 5.40 a.m. on August 22 and inspectioninspection of of the the Navy Navy Stations Stations and and the followed the route Ushuaia, Cape Horn, transporttransport back back to to Arcentina Argentina of of scientific Decepcion, Mar de la Flota, Vice Como- personnel, personnel, observers observers and and work parties.parties, dore Marambia Island. LindenbergThe Is- transport -, , . "Lapataia" »tT . • will „ ... under , land, Teniente Matienzo Base, Gerlachetake a , familiarisation tThe Jjg tLaPata,a and scientific SLSfr in Strait. Almirante Brown Base. Decep- Jakeformation a familiarisation cruise during and January scientific and m- cion , Island, , i i • •Livinuston it i i . i Islandformation and cruise back r- during , ,n,, January n f . 3 ■ and .„ ,u„ . .:_ „•_. . n ii rebruary. February. 1966. Present 1966. Present plans plans envisage envisa, to the starting point at 6.33 p.m.the ,, itinerary: MnJ'„. RltonneBuenos Aires, AL m... Mar del£1 AERO-NAVAL GROUP Plato (either on the outward or on the return voyage), Ushuaia, Smith Island, ; the summer the Aero Naval Melchior, Decepcion, Bahia Luna (Moon noup will comprise three HU-16B Alba- ..oss aircraft, a P2V-5 Neptune and a Bay), Laserre Bay, Esperanza, Smith Is DC-4. The three Albatrosses will be land. Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. in operation when the Decepcion Station ANTARCTIC INSTITUTE is activated and ice conditions permit. Those working in the I.A.A. projects Once the ships rendezvous in the oper for 1965-6 will be from the Institute ational zone, reconnaissance flights will itself, from the National Centre of Cos be made according to the requirements mic Radiation and personnel assigned to of each station. In addition, they will if the tasks of maintaining the Almirante necessary evacuate the bases or effect Brown Scientific Station and the construc the change-over of personnel. tion of the Auroral Tower at General Over a period of approximately 45 Belgrano Base. Work will be under days the ice-breaker "General San Mar taken at Belgrano, Duke Ernest Bay, tin" and the transport "Bahia Aguirre" Almirante Brown and on board the ice will relieve the men at Teniente Matienzo breaker. "General San Martin". and Orcadas Bases, carry out repair work The scientific programme comprises to the ramp and wharf at Decepcion, lay work in Aurora, Cosmic Rays, icthyo- buoys in the northern part of the Wed logical studies, the collection of biologi dell Sea, re-provision the Teniente Cam- cal specimens, the collection of samples ara Base, pick up personnel and cargo for analysis of radioactivity and observa from the Army Base Esperanza (Hope tion of sea ice. Bay) and make a final inspection of The technical programme comprises Decepcion Base. the re-conditioning of Almirante Brown The second phase of the two ships' Scientific Station and of the scientific in operation, taking approximately 60 days stallations at General Belgrano Base. In will involve the relief and re-supply of addition, general repair of the buildings General Belgrano Base, the inspection at Almirante Brown and construction of and evacuation of Ellsworth Base, ocean a new auroral observation tower at Bel ographic work in the Weddell Sea, the grano will be undertaken. December, 1965

The largest group, nine men under on the Filchner Ice Shelf, some 25 miles Capitan de Fragata Federico W. Muller, from the United States Ellsworth Sta will be working at Belgrano (repairing tion, occupied by the U.S.A. from Janu the antenna of the ionosonde and instal ary till December, 1958, and by Argen ling a new antenna for the riometer, as tina until December 1963; and not far well as constructing the new Auroral from the site of Shackleton, base of the Tower), at Almirante Brown on general Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedi repair work, and sea-ice observations. tion in 1956-7. Three other smaller groups of from The Argentine trek on 40°W should two to four men will also be working take the 6-vehicIe, 10-man party some on the I.A.A. programme. Sr Roberto 200 miles south across what is now F. Otamendi will be studying the possi known to be an extension of the Filch bility of installing aquaria in the Almir- ner Ice Shelf, between Berkner Island rante Brown laboratories for "live" bio and the Shackleton Range in Coats Land; logical studies. and then, if continued, over Edith Ronne NAVAL HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE Land between the Pensacola Mountains and the route of Fuchs's sno-cats in This Service will effect the relief and 1957-8. reprovisioning of the naval stations De The team is carrying out reconnais cepcion and Orcadas. It will also pro vide the summer teams for the Teniente sance and topographical, meteorological, Camara and Decepcion stations. It will gravimetric and seismological investi service all the buoys and lights installed gations en route. by Argentina in the Antarctic. Exten sive oceanographic, hydrographic and SOUTH POLE FLIGHT survey work will also be carried out, as well as the provision of meteorological Three aircraft from the Argentine Ant data for the ships taking part in the arctic base General Belgrano landed a: summer programme. the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station At Teniente Camara the Service will about 2 a.m. on November 4. carry out work in icthyology, parasitol The purpose of the visit was to provide ogy, the study of marine invertebrates, Argentinian air-crews with experience in taxidermy, meteorology, hydrography, Antarctic flying operations and to enable oceanography, tide studies and paleomag- aerial reconnaissance work to be carried netism. out. ARMY PROJECTS The three planes, a DC3 and two Beavers, were expected to remain at the The Army will re-provision and relieve Pole Station for three days. They would the personnel of the Experanza, General then fly on to McMurdo Station, where Belgrano and Sobral Bases. Reconnais they would stay for three days and then sance will be made of the northern part return to the pole before continuing to of Alexander Island, of the coast in the their home base, about 850 miles away. neighbourhood of Berkner Island, and south from Sobral Base. In charge of the mission are Lieuten ant Commanders Marie Clegg and Gam- AIR FORCE raul M unos. The Argentine Air Force will relieve It is the first time an Argentinian flight and re-stock the Teniente Matienzo Sta of three planes has landed at one time tion and carry out considerable air- at the pole station. photography, using Beaver, Otter and other later type aircraft. AIRCRAFT CRASHES JOURNEY SOUTH It was reported from Buenos Aires on During the last week in October a October 3 that an officer and three men tractor left General Belgrano Base had crash-landed during a flight back (77° 58' S., 38° 48' W.) to attempt as from Sobral Base, which is 525 miles deep a penetration as possible on the from the South Pole. They had flown meridian 40° W. General Belgrano is 100 miles when the crash occurred. The situated at the base of the Weddell Sea plane was badly damaged but the men, December, 1965

Chile), Glaciology (School of Geology, CHILEAN PLANS Faculty of Physical and Mathematical The Chilean National Committee of Science, U. of Chile) and Biology (Ma Antarctic Research announced in August rine Biology Station, Montemar: Faculty its plans for the coming year. The of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medi Committee (Comite Nacional de Investi- cine and the Faculty of Agriculture, U. gaciones Antarticas) which is the Chil of Chile), Geodesy and Seismology (im ean S.C.A.R. organisation, responsible provement of instrumentation at Pedro for maintaining relations with the other Aguirre Cerda and the setting up of an countries interested in Antarctic scien adequately equipped seismological sta tific work, works through the Chilean tion at Bernardo O'Higgins Base). Antarctic Institute, which itself links the various scientific bodies concerned and Communications organises the work in the Antarctic. In order to improve the quality of Logistics are largely in the hands of the communications in the Antarctic, with Armed Services Antarctic Section, which out interfering with the national network, also correlates the Antarctic work of the a communications system is being Chilean Meteorological Office, the Mili planned in accordance with modern tech tary Geographical Institute, and the nical developments. It is proposed to Navy Hydrographic Institute. set up a station at the Arturo Prat Base There arc four permanent stations and fitted out with special equipment for the two temporary bases (See "Antarctic" study of ionospheric dispersion and its September). It is anticipated that Gabriel influence on communications. Gonzalez Videla station on the Danco An extensive programme of mapping "lay, which was deacti is planned by the Military Geographical vated on January 16, 1965, will be re Institute. activated during 1966. Four vessels will be engaged in this LOGISTICS summer's relief: the icebreaker Piloto In addition to the usual activities car Pardo, the frigate Covadonga, the patrol- ried out in conjunction with the re-supply vessel Lientur and the oceanographic and maintenance of the existing bases ship Yelcho. and refuge huts, it is proposed to put into full operational condition a refuge An extensive programme is planned hut at Telefon Bay (Decepcion Island) for 1966 in Geology (Dept. of Geology, and to re-condition the Commodoro Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Gueslaga Base on Avian Island as a Sciences, University of Chile), Geomor- springboard for scientific work south of phology (Inst, of Geography, U. of that latitude.

a lieutenant, a sergeant and two cor porals, were equipped with food, extra clothing and survival kit. (Late News) Land and air rescue teams set out early on the 2nd but on the 5th it was U.S. PLANE MISHAP reported that the men had been stranded Dec. 7.—Seven men aboard a United for four days in bitterly cold tempera States Navy DC3 aircraft involved in a tures. The men were reported well de landing mishap in the Ohio Mountains spite freezing winds and a temperature of Antarctica on December 6 were flown of 30° below zero. An army patrol had back to Byrd Station by a ski-equipped been battling through the snow towards Hercules aircraft. them, guideel by radio from the wrecked plane. Attempts to locate the wreckage The DC3 suffered structural damage from the air had so far failed. to its fuselage when the starboard land ing gear collapsed and has been left at A later message received by the Argen the scene. tinian Consulate in Wellington stated that all four men had been rescued. Engineers are considering the best way to repair the damage. December, 1965 BIG AMERICAN PLANS FOR 1966 SECOND LEG OF AMBITIOUS TRAVERSE AND NEW STATION The world re-appeared for the 289 U.S. men who wintered over in Antarctica when the first of four Hercules aircraft was finally able to touch down at McMurdo Sound on October 1 despite the efforts by weather to prevent it! Aboard the aircraft was the first mail mum temperature of - 130°, four scien and fresh food that the seasonal eremites tists, supported by four Navy personnel, had seen for six months, as well as the will investigate weather and climate, col commander of Deep Freeze 1966, Rcar- lect snow samples representing a depo Admiral F. E. Bakutis, this year's leader sition of a possible 100 or more years, of Scott Base (N.Z.)., Mr. M. Prebble, and conduct studies of the aurora (the and the superintendent of the Antarctic location of Plateau Station being near Division of New Zealand's Department the auroral belt), geomagnetic variations of Scientific and Industrial Research, and VLF signals. Seven to ten days' Mr. R. B. Thomson. The arrival of the conditioning at the Pole Station will in aircraft and the end of winter allowed troduce Plateau's personnel to the cold Commander Jehu Blades, USN, to re before they reach the coldest place on linquish his command of the winter-over earth. Mobile Construction Battalion party after eight months' responsibility Six, part of the Naval Support Force, is for the men and bases in Antarctica. due to start construction during Janu ary. Eight transportable units will be Lear-Admiral Bakutis had, before leav- flown to the site by ski-equipped turbo Harewood, N.Z., outlined the main prop LC-139 cargo planes and five of plans for the coming season. The estab the semi-trailer-like units will be con lishment of a new and remote, even for nected to make up the main body of the Antarctic conditions, scientific station, station. Of the remaining three, two w"" the second leg of the Queen Maud Land be used for earth magnetism studies, om traverse, the projects of the largcst-yet as an emergency shelter. summer scientific party and the non- introduction of facilities for females, IN THE PENSACOLAS were some of the outstanding intentions. Six separate projects will comprise the Denying, almost defensively, that he final, it is hoped, assault on the secrets of was against women, Rear-Admiral Baku the remote Pensacola Mountains, dis tis reiterated the reasons for the current covered in January 1956. For two sum impossibility of introducing them to the mers already geologists from the U.S. combat-zone-like conditions of the Ant Geological Survey have studied the south arctic, amongst which conditions could ern regions of this range, and this year be included his estimate of more 15 scientists will conduct reconnaissance than 3000 for the number of men in geology, gravity, seismic and magnetic volved in this year's plans. surveys, study paleontology and estab PLATEAU STATION lish geodetic control for aerial photo graphic and mapping purposes. Three The new Plateau Station for scientific other scientists, an entomologist and two research is planned as an eight-man, year- algologists, will join the geologists, and round temporary base some 11,000 ft. up the multiple-discipline field party will on the high centre of the polar ice-cap established and supported by hlfuu- between the South Pole and Queen Maud Land. It will be the terminal helicopters. point of the second leg of the South USARP will undertake a glaciological Pole-Queen Maud Land Traverse, some study through and under a small glacier 600 miles from the South Pole Station. by means of drilling and tunnelling by In an icy, lifeless climate, with a mini Ohio State University scientists. The December, 1965

California Institute of Technology will scientists and two Americans. The pur provide scientists to melt snow and ice pose of this, the third journey across the from a shaft slanting 120 ft. down near Ice Shelf since 1960, is to check measure Byrd Station, and try to determine the ments of ice movement and snow ac concentration of common lead there pre cumulation made on earlier trips. Three cipitated in the last 60 years. Similar two-man parties travelling five miles studies made in Greenland will give a apart will measure snow accumulation at comparison of the precipitation of lead some 2000 bamboo poles planted in 1960 from the burning of leaded gasolines by Dr. Swithinbank's party and ice move throughout the world. ment at the aluminium tubes placed at 5-mile intervals by an earlier German-led Other geological, glaciological, iono spheric, biological and already intro crossing. duced disciplines will also be studied in STATION NOTES varying parts of the Continent. McMurdo: This season should sec the A new biological research station has first increment of construction of a new been established in the McMurdo Sound personnel facility, capable of accommo area by the N.S.F. to permit year-round dating 250 men and feeding 500. This investigations into life as it exists in year's plans cover the erection of the Antarctica. shell for the cafeteria, laundry and mechanical features, and partial installa TRAVERSES tion of plumbing and electrical systems. Leg II of the Queen Maud Land During the next two Deep Freezes, com crossing is under way. The ten scien pletion is scheduled of the galley and tists, under the leadership of Dr. E. E. messing facilities, and of a two-storey Picciotto of the University of Brussels barracks and living quarters. A six-bed in Belgium, were flown to the depot laid dispensary is scheduled for completion at the culmination of last year's Leg I tra this year, the shell having been put up verse, at the Pole of Inaccessibility, to during Deep Freeze 65. The dispensary overhaul the vehicles there before taking is planned to include an operating suite, off on their planned two and a half with mod, cons., examination areas for month journey to the yet-to-be-completed ears, eyes, noses and throats, as well as Plateau Station. three consultation booths, a pharmacy, A new technique for measuring ice- laboratory, diet kitchen and storage area. thickness will be employed, with radar Other additions planned for McMurdo soundings replacing the previously-used are a new Public Works and Transpor method of seismic soundings. Radar will tation Centre, the extension of the fuel reduce the number of soundings taken distribution system and a supply ware yet allow for a more continuous record house for VX-6. 200 miles away the ing en route. Brockton Weather Station, a three-man Other members of the traverse party set-up, is now operational. include three glaciologists from Ohio In October, on the anniversary of the State University, three geophysicists, a birthday of the late Rear Admiral Rich traverse engineer, a mechanic from the ard Byrd, a memorial to him was dedi University of Wisconsin, a geomagne- cated by the Commander of this year's tician from the Coast and Geodetic Sur U.S. Navy Antarctic Support Force, vey and a Norwegian glaciologist. Dr. Rear Admiral F. E. Bakutis. The cere Picciotto's own speciality is physical mony was observed by more than 450 chemistry and geo-chemistry. Navy men together with U.S. and New ICE SHELF JOURNEY Zealand scientific personnel from Mc Six more scientists of assorted na Murdo and Scott Base. tionality and specialty will make a three- month, 500 miles journey across the A statue, designed by Sculptor Felix Ross Ice Shelf from McMurdo to Roose de Weldon, noted for his Iwo Jima war velt Island. memorial in Arlington, Va.,—a replica Leader will be Mr. E. Dorrer of the of the Admiral Byrd memorial on the Technical University of Munich and his Avenue of Heroes in Washington, D.C.— team comprises three other German stands on top of a polished Norwegian December, 1965 block marble pedestal, inscribed with the Hallett, too, had its "mostest" weather, achievement of Admiral Byrd, and his when storm winds, travelling at more own words: "I am hopeful that Ant than 85 mph for three days, knocked arctica, in its symbolic robe of white, will out all the station's major power facil shine forth as a continent of peace, as ities. While the storm still raged outside, nations working together there, in the all hands inside set to work to restore at cause of science, set an example of in least the vital communications system, ternational co-operation." with the emergency 30kw generator. The As Admiral Bakutis told his audience, rest of the station, and its equipment these words are even more appropriate struggled on from the reduced output of now, in a year of International Co a defective generator; three days later operation. Hallett was back on full power.

AT LITTLE JEANA Fresh fish featured as a special after Lonely but essential. This is the sum- lcr season outlook for Little Jeana, an they had 1 advance weather station that opened its ant" recently at McMurdo Sound. Cut reporting season on October 2 with its ting a hole in the floor of the biologists' first weather message of Operation Deep hut on the bay ice of the Station, two Freeze 66. U.S.N, chief petty officers and the Soviet The three U.S. Navymen who man exchange scientist (Dr. I. A. Zotikov) Little Jeana are 200 miles from the near spent three hours with shrimp-baited est outpost of civilization—McMurdo hooks and "landed' more than 15 fish Station. Everything in Operation Deep from 6 to 16 inches long. Back in the Freeze from aircraft flights to penguin laboratory Dr. Zotikov prepared a special studies depends on the weather and this broth in which he cooked the fish, and mobile weather station, located on the the invited guests, his fellow anglers, Ross Ice Shelf, will provide advance were not the only ones who succumbed warning of storms throughout the com to the tempting aromas that resulted. ing summer season. Established in October 1964, the sta tion consists of three interconnected ski- Rear Admiral Bakutis is not only the mounted trailers which rest on a rela commander of this year's U.S.N. Ant tively level snow surface with no natural arctic Support Force, but also an honor obstructions to vision within a 50 mile ary member of the Canterbury branch radius. Equipped with the latest in of the N.Z. Antarctic Society. This meteorological equipment, one areo- honour was bestowed on Rear Admiral graphcr's mate, or "weather guesser" as Bakutis during his time in Christchurch he is commonly known, observes wea before the openeing of Deep Freeze 66 ther and informs McMurdo Station of at a meeting of the Branch when he was what to expect. Weather reports go out presented with the society tie and a copy every three hours. of the Antarctic Society survey "Ant The weather guesser's two station- arctica". Rear Admirals G. J. Dufek mates, usually an electronics technician D. M. Tyree and J. R. Reedy, Admiral and an cngincman or machinist's mate, Bakutis' predecessors in command, were maintain all the station equipment. also given honorary membership during Little Jeana will remain in operation their terms of office. until March, when it will be closed for the winter season. The tourist trade has recognized Ant Extremes of weather are experienced arctica. In January next a New York even in Antarctica. In July, meteorolo travel organisation is reported to be tak gical readings recorded a record warmth ing 50 visitors on a tourist expedition at Eights Station and the lowest temper to the Antarctic Peninsula. The tourists ature ever recorded at Pole Station at will fly to Buenos Aires and from there -80.5°C as well as the lowest monthly travel by Argentine Navy ship to Palmer average, in contrast to Eights' high aver Station where station staff and passengers age. will change places temporarily. From December, 1965

LOGISTICS greater opportunities for highly-trained men unable to make the summer flights Unfavourable weather conditions in and the morale boost to wintering-over the far south delayed the opening of this season's operations in the Antractic. personnel would all accrue. Such flights might well be tried experimentally with Originally planned to leave New Zealand in the next year or two. on September 30, the first four aircraft that the U.S. Navy used to re-open the Yet another vehicle for Antarctic use southern continent were not able to will make its trial run in the snow and reach McMurdo until November 2, and ice this season. This is a "Snow Volks", then had trouble actually touching down. a Volkswagen modified in Christchurch Four ski-equipped Hercules left Hare- for snow operation, designed and con wood at 90-minute intervals, but one had structed by a former colonel with the to turn back because of a faulty com U.S. Arctic Rescue Squadron, Mr. Parker pass, another had to wait around after B. Mudge, now a member of a Christ reaching McMurdo until the weather church motor firm. cleared enough for its landing. Fibreglass skis replace the front wheels Later storms and mishaps further up of the Volkswagen, skis with a ground set planned movements. The new ski- pressure of I lb. per square inch and ways and runways made conditions at fitted with keels to prevent side slip on McMurdo easier, but the troubles turns. The rear wheels wear tractor grip occurred elsewhere. On October 10 a tyres on hard snow or paddle wheels on hoax bomb-warning received at Hare- soft snow, and tests have shown the Snow wood forced a Hercules to jettison fuel Volks to possess light steering and as and return to Christchurch for a fruit much if not more traction than a four- less search; on October 16 bad weather at wheel drive vehicle. A special heater McMurdo diverted a Super Constella will be fitted for Deep Freeze work and tion to Hallett and forced the return to possibly a reserve petrol tank to give it New Zealand of a Globemastcr, where a range of 300-400 miles. it rejoined its companion Globemastcr which was awaiting a replacement pro peller to arrive from the United States. And on Novemhber 5 two DC3 aircraft PICKET SHIP came in to Christchurch after having left Invercargill for McMurdo and then de The radar picket ship U.S.S. "Calca- veloping compass and radio faults. tcrra" has completed the first of her four Trials and tribulations do not deter scheduled ocean station pickets at 60 the Support Force however, and the degrees south latitude, 158 east longi tude, in support of Operation Deep Antarctic has long since been re-opened, Freeze 66. champagne and cakes being turned on at Byrd Station for the arrival of Rear Commanded by L.-Cdr. William C. Admiral F. E. Bakutis on October 6. Earl, U.S.N., "Calcatcrra" left Duncdin The possibility of mid-winter flights to on September 1. After a brief stop at the Antarctic is still under serious con Campbell Island to deliver personnel and sideration by the National Science Foun supplies, she arrived on station on Sep dation, according to a Foundation repre tember 28. three days before Rear Ad sentative, Mr. P. M. Smith, in October. miral F. E. Bakutis flew to McMurdo The Foundation staff and the Navy Station to officially open the 1966 season. Antarctic support force had been study The ship returned to Dunedin on Oc ing the question closely, he said. tober 24, and was due to depart for her The scientific advantages of mid-win second picket on November 9. ter flights would be tremendous. Greater year-round observation of the Antarctic, A young American scientist back at McMurdo after 14 months at the undcr- Anvers Island the ship will proceed to snow Byrd Station "went around for days the Melchior and Smith Islands, on a with a grin of ecstasy on his face." tour that is a private venture. "Mountains!' he would say: "Mud!' December, 1965 On The Sub-Antarctic Islands KERGUELEN siderable useful work was done, out (France) side and in. Earlier in the year a 400 sq.m. metal The Crozet wintering team will num hangar was erected, providing shelter for ber 15. The base, erected in 1964-5 on all the station vehicles. Possession Island, comprises seven build Since April all radio links with Paris. ings. Possession Island is one of two Nouvelle Amsterdam and the Australian islands forming the eastern group of the station Mawson have been effected by Crozet archipelago. teleprinter. Good results have been ob tained particularly in linking Dumont MARION ISLAND d'Urville and Mawson. (South Africa) DOWN ON THE FARM August this year will be remembered The February "shear" made a sheep as a month of thunderstorms. No less census practicable: the flock then num than three of these occurred, viz.. on bered 551. But 163 of these were des the 13th, 18th and 19th, bringing mem tined for "la boucherie". ories of Pretoria to the men on the is land. The highest temperature recorded The reindeer herd on High Island was was 11°C and the lowest -5°C. estimated during an Easter visit to the island to number 31, nine of them males. The Gentoo penguin chicks were put A journey to Lake Bontemps led to ting on weight at a remarkable rate. The the re-discovery of the grave of the Ger Antarctic petrels were nesting. man soldier who died on Kerguelen dur On September 15 the men celebrated ing the second World War. the halfway mark of their stay on the A total of 125 men will participate in island. In their opinion one of the the coming summer programme, and 64 members has the makings of a M.B.E. of them will be wintering over. because, like a Bcatlc with his long haii. The summer programme will include guitar and original songs, he treated them to music second to none in the physiological study of the fish from a Prince Edwards group of islands. camp to be established in la Baie de Noel (Christmas Bay) on the north coast of One problem they have not been able the island. to solve is that one of the men was The photographic coverage of the gifted with exceptionally strong hands, northern part of the island will be con causing water taps to be tightened in tinued, using two helicopters based on such a way that pliers had to be used la Baie de Noel. by the rest when they wanted water. The first baby elephant seal was born CROZET ISLAND during the month. The migration to (France) Marion was in full swing with more and more bird and animal life appearing The second team completed the fitting every day. up and painting of all the buildings erected by the first team. Below freezing temperatures occurred frequently, causing a lot of manual la Wind is a major enemy on Crozet, and bour as waterpipes froze, and water had among the precautions taken have been the erection of massive wind breaks to be carried in buckets to the upper air building for the low pressure gas cylin round all the base buildings especially der or "bomb". those with gable roofs and the streng thening of the dormitory roofs with October proved to be a month of brace rods, this considerably reducing lovely sunshine. On a few days no less the noise of the winds. than 13 hours of sunshine were recorded. The Crozet weather report for the Unfortunately, the wind could not be third quarter of 1965 is succinct: "July, persuaded to subside, and that prevented acceptable: August, very mediocre: Sep the men from really enjoying the sun tember, detestable". Nevertheless, con shine. Although they were very keen December, 1965

to see the comet lkeya-Seki, the sky was a very dry spell of weather following, always obscured in the early mornings which continued for nine days; but so that it was not seen at all. Campbell Island rain returned and filled This summer an ornithologist and a the water tanks to the brim in a matter biologist will be working on the island of hours. until March 1966. Their activities will Banding the Royals continues in earn include a continuation of the collecting est, and this year the party have banded of flora and fauna, including plankton, over 2.000 birds. begun last summer, plant ecology, types of patterned soil, etiology of Sooty Alba Advice was received in September of tross and Gentoo Penguins, census of the recovery of a Royal albatross at sea breeding birds, ringing of birds and study off Southern Brazil. The bird had been of the soft-plumage petrel complex. banded in the winter of 1962, making An effort will be made to visit Prince the ninth South American recovery of Edward Island. Royal albatross chicks banded that win ter by Gaffin and Clark. GOUGH ISLAND The most sensational recovery of the season was made by Met. Observer Dave (South Africa) Paull on February 26. During a trip With the advent of spring a change around the pegged nests he recovered was noticeable in the behaviour of the Royal Albatross R.1504 formally A.ll, local birds. Albatrosses, black and banded as a breeding adult by Sorenson white, were busy building nests and pen in 1943. The bird is therefore at least guins also made their appearance on 30 years of age, the oldest recovery of every available little beach. There was a Royal at Campbell Island. an upward trend in temperatures and the On September 12 1964 Clark and some sun broke through the clouds more fre members of the party were able to ob quently. The fish efforts of Venter were at last serve the Right Whales in Northwest Bay, at close quarters. They estimate rewarded. To the surprise of everyone their numbers at about 12. Two calves he landed a ten pound snoek and a six were seen, one of which was pure white, teen pound blue fish. a sight that Clark has never seen before. During October Gough Island was at its best with the vegetation displaying all the variations of green imaginable. EXPEDITION TO AUCKLAND There was a spell of eight days without ISLANDS rain and the "drought" was getting JANUARY, 1966 serious. Organised as a follow up of a suc A memorable event was the arrival of cessful expedition to the Auckland Is the "Tristania" with mail and stores. lands in December/January 1962-63, two Owing to unfavourable weather the off scientific parties will again operate in loading was delayed for several days. the area in January 1966. As before, the planning has been undertaken CAMPBELL ISLAND jointly by the Dominion Museum and (New Zealand) Botany Division. D.S.I.R.. the respective Once again the m.v. "Holmburn" was leaders being Dr. R. A. Falla and Dr. the vessel which carried out the annual E. J. Godley. servicing at Campbell Island in Novem ber. ADAMS ISLAND As three members of the 1964-65 ex Previous operations were confined to pedition are having another tour of duty, the vicinity of Port Ross, but this time only one of the new party had to travel there will in effect be two separate ex south at the lime of servicing, all tech peditions, the main one concentrating nical personnel having travelled on the on Adams Island at the south end of picket ships earlier in the summer the group. This is a large island un season. modified by the several introduced ani The unloading and loading of cargo mals and plants that have become estab was done in rather calm conditions, with lished in the northern section. The December, 1965

Adams Island party will establish a measurements of two bulls. The first one camp and they plan in the course of was 18 ft. leng with a girth of 13 ft. and the month to extend their survey over weighing 3£ tons. The second one was the whole of the island. The small boat bigger still with a length of 19 ft., a will provide some restricted opportun girth of 15 ft. and a weight of 4 tons. ities of visiting the adjacent main island Fights among bulls are common now and also. Personnel of the Adams Island the noise carries quite a long distance. party will be Dr. E. J. Godley. botanist and leader: Mr. P. Johns, Canterbury "Cape Pigeons, rarely seen around the University, terrestrial invertebrates: Dr. station, have become a common sight, G. Kuschcl, Entomology Division. Graham has eventually been able to get D.S.I.R., a special study of weevils: Mr. photos of Leopard seals, five of which K. Wise, Auckland Museum and Bishop have visited the station area so far. Museum, general entomology; Mr. P. C. Rickwood. University of Otago, geo "Olrog and Jackson were erecting a logist: Mr. B. D. Bell, Senior Field radio mast. They picked a nice calm Officer, Wildlife Division, Department summer's (?) morning for the job but of Internal Affairs, and Mr. J. Kendrick, the wind rose about 20 knots in two assistant, survey of vertebrate fauna. hours, so that the man at the mast-head felt like a fish at the end of a line. PORT ROSS Robb and George were preparing to fill a balloon for a sonde flight when a sud The other party is returning to the den strong gust of wind blew the roof off Port Ross area and will be mainly con their building. Re-sheeting was done in cerned with the restoration of the liv winds up to 35 knots. ing hut and outbuildings which are in tended to serve the needs of visiting "Weather details for a month: high scientific parties for the next decade or est temperature 45°F; lowest 29°; high so. A limited programme of supple est wind 81 m.p.h.; rain, snow, hail, etc., mentary collecting and special studies on 26 days; a total of 46 hours of beau will be undertaken by the three scientific tiful sunshine. And for September: high members of this six-man party which est temperature, 44° F; lowest 30°; rain, comprises Dr. R. A. Falla, leader; Mr. hail or snow on 27 days; highest wind R. Ordish, Dominion Museum entomol gust 83 m.p.h.; sunshine on 20 days, ogist; Mr. G. Fineran. Canterbury Uni giving a total of 75 hours. It was begin versity, botanist: Mr. K. Burns, carpen ter: Mr. Colin Clark, building and field ning to be like summer again, until the past week brought on the big freeze of assistant; Mr. W. Groenstcin, radio waterlines, etc., so that many found the operator and boatman. Both parties morning wash in icy water a little hard with their equipment are to sail from to take. Any strange sounds heard in Lyttelton by H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" on January 7 and expect to be picked Tasmania were probably those of chat up by U.S.S. "Calcaterra" in time to tering teeth at Macquarie. Giddings. disembark at Dunedin on February 6. using a bulldozer to collect gravel for concreting, had a bull seal attack him and the tractor. The seal lunged at the MACQUARIE ISLAND blade thinking to take a good bite, and (Australia) all he got was a mouthful of broken teeth. The seal turned tail and went off Ellwood in his August "Newsletter" to sea. describes the coming of spring: "At last the Island is coming to life again, with Leader Ellwood writes: "A scientist's birds and seals arriving from winter trials. With the number of seals around holidays. Continuous raucous screech Bob Sutton's magnetic huts, Bob is find ing, not altogether music to the ears, ing it harder to get in to change the whilst to most of us heralding spring, records on the magnetometers, but he means more bites, scratches and bruises considers it's lucky that the seismograph for Dart who has the job of banding is not in the same building. The traces any he can catch. Seals are arriving would certainly show some odd disturb in vast numbers for the breeding season, ances when the building is hit by three so Bryden took the opportunity to take tons of blubber!" December, 1965

Whaling Industry Seems Bent On Self Destruction Apart from agreeing that another meeting should be held at some unspecified time in the future, the five countries which took part in whaling talks again in September appear to have agreed on very little else. The meeting opened in Tokyo on Sep tion of the whales, for only by doing tember 3, and broke up on the 7th, a this docs it have any long-term future day earlier than scheduled. The partici at all. pating nations were Holland, Japan, Nor "The extraordinary thing about the way, the United Kingdom and the history of the whales is that the industry U.S.S.R. has seemed unable to grasp the self- Although there was general recogni evident fact that its fate and that of the tion of the very real threat of extinction whales are inextricably bound up." that faces the whales today, the meeting SLAUGHTER TECHNIQUES made no progress on the question of Research scientists on the whaling fac quotas. tory ship "Sovietskaya Ukraina" reported Japan will stick to its present quota of very successful results from the use of 52 per cent, of the total agreed catch. So the South American arrow poison curare will Norway to its quota of 28 per cent. '■ <••'•* is not happy with its share, 20 as an alternative to the explosive charges still used for whale-killing. Curare -jnt., and wants to share the agreed causes rapid anaesthesia and the carcase quota equally with Norway and Japan. floats until picked up. The U.K. and Holland are no longer The electric harpoon has also long active whalers, at any rate for the since been proved an effective and rela present. Russia's unrest raises the question of tively humane killer, but the whaling whether the 1965-66 world whaling quota industry has shown little interest in will in fact be further reduced next sea adopting it. son, as was agreed at the June meeting WHALING FIGURES in London of the International Whaling An indication of the catastrophic fall Commission. in the Antarctic whale catch is given by Whales are being killed at a rate which the following figures selected from statis makes it impossible for stocks to be re tics published in the Norwegian Whal newed. So serious has the depletion of ing Gazette for August. the whale population become that the Catch in Oil product'n few remaining whaling nations have not Season Blue whale units in barrels even been able to reach the limits they 1954-55 15,323 2,061,789 have themselves set. In 1962-63 the 1961-62 15,252 2,001,961 limit was 15,000 blue whale units: only 1962-63 11,306 1,495,779 11,000-odd were actually caught. 1963-64 8,429 1,299.476 The quota for 1965-66 is a mere 4,500 1964-65 6,986 1,017,611 units. But the scientists say even this is The agreed maximum catch was low twice as high as it should be if whales ered from the usual 15,000 blue whale are to have a chance to survive. units to 10.000 in 1963-64 and to 8,000 Today there are only about 1.000 blue in 1964-65. but this in no way affected whales left, while the number of hump the total catch, since neither in 1963-64 backs is about 10.000. Both of these nor in 1964-65 was the actual catch as are now protected, but the fin and sei high as the agreed maximum. whales, which form the basis of the in In actual numbers of whales caught dustry today are not. the drop is not shown so markedly: e.g., "It is hard to understand," says a 1961-62 37,359 writer in the Australian Financial Re 1962-63 30,159 view, "why the whaling industry docs 1963-64 28.921 not embrace scientific all-round protec 1964-65 3L413 December, 1965

This is because the kill of the huge blue whales has dropped from 1,118 in 1961- ANTARCTICA AWAITS 62 to a mere 20 in 1964-65, and there has been a less-marked but still signifi THE HOVERCRAFT cant drop in the kill of fin and hump (See "Antarctic" June, p. 109 and Sep back whales: with a corresponding in crease in the kill of the much smaller tember, p. 150). sei whales: 4,749 in 1961-62 and 19,874 The British Antarctic Survey may test in 1964-65. As the Norwegian Whaling a hovercraft in the Antarctic next year, Gazette says: "The great increase in the states a press message from London catch of sei whales is due to the fact that dated October 25. The great attraction the expeditions have, owing to the fall of the hovercraft or A.C.V. (Air Cush off in the catch of fin whales, concen ion Vehicle) is its apparent ability to trated their activity on fields where occur carry supplies from ship to shore over rences of sei whales were largest." loose ice. It is also hoped that hover The drop in blue whales caught has not craft will be able to skim across snow- been due, to any great extent, to restric covered crevasses. tions recently imposed. There was a steady fall from the 6,966 in 1950-51. A trial small hovercraft is being built through 5,124 in 1951-52, 2,684 in 1953- at the Kingston College of Technology, 54 and in the past four seasons and it may possibly be ready for trial 1961-62 1,118 this coming season. 1962-63 947 Hovercraft arc being used by Ameri 1963-64 112 cans in the Arctic, but snow conditions 1964-65 20 in the north are quite different from FOOD FROM ANTARCTIC SEAS? those encountered in the Antarctic. How ever, the pressure of even the lightest The Melbourne "Age" on September tractor available would be greater than 2 featured in its Science Notes an article that of a hovercraft. Unfortunately, a by K. C. Hines, "Food Production of the hovercraft would cost about £93,750, Future". The following reference to whereas a Sno-cat costs about £7,500. the possibility of obtaining food for a starving world from the teeming waters of the Antarctic will be of interest. The 30-minute colour film, "140 Days "The last of the unorthodox methods Under the World" produced by Geoffrey of food production involves the harvest Scott and Oxley Hughan, was made in ing of plankton, vast shoals of tiny ani close co-operation with the Antarctic Di mals and plants which swarm particu vision from the planning stages on; and larly in the Polar seas. in collaboration also with the Antarctic "Following on the publication in 1962 research division ot the U.S. Navy De of Marr's report on the 'Natural His partment tory and Geography of the Antarctic Krill' (one of a series of reports on the Kell Fowler says: "For me the most Discovery voyages in the Antarctic), fascinating thing was trying to catch there has been great interest in the possi the personalities of the men. They are bility of producing protein from the all dedicated types, with strong person enormous quantities of these small alities. One of the scenes, I feel, that prawns which, if unsatisfactory for hu perhaps captured something, was th^ man consumption, would at least pro one of the return of the explorers to vide a rich source of nourishment for Scott Base . . . sun-tanned, enthusias domestic animals. tic. They had by then qualified for "Research of the kind carried out by the title of O.A.E.—Old Antarctic ex Marr and others has demonstrated a plorer—and they looked it". marked correlation between the distri bution of the large whales and the shoals of krill. and has also investigated "It is significant that the Russians in the importance of this form of marine tend to send a special ship to the Antarc life for all the animal populations of tic next summer for the investigation of the Southern Ocean. krill." December, 1965

SR. N5 during trials.

SR. N2 operating over ice in England. December, 1965 ANOTHER VALUE OF ANTARCTICA By Adrian Hayter* Many, ask "What return does Ant nothing worth being greedy about has arctica give us?" The question may yet been discovered? Perhaps (for ex spring from a genuine interest or from a ample) only if oil were discovered in the sense" of responsibility as a tax-payer; Dry Valleys would we find how genuine but it is a good question, and its answer our international co-operation really is. will probably decide what becomes of During the winter the pattern changes. the Ross Dependency of which the "cap The visitors, field parties and summer ital" (in our eyes) is Scott Base. staff depart, to leave the very reduced During the summer, with continual wintering-over party in isolation; but it daylight, at times every man is called is the isolation of a group not of the in .upon to work very long hours, when the dividual, and this with the harsh environ problem is to find the time to sleep and ment outside quickiy teaches any man recuperate in order to work more. This that the fundamental problem is to find arouses the first query; why is it' that how a number of individuals all different today, when society generally demands and all insistent upon their freedom, can shorter hours, each year many New live in concord to ensure as a group the Zealanders knowingly volunteer for a security which each individual needs way of life in opposition to that gener as much as his friend. ally demanded? And why do most of As with any group there must, of those, after the experience, treasure it as one of the best of their lives? course, be a Leader who, on paper in this case, is understandably given total Another noticeable lesson of the sum- . authority, but who (when the last plane mer, when visitors, scientists, newsmen and ship have departed not to return for and photographers of many different six months) in fact only has as much nations arrive, is an awakening to the authority as the team of individuals allow fact that in Antarctica a man's race, him. This is pure democracy, an ideal colour, caste or creed means literally which in Antarctica the team as a whole nothing. Only the man's individual per must make practical if it is to emerge sonality matters, and a local "nation from the winter without physical acci ality" develops which becomes stronger dents or mental psychoses. than others. For example, a Chinese Communist who "fits" locally will be Of all the many fascinating aspects, welcomed into your mess with much some harsh and some very beautiful, of more warmth than a man of your own this strange lonely continent, the most race and creed who does not. The quali obvious . is the pre-occupation with fications to "fit" are to be a good worker science; but may this in truth not be an and devoid of pompous nonsense. end in itself but only a way to it. It is possible that the true value of Ant Yet we must be careful of smugly arctica is the stimulus to think of basic asserting that Antarctica (where many human problems, to which science can nations share a continent in harmony) provide never more than half the answer? demonstrates a pattern for world peace. perhaps in the strange awareness that It merely demonstrates the principle that Antarctica arouses lies the other half, where all nations share a common goal, to complement our scientific knowledge in this case scientific research, and where and bring more sense to our world as a there is no greed, they can live in har whole. mony. This truism has been known for centuries, but does its successful appli cation in Antarctica only work because INDEX AND BINDING For important particulars regarding * Author, soldier, lone voyager, and Leader. putting your copies-of-"Antarctic" into Scott Base. 1964-G5. permanent form; see pages 213 and 215. December, 1965

ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF

BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY or since the Cretaceous, in a refreshing IN ANTARCTICA. Edited by J. van and balanced discussion. Micghem and P. van Oye. Dr. W. Junk Publishers—The Hague, 1965. Price: 115 J. M. Sieburth's review of Antarctic guilders or $31.95. microbiology (28 pp.) includes an ap peal for more systematioc field studies. (Reviewed by C. A. Fleming) P. M. Davies gives a fascinating sum This cloth bound book of XXVII + mary of planktonic circumpolar Chaet- 762 pages (146 figs, and 24 plates) is ognatha and their life histories. J. C. volume XV of Monographiae Biologicae. Yaldwyn has documented Antarctic-Sub- It contains an introductory section and antarctic decapod Crustacea. A. W. B. 18 articles by authors from New Zea Powell's essay on the Mollusca includes land, Australia, Japan, Hawaii, U.S.A., interesting contributions on the age of Great Britain, Holland. Sweden, U.S.S.R. the fauna, bipolarity, faunal areas, and and France, edited by officers of the the families represented, based on a Belgian Centre National de Rechcrchcs scattered and growing specialist literature Polaires. Coverage is admittedly incom to which he has contributed so plete since several groups of organisms much. M. Vervoort, the late Dr. Mary are not dealt with. The chapters have Rogick and P. Dalenius contribute suc full bibliographies and with one excep cinct reviews (with check-lists) of Ant tion are in English. The double-column arctic free-living Copepoda, Bryozoa. index occupies 10 pp. and mites. J. L. Gressitt gives a well documented and illustrated account of The introduction (J. Schcll) reviews Antarctic land arthropods, whose make the history of exploration and summar up is determined by hostile environment ises the following chapters, which arc of and erratic dispersal. unequal length, ranging from 7 to 97 pp. Geology, by New Zealander H. J. Har A. P. Andriashev's review of Antarc rington, is well covered by a stimulating tic fishes is thorough and refreshing, even review including some brave new inter if the term "Notal Zone", for the Sub- pretations of Antarctic history, combin antarctic, seems an unnecessary addition ing drift and land-bridge concepts. De to scientific jargon. He discusses prob scriptive sections on climatology (M. J. lems relating to an over-deep continental Rubin) and oceanography (F. Ostapoff) shelf, cold adaptation, reproduction, serve as introductions to the biological white bloodcdncss. the fish remains on chapters. Fresh-water algae receive a shelf ice, the boundaries (and subdivis detailed survey by M. Hirono, lichens a ions) of the Antarctic Region, bipolarity, briefer treatment by C. V. Dodge, who and the origin of the fauna, confirming concludes that they probably colonised Reegan's opinion that the endemic No- de novo from Fuegia, so long ago that tothenoid families imply a long period their ancestry is scarcely recognisable. of development in cold seas. N. M. Wace introduces his chapter on higher plants by a review of Antarctic Longest chapter of all is the Ecology plant fossils. He divides living circum- of Antarctic Penguins by J. Prevost and Antarctic plants into "Tertiary contin J. Sapin-Jaloustre (97 pp., in French: 36 ental" and "Quaternary (sic) insular" photographs), introduced by a detailed groups, and (like the present reviewer survey of environmental factors, includ in several published papers) has under ing microclimatic data from Adelie Land. rated the extent to which earlier plant- Accounts of the Adelie and Emperor are geographers (Schimpcr; Cheeseman) liberally illustrated by growth-curves and recognised the separate histories of these graphs showing seasonal abundance, elements. Wace also reclassifies Antarc thermo-regulation, gonad, thyroid and tic vegetation structurally. He accepts liver cycles, and mortality. The cycles an "Antarctic flora" and its explanation of Emperor and King penguins are com through closer land connection during pared in a discussion of the evolution December, 1965 of behaviour in Aptenodytes. K. H. CAPTAIN SCOTT — THE FULL Voous gives a comprehensive account of STORY, by Harry Ludlam. London, other birds, including discussions of col Foulsham, 239 pp., ill. Published price onists from the northern hemisphere, 30/-. breeding seasons and zonal species-pairs, predators, food, range at sea, and mi The time has come for a franker gration. assessment of the character and achieve ments of Robert Falcon Scott than was The final chapter on human adapta tion to Antarctic life (by O. Wilson) perhaps possible when the earlier bio graphies (Gwynn 1929, Scavcr 1929) may seem somewhat out of place, but were written. Harry Ludlam, in this new should be read as a scholarly contribu "life" has, judging by the sub-title, had tion to the autecology of the dominant this re-assessment in mind. He has drawn land mammal of modern Antarctica. to some extent on letters and contem The authors have struggled to keep up porary newspaper reports to portray with the mushrooming literature of the some aspects of Scott's character which past decade, with uneven success since other biographers have not been aware some manuscripts were apparently com of, or have deliberately left unmen- pleted well before publication.. It would tioned. But there arc no revelations to be churlish to criticise the sometimes those who have read at all widely in inadequate editing of translations when earlier books, and there is no justification so much has been done to make them for the suggestion that Ludlam has "de available to an English-speaking public, bunked" the legendary Scott, who re but a little more trouble would have mains, despite his limitations, the noble saved many solecisms. Many chapters figure who aroused the hero-worship of are no mere compilations, and the vol a generation. ume must rank as a primary reference for many facts and interpretations in This is a book that will appeal more Antarctic biology. to the ordinary reader than to those who are already familiar with the Scott epoch in Antarctic exploration. It is, strictly ANTARCTIC FIRST AID MANUAL. speaking, a readable account of Scott's Although Mr. A. J. Heine's manual re expeditions rather than a "full" biog viewed in our last issue is "not for sale", raphy of Scott. His early life is neatly the Antarctic Division will gladly for but succinctly sketched: the delicate, ward a copy so long as the small stock rather moody boy, the "Britannia" cadet lasts, to any genuinely interested person. with his "horror at the sight of blood" Application should be made to the and a "tendency to seasickness" who had Information Officer. Antarctic Division, nevertheless a "spontaneous gaiety" and D.S.I.R., P.O. Box 6022, Wellington. was the "natural leader in boyish esca pades". But 200 of the 230 pages of "ANTARCTICA" text are devoted to the preparation and carrying through of the two great expe SOCIETY'S BOOK PRAISED ditions and the almost humiliating ap peals for financial support which pre The authoratative and comprehensive ceded and in one case also followed survey of modern Antarctic research, them. In fact, the amount of space de edited by Dr. Trevor Hatherton and pub voted to this going round "hat in hand" lished for the New Zealand Antarctic So on "a third-class ticket" to solicit funds ciety, the New Zealand edition by Reeds, is quite disproportionate. One would is now available. have liked less about the pounds, shill Reviewed in "Antarctic" Vol. 4, No. 1 ing and (literally) pence given grudg (March, 1965) this impressive volume is ingly by this one and that, details of now on sale in New Zealand bookshops, the lectures delivered both in the United and has been given long and laudatory Kingdom and at Cape Evans, and par reviews in the press, both here and over ticulars of awards bestowed, and more seas. about the inner springs of the man as The N.Z. retail price is £5/5/-, but visionary, planner and leader. copies are available to Society members only at a considerably reduced price. However, Mr. Ludlam has been an Apply to your branch secretary. assiduous collector of information and December, 1965

conscientious in his presentation of it. per cent, from Australia, with smaller The Antarctic specialist will welcome the numbers from another 23 countries. new material even if it is not particularly illuminating. The author's assessment The abstracts (mostly from 50 to 250 of the causes of Scott's "failure" is well words in length) are not critical, but balanced and helpful. For the person are intended to indicate the nature and who is new to the Scott story the very coverage of the work. They are excel fact that space is also given to the jour lently done. Altogether, this is a most neys and contemporary expeditions in commendable piece of work. New Zea- which Scott himself did not take part landers will regret the avowed intention will satisfactorily round off the picture. not to use the term Ross Dependency, As Peter Scott says: "It covers the story presumably regarded as having political very well". significance, but will rejoice to notice that the attempt has not been wholly —L.B.Q. successful! One is left with a hope that the com pilers will somehow manage to produce ANTARCTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY a Bibliography covering the "missing" period, 1952-1961, and so place us even Antarctic enthusiasts have for so long more completely in their debt. >y the absence of any up-to-date bibliography comparable with the Antarctic Bibliography published by the U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics, Depart ment of the Navy, so long ago as 1951, that they will assuredly welcome with open arms the publication of Antarctic Bibliography, Vol. I. This quite mas GAZETTEER OF THE AUSTRA sive volume of over 500 pages covering LIAN ANTARCTIC TERRITORY only Antarctic books in 13 languages, (A.N.A.R.E. Interim Reports: Publica published between 1962 and 1964, affords tion 75). Compiled by G. W. McKin- striking evidence of the ever-increasing non, Antarctic Division, Aust. Dept. documentation of Antarctic exploration Ext. Affairs, Melbourne, 153 pp. and research. This annotated list of approximately This most comprehensive and valu 1,300 place-names covers an area, parts able bibliography has been prepared by of which have been explorel by expe the Cold Regions Bibliography Section ditions from Britain, France, Germany. of the U.S. Library of Congress, with New Zealand, Norway, the U.S.A. and funds from the National Science Foun the U.S.S.R., as well as from Australia. dation. It is for sale by the Superin The naming has been finalised only after tendent of Documents, U.S. Government consultation with the British, New Zea Printing Office, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. land and United States Antarctic Place Price $4.25. Names Committees when these countries were involved. Many of the names were The publications arc listed under Gen suggested by New Zealand following the eral; Biological Sciences: Cartography: journeys "across the border" into Aus Expeditions; Geological Sciences, Ice and tralian Antarctic Territory by Carlyon Snow; Logistic, equipment and supplies; and Ayres, Miller and Marsh, and Medical Sciences Meteorology; Ocean Brooke's party of the Trans-Antarctic ography; Atmospheric Physics; Terres Expedition, and by later New Zealand trial Physics, and Political Geography. field parties led by Walcott, Gair Over 75 per cent, are in English. In the "Expeditions" section alone there are 54 entries. Of the 2,000 publica included in the gazetteer. tions listed, some 900 arc of American origin. Of the remainder, 17.5 per cent, In each case brief details arc given of are from Britain, 5.2 per cent, from the location, discovery and nature of the France, 4.3 per cent, from Japan, 3.5 feature, and of the significance of the per cent, from New Zealand, and 2.1 name given to it. December, 1965

THE STRUCTURE OF ANTARC THE VETERANS TICA AND ITS ICE COVER, by Charles R. Bentlcy. 55 pp., charts and FELIX ROONEY digarams. Reprinted from Research in The death occurred in Wellington on Geophysics, Val. 2: Solid Earth and November 4, 1965, of Felix Rooney. Interface Phenomena. Massachusetts In Mr. Rooney was born in Glasgow in stitute of Technology, Cambridge. Massa 1885. At th cage of 21 years he left chusetts, 02142, U.S.A. (Review copy London for New Zealand with Shackle- from University of Wisconsin Geophysi ton's British Antarctic Expedition, 1907- cal and Polar Research Centre.) 09, as a member of the crew aboard the Though written by a glaciologist for S.Y. "Nimrod". glaciologisls, this is one of those scientific On returning from the Antarctic he papers which contain much of value to decided to remain in Lyttelton. He served the layman with some general interest in on Trans-Tasman and coastal ships, in and knowledge of the Antarctic. cluding the "Cygnet" and the "John Anderson", till the outbreak of the first TELLING THE CHILDREN World War, when he joined the 1st Can Two recent publications are specially terbury Infantry Battalion. He served on designed to interest New Zealand school Gallipoli and the Western Front until children in the Antarctic and to inform the end of the war, except for a period them about the work New Zealanders in hospital after he became a casualty are doing in their own Ross Dependency. at Armcntiercs. After the war he mar ried an Irish girl, who died some years LEAFLET ago. The first, a fact-filled leaflet written He was with the Union Steam Ship by Dr. B. Stonehouse, was published Coy. for 24 years, retiring 19 years ago. under the sponsorship of the Christ For the past 10 years he has resided with church City Council and the Canterbury his eldest daughter in Lower Hutt. He branch of the Antarctic Society. Five is survived by one son and three daugh thousand copies were sent to intermedi ters. ate and secondary schools to mark Ant arctic Week. HONOURED NAMES The leaflet is well illustrated, and has Recent deaths of men noted for their contribution to Antarctic exploration and maps of the area. It gives information on Antarctic exploration, topography, research include that of climate and recent developments, writ ten from a New Zealand point of view. wegian expedition to tu BOOKLET 1929, which charted the Queen Maud Land and Crown Princess Martha coasts. The second publication is THE ROSS In 1931 he added Princess Ragnhild Land to Norway's sphere of operations. the Government Printer for the Antarc As General Riiser-Larsen, he died in tic Division, D.S.I.R. It consists of 35 Copenhagen on June 3. pictures of Antarctic scenes, grouped FRANK DEBENHAM under "Getting There", "The Place", It is with deep regret that we learn, "The Men" and "Into the Field". Each as this issue goes to press, that Professor picture is explained in approximately 200 Frank Debenham died in a Cambridge non-technical words. There arc two maps nursing home at the age of 91. One of and a short bibliography. A copy has the fine band of scientists on Scott's been sent to each of the 2,000 schools in Last Expedition, "Deb," as he was affec New Zealand, and the demand for addi tionately known, never lost his active in tional copies which has resulted points terest in the Antarctic, and was always to a likely re-print. eager to help anyone engaged in Ant arctic research. ERRATUM We hope to publish a tribute, in our June issue, p. 102. Bouvet Island: next issue, by one who has long worked sub-title for South Africa read Norway. with him and knew him well. December, 1965

o'clock. Going same as yesterday sink 50 YEARS AGO ing in up to the knees in places, CHRISTMAS DAY, 1915 lunched at noon. Under way 1 o'clock. A peculiar thing is everyone has been December 1915 found both the Wed talking about good things, especially dell Sea and the Ross Sea components smoking. It makes one long for same of Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedi especially when you are on the trek, tion in trouble. "Endurance" had been as there is no conversation except trapped in the Weddell Sea. crushed, when one halts for a spell. Ah well, and finally sunk on November 21. The will make up for lost time when we 28 men already out on the sea-ice now get relieved. Camped 5.45. Dist. 8i needed something more robust beneath miles. About 5 miles off Depot. Bliz them than "Ocean Camp", and on De zard 9.50". cember 22 set off dragging two of the ship's boats to find a more secure camp- Joyce's entry for Sunday 26th and Monday 27th is simply: they started. "Still blizzarding, laid up". Carpenter Harry McNeisli recorded in his diary*: 22nd Dec. AUSTERITY? By contrast with the above, here is a

I have been uusy iouay oui i nnni- for Ad61ie Land. aged to get the sledge ready as we start at 4 a.m. tomorrow there has Fifty-four Frenchmen are now on been no scarcity of food and wc can their way to the French Antarctic base lift and eat anything wc want today at Dumont D'Urville. More than half as we have to leave a lot behind". of them will stay in Antarctica for 15 Shackleton in "South" recalls the months. The others will be there for same day: three months. "For the last time for eight months "And we shall drink only Australian we had a really good meal—as much wine," Mr. Rene Merle, 54, deputy as we could eat. Anchovies in oil, leader of the expedition said. baked beans and jugged hare made "It would be foolish to take French a glorious mixture". wine with us when Australian wine is Of the 25th he says: so fine." "We wondered ... as we sat down The French expedition will get sup to our"lunch" of stale, thin bannock plies of Australian meat and vegetables and a mug of thin cocoa, what they as well as wine in Hobart and take them were having at home". by ship to Dumont D'Urville, leaving McNeish says: "It has been snowing Hobart on December 7. most of the time". But the cooking in Antarctica will be all French and the bread will be like the Over on the Ross Sea side, nine of the bread of Paris, because in the expedition team are two French chefs, one of whom ten marooned by the break-out of the is a master baker, as capable of turning ice enclosing "Aurora" were sledging out authentic crusty baguettes, hot south after a tough winter at Cape croissants and brioches in the ice bound Evans, to lay depots for Shackleton's wastes of Antarctica as in the Champs expected crossing party. On Christmas Elysees. Day Joyce, with five others, was ap proaching the Minna Bluff depot. He wrote in his diary**: * MS in Turnbull Library, Wellington. N.Z. "Xmas Day on the Barrier. All days ** MS in Turnbull Library. Published are the same in these regions. Up at with considerable "editing" in 5.30. Wished all hands the very best. Joyce's book "The South Polar Dug out camp and under way at 8 Trail", 1929. December, 1965

the flow of heat measured by us is suffi MEN FROM THREE cient for maintaining throughout the year a 25°C temperature in the layers NATIONS near the bottom of the lake. AT LAKE VANDA We stayed nine days at Lake Vanda and worked in heavy frost and piercing In an article in the Russian newpaper winds. We never succeeded in estab "Vodny Transport" of 23 September, I. lishing radio contact with the American Zotikov, the Russian scientist in charge base, and Ross Island never heard our of the party which investigated the heat calls. The valley in which Lake Vanda problem at Lake Vanda, in the Taylor is situated turned out to be impenetrable Valley, early this summer, tells of the to radio waves. party's work. We finished our work on Lake Vanda Four of us left McMurdo in a heli on the 9th September. The last night copter heading in the north-easterly direc was particularly nasty. Gusts of wind tion towards the lake 120 km away. We reached 35 m. per second. We were afraid reached our destination on the 1st Sep our tent would be torn to shreds. To tember and began to make ourselves at wards morning, as often happens in Ant home on the lake's deserted shore. There arctica, the wind dropped. In McMurdo was one New Zealander, physicist George they seized this opportunity to send out Jones; two Americans, technician David two helicopters to collect us and take Cook and a naval officer John Ditmar, us back to McMurdo. and myself. We set up two tents and fixed the recording equipment for tem perature, water salinity and its optical S.P.R.I. properties. We assembled the power- drill and a temporary power plant and The Scott Polar Research Institute in got ready other necessary equipment. Cambridge, England, built in memory Lake Vanda gave us an unusually cold of Robert Falcon Scott, has been granted welcome for this time of the year. The $280,000 (£100,000) by the Ford Foun thermometer was down to —45 — 49°C. dation to enable the construction of a thrcc-storcy extension to the present brick building. The extension will pro tent on the flame of our oil-burner. The vide accommodation for lecture rooms, drill holes in the lake ice cover kept administrative offices, map and drawing room, laboratory, storage for archives freezing over. and film, workshop, darkrooms, a cold Two days later we obtained our first room and eight research rooms, as well scientific data. The thickness of ice on as for extensions to the museum and the lake was about 4 m. Underneath library. was free water whose temperature in creased with the distance from the ice It is hoped that building will start in cover. At a depth of 12 m. there was a the spring of 1966 and be completed by 30 m. wide belt of water with a con the end of 1967. All who have exper stant temperature of 7°C and near the ienced the friendly and efficient help so bottom at a depth of about 60m. the generously extended by the staff of the temperature was 25 °C. Institute to, among others, those inter ested in Antarctic research will welcome Our subsequent measurement con the news that the facilities of the S.P.R.I. firmed these initial results. A study of are to be so satisfactorily extended. the result disclosed an intense flow of heat from the bottom of the lake. This flow exceeds many times the degree of A BIG 'UN heat which normally flows from the in terior of the earth. Our calculations re The "Nella Dan" back in Australian vealed a considerable concentration of waters from the Antarctic reported an salts and high density in the low-lying iceberg 90 miles long and 30 miles wide layers of water. These layers do not off the Kemp Coast, blocking the ap mix with the upper layers and therefore proaches to Edward VIII Bay. 'Z PUB i sjsq -umu 'z -joa 'Z Jaqumu '[ -|oa jo o\qx> -jibab siuooaq osn? 3AEq ssidos msj y JO SUO 'S31B33|Sp QQQ'l J3AO Aq pspuSJJB «DIX3HVXNV„ 'lsnSny ui lJBqon ui ppq ssusioc; jo 1USUJS3UBAPV sqi joj uoiiEiaossy •XdoD Jsd -/c 33ijj -(CC6I) sjuudaj PUBJBSZ A\3M pUB UEI|BJ1S11V SqiJO SS3J3 pssuoquiB sjb e puB z 'I sjaqumii jo -uoo sqi iv -sSuusqiBS sausiac; lUBiJod saidoo '81 Jsqumu jdosxo sjoqiunu [je -uii jo sunuBjSojd sqi ui qbjEsssj oq JO SiqE|lEAB MOU SJB S3ld03 SJpJMUBOJA] -3JB1UV JO PDBJ SLUOS UO UOISSSS B Spnp -ui oi iiqEq b isoui|B Suiuioosq si jj •psisnuqxs Xypssds aq jjim >pois ijcuis Ajsa siqi puB V3IX0MVXNV HDXVA\ SXSIXN3IDS 'si3s jisqi apjdiuoo 01 uss>f siSBisnqjus uiojj puB sjopsjjoo uiojj ssnssi' sssqi JOJ pUBUISp 1UB1SUOD B US3q SBq 3J31TJ, •spsfqo 3uio3 -sjoj sqi jo i[nssj sqi 'sb psjinb cS6\-0c6l -SB UOllEUJJOJUl JO UOUBUIIUSS Nixanaa savin oixohvxnv -sip sqi yoddns'jo sSBJnoous oj^ (o) sqi jo ssnssi A"ije3 jo sjpunq jjeuis a"jsa • s i p j B i u v s q j b psresAsj SBq sqoBD pspsdxsun uy oi X|ddB Asqi sb jbj os sssusiss snouEA sqi ui qajBsssj jo ubn A)iom HUinoA -Esnps ijoddns jo sSEJnosus oj, (q) •suoi3sj oipjBiuy sqi jo uoiiEJojd '000'IJ -xs sqi joj suoiupsdxs uoddns jo SBA\ SHUjlUIBd 3qi JO 3UO A"UB JOJ 30ljd o3Bjnosus 'sziub3jo 'siomojd o_l (b) lS3MO[ 3qx -J3qiU3ld3S UI S3l.I3l[Br) UEI| -BJisny s(3Ujnoq|3jAi JB JiioquB ui pjos :sjb psqsqqsiss si uoiibid sjsm sSupured 92 aqi jo j|B a"|jbsn -ossy sqi qoiqM joj spsfqo sqj 'Xusu'cj ' illSAl )ue snoixuy sqi si„ puBiBsz a\sm 'uojSuqpM •psjjs jsisssjoa\ Li '33UIUJUJ03' ajo •0J1U3 sqi SABS ,,'BOIlOJBluy' ^ubjom,, ' -sjApy uoiiBisossy oipjBiuy-suBJx puB[ l("luiBd psjpjno puB -esz a\sn 'Xjbpjsss ^m 'UJRH "S 'V "JIAI p3qSB|S qi|M 3pB3SB3 JSOUqB '31B|lipUll oi }uss sq ppoqs -33111^^03 AjosiApy PUB 3qi|JA\ SJSI3B|3 'S3AE3q 3dB0SpUB[ sqi piiBjEsz A\SM sqi q3nojqi suoiiBDqddE jo sjiqM sqi uy puiA\ sqi ui Suilubsjis SSE3 sqi ui pus 'jbsX qoES c\ AJEnjqsj Sbu; psusppsj B qiBSuaq puEis '3|qi 3.iojsq ui iiiss sq pmoqs suoiiBsjiddy -uisosipui isouijB 'sajnSy oa\x -Aiiiusp oi ssSunjd puoAsq ess o3ipu; sqi s|iqA\ sdi jo •UOI]B30[[B [EUIJ sqi 3BJ3 b SpjBMOl SdOOAVS pjiq B 'J3qiOUB U[ s^bui 01 uopuo"i "! spsiu qoiqA\ ssuiui -luoo iuiof b Aq psiujijuoa 'sbhiuiujoq sssuusjJBq sqi isuibSe 'issiojd ui s3b -qoj moijsA b oiu; jjBSjq 'sal snjq''p[os pilBJBSZ M3N ^M) JO UO|lBpUSUlUJ03SJ 3qi uo ssn joj 3|qE[iBAE si qsiqM jo pjiqi sqi ui iq3nB3 'diqs b jo siseui sqj,,, • • • US3J3 lUBjupq b 3sj siq 'ps>|BU -suo 'mnuuB jsd 00Z.'IJ jo jspjo sqi'jo si 11 inq 'JE3^ q3Es ssijba urns jbioi sqx si 'Aijod UA\ojq b uo 'suo 'Iesjuii put; spunj sqi uiojj psiuEjS sq pmos qoiqM JB3J 'SSSbJIUI 3>|[I dll pSIJBM SJB SLUOS SSUEISISSB JO UJJOJ ISSq 3qi 01 SB S3S1 :p3!UBA\un pA" 'snousSipui >jooj sujos,, -1UULU03 pUB|ESZ A\S>T pUB UOpUO"J 3qi •jjssiuiq U33A\pq 33B[d >jooi suoissnssip Suoq ubjon s^qun iou puB spjjsdssp 'psXs -Monoq si suo :sp.iBA\ui szb3 psqsin3uB •sssnE3 SipjB -iuy siiqA\qi.ioA\ o] ind sq pmoa qaiqM Jisqi ujni ssssBjSuns Jisqi :a"sj3 A"'jBSjp SLU03UI jb|ii3sj b sq p|noA\ sjsqi iBqi Ul p3SS3jp SJB ASqj, -UOIlB[OS3p 1SBA J3PJO Ul p31S3AUI SBA\ l|3iqA\ JO (EdpUIJd s.qinos sqi ui usui sqi SB s(qEJSu|iiA sqi 'lyojd b spBiu lsqdBj3oioqd puE pUB pS}B[OSl OS p3>JOO[ UBUl SBq JSASfsJ,, :sA"bs 'ubio/st Xsupjs Aq sSupuiBd sipjB siuiy 'suoiiEsqqnd jo sjbs q3nojqi 'uoiup -sdxg sqi 3uissoj5 sipJBiuy-suBJx sqi -JUV 9c J° uoniqiqxs ub iwi/nJisny9t{£ ui 3uia\siasj 'iiuA-j UAMjg diiijo yy ' jo uoisnpuoD injss33ohs sqi Suimoijoj aiavuvAv dian ill 3SIN0003H NOIXVIDOSSV OIXOMVXNVSNVMX

9961 '-oquJ939a December, 1965

DENMARK RATIFIES ANTARCTIC SCOTT ON RADIO TREATY Australian Stations have been broad On May 20, 1965, Denmark ratified casting Douglas Stewart's radio play, The the Antarctic Treaty and thereby joined Fire on the Snow, the dramatic re-telling the group of nations which subscribe to of the tragic finale of Scott's Last the principles of the use of Antarctica Expedition, first broadcast in Australia for peaceful purposes only and the con in 1941, and over New Zealand stations tinuance of international harmony in in 1949. Described as "one of the most Antarctica. acclaimed Australian works for radio" the play occupies about an hour. When it was first produced, the A.B.C. Weekly 1957/58 resulted in unparalleled inter noted that it had provoked more corres national cooperation in scientific research pondence than had any other A.B.C. in Antarctica, and the Antarctic Treaty play or features and devoted an editor came about as a result of the desire to ial article to "The Beauty of Words" continue this peaceful cooperation be with special reference to Stewart's tween nations to the benefit of all man language. kind. Douglas Stewart, a New Zealander, at Denmark's ratification of the Treaty tended Victoria University, Wellington, recalls the participation of the Lauritzen before working his passage to England Lines' "Dan" ships in many of the scien and back to Australia where he joined tific expeditions working in Antarctica. the staff of the Sydney "Bulletin". The Antarctic Treaty has now been Perhaps the N.Z.B.C. might be per ratified by the following nations: Argen suaded to give New Zealand listeners an tina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, Czecho other chance to hear this distinguished slovakia, Denmark. France, Japan, New New Zealander's work. Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, The United Kingdom, The United States of America, The USSR. L E S S O N F O R T H E W O R L D WELCOME AWARDS Many New Zealanders will be pleased In a message issued on May 1, fol to learn of two recent awards to Aus lowing his receipt of the first report tralians. by his Antarctic Policy Group, Presi John Bechervaisc, a Victorian, has dent Johnson said: been awarded the Royal Geographical "I have been deeply impreojed by Society's John Lewis Gold Medal for the sensible way in which the 12 his work as explorer, writer and educa nations active in Antarctica work tionist. Mr. Bechervaise, who is 55, has together. In that frozen continent. • led three Australian National Antarctic . . . National differences are no bar Research Expeditions, and this summer rier to a common effort in which was at McMurdo as the Australian Gov everyone gains and no one loses. The ernment's official observer with the scientific findings of all countries American "Operation Deep Freeze". are pooled for the benefit of all. Men in danger or in need can call for help P. J. Milne, a member of Australia's knowing that it will be given unstint- Macquarie Island team in 1961, and till ingly by any country that can pro recently in charge of the observatory in vide it. West Samoa, has won a Seato Fellow ship to study seismography in South "We are now celebrating Interna East Asia. While at Macquarie Island tional Co-operation Year. It is my he installed and operated seismic appar earnest hope that the same success atus. Mr. Milne has been a valued con that has marked the Antarctic pro tributor to "Antarctic". gramme can be extended to every field of international endeavour, not We congratulate our two contributors only during this special year, but in on their well-deserved recognition. future years as well." December, 1965

THE "DAN" SHIPS INDEX We regret that a statement in our Sep- I n m h n r i e e i i a " A n i n H o v f r . r v n l i . m o 1 the 1964-65 summer season. has been prepared", while correct, gave the impression that the index was printed The "Nella Dan" carried relief per and available. In fact, printing has only sonnel and supplies to the Austra just been completed and copies will be lian Mawson station and evacuated posted to those who have ordered them. the Davis station. Using the "Nella Please note the price, 3/-. Dan" as base the Australian expedi tion also carried out various surveys For Uniform Binding forward the 12 in Enderby Land by means of heli issues, March 1962-December 1964, with copters and a ski-mounted plane. index to The French relief expedition and Express Binding Service, supplies were carried by the "Thala P.O. Box 3428, Wellington. Dan" to the Dumont d'Urville station on the Adelie Coast, and the "Thala Price for Binding only 15/-. Dan" was furthermore used by the Australian expedition to supply the T H E U N F I N I S H E D M A P Wilkes station and evacuate the Antarctic men have long pondered Davis station. the possibility of an ice-filled strait The "Magga Dan" took the com linking the Ross Sea and the Wed bined Belgian/Dutch relief expedi dell Sea. Surface traverses and air tion and wintering supplies to the observations in recent years seem to Roi Baudoin base in Breid Bay on have proved conclusively that no Princess Ragnhild Coast. On the voy such frozen water-way exists. Dr. T. age the expedition carried out vari O. Jones, Head of the United States ous scientific work. Office of Antarctic Programs, states The "K.ista Dan" relieved the Bri categorically, "no 'Channel' below tish station of Halley Bay in the sea level connects the Ross and Wed Weddell Sea, calling en route at the dell Seas." The Heritage Range, the Falkland Islands, South Orkney Ellsworth Mountains and the Hor- Islands, end South Georgia. lick Mountains completely bar the way. YACHT IN FAR SOUTH Not long ago such a conclusion A Wellington-built 11 ft. yacht is would have seemed to be definite believed to be the first ever sailed proof that the Antarctic is one great inside the Antarctic Circle. continent. However, the probing of Designed by Dr. H. H. Wagstaff, of the ice-cap in recent years by seismic Eastbourne, the yacht "Tiny Too" sounding and radio altimetry has was bought by Lieut.-Commander S. disclosed that much of the earth's A. Coakley, of San Diego, a helicopter surface beneath the ice of West Ant pilot aboard the U.S. icebreaker arctica (the area, north of a line' "Stalen Island". joining the Ross and Weddell Seas, The yacht was launched on Mc which terminates in the Antarctic Murdo Sound on February 5. The Peninsula) is below sea level, and water was 26°F. The skipper was that ice filled fjords extending far attired in a neoprene wet diving inland from the Amundsen and Bell suit, but was careful to choose suit ingshausen Seas (between the Ross able weather to avoid a ducking. Sea and the Weddell Sea) make the "Some thin ice was forming on the northern part of West Antarctica surface, so she even got in some west of the Antarctic Peninsula an honest to goodness ice-breaking," archipelago, a vast group of moun Lt.-Cmdr. Coakley wrote to Mr. Wag- tainous islands hidden beneath the staff. ice. The Moth class yacht, a double- The true picture of the Antarctic's chined craft, has a 4 ft. 9 in. beam to sub-glacial topography has obviously support its 80 square feet of sail. still to be revealed. December, 1965

ANTARCTIC WEEK IN NO LIFELESS WASTE [Those who have tended to regard Ant CHRISTCHURCH arctica as a barren wilderness void of all The Antarctic Week organised annu living things may be surprised to read this ally by Christchurch civic authorities American summary of Antarctic biology.] with the co-operation of the United States Naval Support Force and the Christchurch Branch of the N.Z. Penguins spend most of the year at Antarctic Society opened on Sep sea, but breed in land rookeries. The tember 27 with a function in the foot-and-a-half tall Adelie penguins are Civic Theatre. Addresses were given by the most numerous, some rookeries the Mayor (Mr. G. Manning), Rear- having about one million birds. Gull Admiral F. E. Bakutis and Mr. R. B. like skuas and Leopard seals are their Thomson. During the evening radio principal enemies. Emperor penguins contact was made with McMurdo Base, are three to four feet tall, much less and the audience heard the voices of numerous, and breed on fast ice near Cdr. J. L. Blades (Commander U.S. Sup land during the winter. Less is known port Force, Antarctica) and Adrian Hay- about them. Many other kinds of sea tcr (Leader Scott Base). Admiral Baku birds are found in the Antarctic, mostly tis presented the prizes to the winners on islands or on the far-northward- of the school painting contest. reaching Antarctic Peninsula, where land life is also relatively abundant. A display of photographs of the Bal Parasites and microbes are widespread. leny Islands expedition was presented in Parasites heavily infest most Antarctic a city store, and the United States Navy animals, and microscopic species from held the the usual "open-house" at simple fungi to many-celled organisms the Christchurch Airport. The flags of are found in soil, water, animals, and the 12 Antarctic Treaty nations were sometimes even ice. raised and lowered daily at the Scott Primitive plants—algae, lichens, and Memorial. mosses—grow on rock and soil here and there where mountain tops poke through ANTARCTIC CENTRE the icecap or where the ice has receded: algae also grow in snow, meltwater, and At a meeting convened by the Canter lakes that occur in some ice-free regions. bury branch of the New Zealand Ant The largest animals that live in in arctic Society to consider ways of help terior Antarctica are small wingless ing in the establishment of an Antarctic insects, mostly silverfish-like spring- hall at the Christchurch Museum, Dr. tales; and mites, mostly the spider-like R. S. Duff, Director of the Museum, Nanorchestes antarticus (no common spoke of the new three-story wing name). Both of these arthropods live in which is planned for 1970 to commemor the soil under rocks or around plants. ate the hundredth anniversary of the They depend for their existence on founding of the Museum. favourable microclimates in their tiny niches—when normal air temperature is "We want as large a complex of Ant below freezing, temperature in these arctic features as possible", said Dr. niches is often (when the sun is up) Duff. There was space for an L shaped warm or even hot. wing—the larger arm 120 ft by 40 ft wide (or 58 ft wide with a ccntelever Biology in the Antarctic, as elsewhere construction over the whale skeleton), in the world, consists of such studies as: and the smaller arm 66 ft long by 30 ft distribution—life forms and species that wide. exist, in what numbers at each site (or The proposed new wing would include depth), where and how they move and migrate during the day and year; in addition to the Antarctic Hall, 90 ft behaviour; ecology—the factors that by 40 ft, a public lounge and reading govern distribution and behaviour, in room, a small display hall for special cluding food, predators, weather, and exhibitions, a hall of ethnology, stamp soil or oceanographic conditions; and and coin rooms, a natural history refer anatomy and physiology—detailed stud ence room, a marine gallery and small ies of the form and inner workings of lecture theatre. the individual. The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a group of New Zealanders, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. You are invited fo become a member. The membership fee includes subscription to "Antarctic." BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: W. J. P. Macdonald, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: Mrs. E. F. Cross, 34 CHssold St., Christchurch 1.

"ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society, £1. Apply to the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand. OUT OF PRINT Volume 1, numbers 1 and 9; Volume 2, numbers 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9; Volume 3, numbers 5 and 7 are OUT OF PRINT. Some others are in very short supply. Copies of available issues may be obtained from the Secretary of the Society, Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 5/- per copy. Indexes for volumes 1 and 2 are also available, price 2/6 each index. (An index for volume 3 has been prepared) and is now available. Price 3/-.

SOCIETY TIES The N.Z. Antarctic Society tie is now available. The design is similar to those used for the ties of kindred organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia. The dark blue background, light blue and white stripes and motif of penguins and kiwis provide a striking pattern, yet a reserved note is retained over all. Ties are available through N.Z. and Branch Secretaries of the Society at a cost of 17/6.

UNIVERSAL PRINTERS LTD.. 22-26 BLAIR STREET. WELLINGTON