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

IN THE FOOSTEPS OF AMUNDSEN.—New Zealanders on the Axe! Heiberg Glade beside Mt. Fridtjof Nansen. Photo: W. W. Herbert. j'M^viy0'

MARCH, 1962 Coasts of the Ross Dependency

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AUSTRALIAN ^ ANTARCTIC TERRITORY South Pole Amundsen-Scott (U.S.)

N.Z.M.S. 161/1 DRAWN BY DEPT. OF LANDS & SURVEY, N.Z. (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

Vol. 3, No. I MARCH, 1962

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

BYRD MEMORIAL Zealand. It emphasises the Ad IN WELLINGTON miral's conception of the Antarctic as the great white continent of In thc shape of an Arctic tent, a peace, a conception embodied in triangular white memorial to Rear- the Antarctic Treaty. Admiral R. E. Byrd was unveiled on Mount Victoria, Wellington, on March 11, thc anniversary of Admiral Byrd's death. It will house POSITIONS STILL OPEN half a ton of stones specially SCOTT BASE 1962-63 brought from the Antarctic and a LEADER AND DEPUTY-LEADER bronze bust of Admiral Byrd. In view of the increased field ac The Prime Minister, the Right tivity and base building programme, Hon. K. J. Holyoake, unveiled the projected for next season, it has memorial. It was dedicated by been decided to call for fresh appli the chairman of the Wellington cations for the positions of Leader Branch of the National Council of and Deputy-Leader at Scott Base Churches, the Rev. W. E. D. Davies. next year. Only one of the appointees Other speakers at the ceremony will be required to winter over. included the Australian High Com Readers interested should get in missioner in New Zealand, Vice- touch with Mr. G. W. Markham, Admiral Sir John Collins, the Superintendent, Antarctic Division, Leader of the Opposition, Mr. D.S.I.R., Box 6022, Wellington. Nash, the United States Charge d'Affairs, Miss Ruth Bacon, and the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. Kitts. Commemorative Broadcast Among those present were Rear A three-quarter hour programme Admiral D. M. Tyree, Mr. Philip M. featuring the voices of five of Scott's Smith, Mr. E. Goodale (of Byrd's veterans was presented by the first expedition) and other members N.Z.B.S. to mark the 50th annivers of Operation Deepfreeze 62, and ary of the tragic ending of Scott's guest of honour was Mrs. Robert polar journey in March, 1912. Breyer, Admiral Byrd's daughter. 1YA, 3YA: Monday, March 26, 8.15 Sponsored by the Richard E. Byrd Fellowship in New Zealand, the memorial is an expression of 4YA: Thursday, March 29, 7.15 p.m. the regard in which Admiral Byrd Also from YZ and some X stations. was held by the people of New For times see "The Listener." NEW ZEALAND FIELD PARTIES EXPLORE UNKNOWN COUNTRY Two New Zealand dog-sledging parties have completed a successful season of geological and topographical survey work in the little known area about the head of the Beardmore Glacier.

NORTHERN PARTY (approximately 83° 50' S., 159° 30' The Northern Party comprised E). As rock specimens weighing 250 .1. I. Walcotl, leader, G. W. Grind lbs. were now being carried they ley, senior geologist, and two sur turned south to the north side of veyors, R. W. Hewson and J. W. the Law Glacier to come down it Montgomerie. They were flown by to the Bowden Neve, south of Mt R4D aircraft on December 5 to a Miller (83° 20' S., 165° 40* E.). Sledg position 83° 15' S., 154° 35' E. on ing on east, on New Year's Day they the Polar Plateau at an altitude of crossed the Law Glacier towards 7600 feet, some 150 miles west of Mt Bell and selected a pick-up site Ihe lower Beardmore Glacier. The on smooth firm snow on the Neve in 83° 53' S., 164° 10' E., west of temperature was -12CF. and a southerly wind of 15 knots was the Queen Alexandra Range. blowing. The next few days were spent With 45 days' rations and using surveying and geologising and then two dog teams the party planned the party moved south to the Upper to make a circuit of the northern Bowden Neve for a re-supply, near end of the Miller Range, but this the 13,500 ft. Mt. Falla, which was proved impracticable. climbed by Grindley. A delay in On the 8th the four men de the re-supply flight due to poor scended 1600 feet into the central visibility necessitated some econo valley of the Miller Range, which mising in dog food. The re-supply runs roughly parallel with the finally took place on January 10, series of southern Victoria Land when a United States R4D aircraft coastal ranges. Here a Base Camp made a free drop in perfect con was set up. The geologists worked ditions with only very few and in this valley and in side valleys minor breakages. coming in from the north, while Next day the party moved south the surveyors in the course of their and camped below the ice slopes work set up two survey stations leading to the Plateau, near Mt. and measured a base line. The Wild, which was reached on the partv now struck north as far as 12th. Their farthest south point was $2° 35' S., 158° E., working in the on January 17 in lat. 84° 50' S., 162° northernmost valley of the Miller 30' E., where they were overlooking Range. the head of the Beardmore Glacier near Mt. Buckley. Heavy erevass- SURVEY LINK-UP ing made it impracticable to make Turning south again they crossed lor Mt. Darwin. the trail of Miller and Marsh in 1957-58. In fact, the surveyors occu NORTH AGAIN pied the earlier explorers' "Station Now returning over their south B" on January 21. ward trail, the surveyors occupied Now moving east, they spent a station on the highest peak of Christmas near the Sandford Cliffs the Marshall Mountains at a height March, 1962 of 11,500 feet. The whole party ar been recorded from the other rived back at the Upper Bowden Southern continents, Australia, Neve on the 20th and made for South Africa and South America, their pick-up depot. On the 23rd also from India. The new discovery Ihey moved east to camp on a col provides some support for a widely of a prominent ice-free nunatak at held theory' that Antarctica, South the foot of a ridge descending from Africa, South America, Australia Mt. Bell, then back to the pick-up and India were once clustered to point on the 26th. The party were gether in a large continent around llown back to Scott Base on Janu the South Pole known as Godwana ary 27. Land. This northern party surveyed an area of approximately 11,000 square miles, travelling about 500 miles by BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH dog sledge. Two base lines were measured, and 18 survey stations A permanent research station at and 18 gravity stations were occu Cape Royds is proposed by the zoo pied. The surveys were tied in with logy department of the University earlier surveys from the coast, with of Canterbury. The idea stems from those of Miller and Marsh, and with Professor G. A. Knox's enthusiasm the surveys made by the Southern for sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Party. The party was in the field research. for 52 days of which eight were A party led by Dr. B. Stonehouse, lie-up days. a senior lecturer in the department, In the Miller Range a well ex has undertaken biological studies posed series of metamorphic rocks at McMurdo Sound this season. Dr. and granites similar to those in Stonehouse returned after six weeks Fiordland and northern Nelson, in the area. Two members of the New Zealand, were mapped in de party remained until February. tail. This work should be valuable This season the Canterbury Uni in clearing up problems associated versity party has lived in Shackle with the earliest period of Antarctic ton's old hut at Cape Royds. "Next geological history. season we hope to have our own In the Queen Alexandra and establishment," said Dr. Stonehouse. Queen Elizabeth Ranges work was confined to Beacon Sandstone for mations, a series of continental freshwater sediments containing coal seams and plant beds. Several NO FIRE DRILL fine collections of fossil plants were Scott Base had no need for the obtained, especially round the usual practice fire-drill in January. head of the Beardmore Glacier. As On the 2nd an alarm was sounded sociated with the plant beds were from the Laboratory building when finely bedded shales indicating a smoke was seen coming from the cold climate and the presence of ionosonde. The cause, a burnt-out nearby glaciers some 300 million transformer. On thc 24th at 6 a.m. years ago. the automatic detector in the en Glacial moraine was also found gine room sounded an alarm. Fire near the base of the beacon sand was found in the ceiling surround stone containing huge boulders, ing the exhaust outlet from the some of which showed the groov- waste heat exchanger. Bucket ings characteristic of glacial action. pumps were quickly in use inside This glaciation, known as the and outside the hut, and the fire Godwana glaciation, has previously was put out in a few minutes. March, 1962 N.Z. SOUTHERN PARTY RETRACES AMUNDSEN'S POLAR TRAIL The southern field party of the New Zealand Antarctic Re search Expedition 1961-62 climaxed an extensive geological and topographical survey in the area south and east of the Beardmore Glacier by descending the Axel Heiberg Glacier, Amundsen's route to the South Pole in 1911-12, 50 years ago.

T h e p a r t y, W . W . H e r b e r t boundary of the Ross Dependency (leader), P. M. Otway (surveyor), V. (150° W.) appeared to bc cut off R. McGregor (geologist) and K. P. from the plateau by undulating Pain (field assistant) was flown crevassed areas which would make into the area by aircraft of the very difficult sledging, and the United States VX6 squadron on glacier itself appeared to be heavily November 7, and during the re crevassed at intervals, especially mainder of the month dog-sledged near its mouth where "a monstrous east towards the Shackleton and area of huge crevasses" was ob Robert Scott Glaciers, (see "Antarc served. tic" Vol. 2, No. 12). Herbert's immediate task was to After survey work in thc area of push north and complete the re the Dominion Range, which flanks quired survey stations west of the the Mill Glacier on its southern side, Shackleton Glacier before returning the parly pushed east towards thc to his airdrop camp: then to head head of the Shackleton Glacier, east towards Mt. Fridljof Nansen which flows north from plateau to (85° 28' S., 167° W.) which it was ice-shelf, parallel with the Beard proposed to climb. more but some 80 miles further east. This glacier appeared to be TIME RUNNING SHORT heavily crevassed. On January 11 the party reported that in 19 days following the re RE-SUPPLY supply they had travelled 190 miles, After two attempts to re-supply of which 150 involved relaying. the party by air had been frus After a five-day blizzard Herbert trated by bad weather, an R4D air said that their iuck had to change craft flew up the Shackleton Glacier or they would be unable to com on December 17 and had no diffi plete the planned surveys. A final culty in locating the party's camp depot of food, Lof Depot, was made at 85° 26' S.. 178° 30' E. as soon as in 85° 30' S., 172° W. The parly now it had cleared the mountains. A proposed to sledge west of the Liv free-drop of 37 packages was suc Glacier (up which Byrd made the cessfully carried out. The plane on first flight to the Pole in November its return flight made a recon 1929). Three more survey stations naissance of the Axel Heiberg were required between 85° and 85" Glacier further east, Amundsen's 30'S. route to the Pole. The flight sug After three days of the worst gested that the glacier should pro blizzard on the journey another vide a reasonably safe route down airdrop on January 10 was suc to the Ice Shelf. cessful—the only losses being two Further east still, the Robert thermometers and two bottles of Scott Glacier, almost on the eastern chut new March, 1962

On January 13 they were six miles over three months, had travelled from Mt. Fridtjof Nansen. On the 800 miles and had completed a geo 16th they reached the foot of the logical and topographical survey of mountain on its southern side. Bad an area of about 16,000 square weather now again caused trouble, miles, most of it previously unex Herbert's comment being "The plored. Thirty-two survey stations weather in this area is almost were occupied, and this survey work always awful." But the 13,700 ft. was tied in with earlier surveys Ml. Fridtjof Nansen was climbed, and with the work of vValcctt's satisfactory survey work completed, Northern Party. and an excellent view obtained of The area covered proved most thc lower portion of the Axel Hei interesting geologically, although berg glacier which—below the ice- frequent blizzards and soft snow falls—appeared to be free of crev- surfaces cut down the geological assing. work during the latter part of the journey. ABOVE THE GLACIER January 23 found the parly at the FORESTS—ONCE. head of the Axel Heiberg. They now The youngest rocks found by the Magged a route to two miles below party were thick, black lava Hows the bottom of the ice-fall, the only containing bands of agate and rock apparently difficult part of the pro crystal. Below these were found posed descent. They now awaited coal measures with seams of coal authority to make the descent. This up to 30ft. thick. Plant impressions was radioed to Ihe party on Febru were also found at several localit ary 1. ies. A seam of graphite formed from By February 5 they had descended coal subjected to intense heat by Ihe ice-falls and were camped 12 adjacent magmas (molten rock) miles below them. The going had was also found. been slow because of deep snow. Plant impressions were also lo But all was well and on February 7 cated in loose boulders, including the party was near the foot of the ferns and conifers. These plants of glacier in 85° 15' S., 162° 50' W., triassic age are among the youngest seven miles south-east of Ml. Betty. fossils found in east Antarctica and They camped on a firm smooth may be one of the most important snow surface at an altitude of 850 geological finds of the year. Al feet, just above shelf-ice level. though no trace of life was found, The party was returned to Scott the remains indicate that about Basc by United States VX6 Squad 250,000,000 years ago the climate ron aircraft on February 9. The was warm with luxuriant rain four men had been in the field for forests. The Descent of Axel Heiberg By W. W. HERBERT. Herbert has at our request kindly The Amundsen versus Scott race forwarded us his own impressions to the South Pole in 1911-1912 was of Amundsen's achievement; the the starting point of a controversy impressions of a very experienced that has raged for the last 50 years Arctic and Antarctic sledging man among armchair explorers, over who has led the first group since whether Amundsen was lucky to get Amundsen himself to travel this there first. These two explorers are ulacier section of his Polar trail. both national heroes in their own ANTARCTIC March, 1962 countries, and even today children routes of Scott and Shackleton could in Britain are taught at school—in be plotted more accurately on the capital letters—that Scott reached photos, and both British explorers the South Pole on January 18th had produced a map of the glacier 1912, and in brackets—"—a month which served as an extra guide. after Amundsen who had found an However all three explorers limited easy route onto the polar plateau." their map-making, since their In most cases this is the only refer principal objective was the geo ence to the Norwegian and his graphic south pole, and a vast outstanding achievement. Even thc majority of the area between Beard armchair explorers, after thoroughly more and Axel Heiberg Glaciers re analysing the records and diaries mained un-mapped until this year. of Amundsen and Scott, have only It was the object of the New succeeded in fanning the flame of Zealand field activities this last public interest into a slightly unfair season to fill the large gap in patriotic bias, or rekindling the surveys between the Nimrod Glacier flame when it showed signs of dy and the Axel Heiberg by working ing. around the plateau edge. My party was given the unique privilege of No one except Admiral Byrd and filling the gap between Beardmore his crew (Balchen, June and Mc- and Axel Heiberg, with the climax Kinley) had seen the icefalls of the of descending Amundsen's route Axel Heiberg Glacier since Amund with dog teams on the 50lh anni sen's pole party descended them in versary. January 1912, and no one had set Had we sledged up the Beard foot on the Beardmore Glacier since more to gain plateau altitude, we Scott's returning pole party in Feb might have been justified in draw ruary 1912. Then in 1956, with the advent of American flying activities ing a reasonable comparison of routes, but even so we would have from McMurdo Sound, the Beard had to travel by the same method more Glacier was flown over and and under similar conditions to photographed on pole flights, and in the last two years a tremendous give an unbiased judgment. I feel, area has been covered by trimet- however, that we can contribute a great deal to improve the respect rogon photography of a very bright for Amundsen, and to disprove the standard. With these excellent aerial photographs of both the general belief that he found an Beardmore and the Axel Heiberg easy route to the plateau. Glaciers, the armchair explorers What impressed me most about were again templed to make a com Amundsen is that he was prepared parison of routes. But to their sur to make an attempt at anything. prise, in the case of Amundsen, it and not consider it impossible was impossible to plot his route up until he had tried and failed. This the icefalls. His narrative was so he did on the first clay on land after modest and undramatic, that it had, leaving Mount Betty — and from in the clays before the aerial photo his impass at 4550ft., he had his graphs, created the general impres first good view of the Axel Heiberg sion that he had found a very easy Glacier. Even from this vantage route to the polar plateau — an point he must have seen very little impression that was strengthened of the route he subsequently fol by the fact that he climbed from lowed, yet his first impressions Shelf Ice level to 10,900 feet in were typical of the man. "It looked only five days; by comparison with fearfully broken and disturbed, but Scott, who struggled for fifteen we could follow a little connected days to get from the Shelf Ice to a line among the many crevasses, plateau altitude of 8000 feet. The we saw we could go a long way, March, 1962

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THE AXEL HEIBERG GLACIER.—The New Zealand party descended from right (Mt. Fridtjof Nansen) to left (Mt. Don Pedro Christopherson). The four triangles mark Amund sen's camps on his journey up the glacier. Official U.S. Navy Photo.

NEW ZEALANDERS DESCENDING THE GLACIER. Photo: W. W. Herbert. ANTARCTIC March, 1962

but we also saw that the glacier describes very well the nature of forbade us to use it in its full this glacier. extent." "It was a grand and imposing The icefalls of the Axel Heiberg sight we had when we came out were in Amundsen's way—from the onto the ridge under which—far point where he stood they were an below—our tent stood. Surrounded obstacle to his shortest route to on all sides by huge crevasses and the plateau. Even this master of gaping chasms, it could not be said understatement indicates by his that the site of our camp looked first impressions, that it did not very inviting. The wildness of the look a certain route, and the plain landscape seen from this point is fact is that the icefalls look appal not to be described; chasm after ling from the distance he first saw chasm, crevass after crevass, with them. It is easy to look at a route great blocks of ice scattered prom drawn on a photograph and say— iscuously about, gave one the im "well that is obvious"—it is even pression that here nature was too easy to descend a route that looks powerful for us. Here no progress appalling if you know that it has was to be thought of. It was not been done before—but to attempt without a certain feeling of satis 10 climb the icefalls on the Axel faction that we stood there and Heiberg because it is the shortest contemplated the scene. The little route is a sign of great determina dark speck down there—our tent— tion and courage. in the midst of this chaos, gave us a feeling of strength and power. Most of the icefalls he negotiated We knew in our hearts that the using double teams and relaying, ground would have to be ugly in and after a careful foot recon deed if we were not to manoeuvre naissance. Some of the routes were out of the question—writing of one our way across it and find a place of them he says—"The shortest for that litttle home of ours." route was awful—possibly not alto That last sentence is, in my gether impracticable, if no better opinion the very crux of Amund was to be found." The reconnais sen's success; he had sufficient de sance he made from the top of the termination, courage and skill to second icefall, typifies his whole tackle practically any route, and attitude to the obstacle. They did most probably, whichever one he a long hard days haul, pitched tent, had come to first. then three of them set off im Amundsen's final day on the mediately to have a look at the glacier on the way up was his most route ahead. They climbed 2500 feet impressive; he covered a distance of the route they would follow the of 19', miles and climbed a total next day, and before coming in of 5750 feet. This surely, for thc sight of the route they finally chose, dogs, was their finest hour. There seriously considered attempting a remains but one point as yet un- couple of others that I would have mentioned; a comparison of our thought practically impossible. His experiences on the descent of the account of the return from that re glacier with those of Amundsen. connaissance is full of expressions After climbing Mt. Fridtjof Nansen that indicate how well Amundsen to get a good view of the glacier took the icefalls in his stride. He and to pick out the route, we comments—"In many places the started down with the same number slope was rapid, and not a few fine of dogs, but with 8501bs load on runs were made." Also—"We came each sledge. We were 50 years and at a tearing pace down to the tent." one month later than Amundsen His description of one of his camp and the glacier was under a cover sites is well worth a mention as it of deep snow—this slowed us down March, 1962 considerably, and we were all ex T. Hayward, engaged on repairs to tremely relieved that it did. Had the base roof; A. Hanley and the surface been firm, as it evi "Buzz" Burrows who sailed on dently was on the icefalls in Janu "Burton Island" to carry out mag ary 1912, this remarkable route netic survey work on board; A. J. would have been hazardous if not Heine, glaciologist; H. Orr and G. almost impossible. There are no King, Geophysics Division; Dr. H. bounds to our admiration for the Wellman and" T. A. Wilson (V.U.W.); men who made the first descent of Dr. J. Williams and A. F. Downer, those icefalls, and who described Council of Scientific and Industrial their descent in no more words Research; A. Hallam, Ministry of than—"We went whizzing down, Works, and D. Doyle, Head Office and it was not many minutes be D.S.I.R.; C. Branigan of Dominion fore we were below the icefalls on Physical Laboratory Staff flew down the Heiberg Glacier. for a week to supervise the instal lation and running in of new Whist ler equipment. Mr. G. W. Markham, Superinten PERSONNEL dent Antarctic Division, also paid an inspection visit to Scott Base. G. B. McKenty (25) has joined the wintering over party as mainten ance officer (carpenter). He is an Auckland carpenter who spent WHITE CHRISTMAS nearly a year in South Africa on a working holiday. Following a week of bad weather Christmas Day was clear and fine W. F. Timms, the maintenance and at ' n m ' bp wpll-rlemrated officer (electrical) at Scott Basc, and hea\ fractured his left ankle on Decern-, surroundei ber 20 and was brought out to New bearded and adorn Zealand for treatment. He was able hats. to fly back to the Antarctic on Feb ruary 3. The eight New Zealanders in the field were remembered also. Too Meanwhile his place was filled by far from Scott Base to join festiv J. P. C. Gully (25) member oi the ities there, special ration boxes con Post Ollice District Engineer's stall, taining an assortment of luxuries Gisborne. were air-dropped to them. J. Hutchinson of the summer sup This was made possible through port party has had to return to the co-operation and courtesy of the England because of a family be U.S. Antarctic Support Force. Pil reavement and has been replaced by oted bv Lieutenant J. Weeks of the D. W. McKay oi the Antarctic Divi U.S. VX6 Squadron, R.4.D. aircraft sion staff. look off on Christmas Eve and headed for the polar plateau at the I. Richards, senior scientist at head of the Beardmore Glacier Scott Base, had an attack of ap where the two field parties are pendicitis but has recovered suffi operating. The drop of special ciently to enable him to remain as ration boxes and Christmas mail a member of the wintering party. was successful. Other New Zealanders not men During the afternoon opportunity tioned in our last issue who have was taken to talk by radio to the served in the Antarctic for portion field parties and the New Zealand of the summer are R. Roberts and party at Cape Hallett. March, 1962

THREE QUEEN'S SCOUTS who in turn introduced us to the IN THE ANTARCTIC N.Z. scientific leader Mr. Claude Taylor. We were then taken to the By Paul Trolove. N.Z. quarters to meet the other two New Zealanders Ross Exley and Malcolm Woodgyer. Durin; fied applicants, three New Zea stay at Hallett wc found it most land Queen's Scouts were distressing to be introduced to the personnel and then be unable to t u n i t v t h i s recognise them again because of summer of visiting the Ross De their similarity of appearance pendency. They were Roger caused by their enormous unculti Best (Timaru), Maurice Bog- vated beards. After breakfast in the nuda (Wellington) and Paul galley we had the techniques, appar Trolove (Christchurch), all aged atus and theory used in connection with the auroral studies explained 17. to us in the N.Z. auroral tower. In this article specially writ Great detail was also used by Mal ten for "Antarctic" Paul Trolove colm Woodgyer to explain the iono tells the story of what they saw spheric studies to us. and did. Claude then made some of his valuable time available to us and 9.30 a.m. on the 7th January gave took us for a walk around the base us our first impression of being in and in particular through the Ade Antarctic regions because it was at lie penguin rookery. Apart from the this time that we saw the first ice rather strong smell of between bergs. To us they appeared truly 150,000-200,000 penguins and their magnificent but as yet we had not ugly, clumsy chicks this is one of seen the castle-like bergs of glacial the most fascinating features of origin. Instead we had seen only Antarctica. the flat-topped "tabular" bergs Ross Exley showed us his seismo- which are a product of the ice- logical apparatus housed in a shelves and unique to Antarctica. subterranean hut to keep this very The journey from Lyttelton to sensitive equipment at a constant Cape Hallett had, to us three temperature. Later in the afternoon Queen's scouts, been a marvellous an American radio technician experience. It was the first time demonstrated the elaborate appar that any of us had been outside atus in the large communications N.Z. and to do so on an icebreaker hut. The meteorological section was made it even more remarkable. The next shown to us. Here the appar crew of the U.S.C.G.C. "Eastwind" atus used to measure the ground made us feel really welcome from temperature and thc temperatures our time of arrival on board on 2m. and 10m. above the earth, the January 2nd until we left their hos wind speeds, sun radiation and in pitality on the morning of Sunday. formation gained from the weather 14th January. balloons was explained to us. After a day of trying to find a Our first day at Cape Hallett passage through the unexpectedly ended with the observation of the thick ice of Moubray Bay, Maurice personnel's friendliness existing to Bognuda, Roger Best and I were wards visitors and amongst them llown ashore by helicopter on the selves. morning of the 10th January. Next day an American botanist, On landing we were met by the Dr. Emanuel Rudolph, gave us an American leader, Dr. Paul Tyler, interesting demonstration of his March, 1962

QUEEN'S SCOUTS AT SCOTT BASE.—Maurice Bognuda, Roger Best, Paul Trolove and friends. Photo: H. D. O'Knnc. techniques used to study the slow Our fourth and last day at Hallett rates of growth of the primitive was spent in watching Bob Wood, lichens and mosses. After a discus- an American biologist, banding pen cussion with Dr. Tyler regarding the guin and skua chicks. Following this organisation of the basc Claude set we surveyed the positions for the us the task of re-orientating the electrodes on the sea-ice to study "whistler" aerial. This tested our the earth's electric field currents. scouting experience especially the That evening we walked out to the difficulty of mooring guy-lines in "Eastwind," now moored in thc ice, perma-frosl regions. On the com and waited until the "Burton pletion of this interesting task we Island" came alongside about 7.00 were greeted with the bad news a.m. next morning. that while trying to break her way in the "Eastwind" had torn a The 31 hour trip to McMurdo rather large hole in her bow and Sound was, but for seeing a few after off-loading her 100,000 gallons of k i l l e r w h a l e s , u n e v e n t f u l a n d fuel would have to return directly calm. to New Zealand for repairs. For tunately for us the icebreaker On our arrival at a position off "Burton Island" had been called up Hut Point (Ross Island) we were from McMurdo Sound to cut a pas flown ashore by helicopter on the sage for the "Eastwind." We would bitterly cold morning of the 16th carry on to McMurdo Sound aboard January to land at the huge "New her. York of Antarctica" base. Scott March, 1962

Base's deputy leader, Mr. Ray Jeff- HALLETT STATION erys, introduced himself to us and drove us to Scotf Base in the "weasel." This 2-mile trip was the The last plane of the year from McMurdo arrived and departed on roughest I have ever undertaken. November 16, further landing being Boulders, pot-holes, pipe-lines, snow drifts, oil drums and even a tide- impossible because of the deterior crack gave us the impression that we ation of the bay-ice runway. were aboard a kangaroo. At the Hal let I men are proud of their base we were introduced to the per penguins. The necessary re-routing sonnel and shown around by Ray. of roads and new installations were The clogs proved to be a major carried out with as little interfer attraction. The Americans, especi ence as possible with the penguin ally, were fascinated by the friend colonies. liness of these reputedly vicious BIRD BANDING dogs. One thousand nine hundred and twenty-two Adelie penguins were Friday 19th marked the highlight banded in November, most of them of our stay at Scott Base. We were pairs, 316 penguins were observed flown to Cape Royds with the two wearing bands from previous yearsj. N.Z. biologists, Murray Smith and About 100 skuas were banded, and Warren Featherston. We were col 65 previously-banded birds were lected by helicopter at 10.00 a.m. noted. Two skuas that were banded and after a 22 mile flight in a as chicks in January 1957 were northerly direction landed about 75 found nesting, confirmation that yards from Shackleton's hut. This the breeding age for the skua be region possesses the southern-most gins about five years. adelie penguin colony in the world In December 1,658 more Adelies but is not as large as that at Cape were banded raising the season H a l l e t t . M u r r a y a n d W a r r e n total to 3,580. 104 more skuas were weighed skua chicks and counted banded and 47 more previously seals respectively. The skua gull banded birls noted. Two of them adults seemingly resented our in were wearing the blue plastic bands trusion in the vicinity of their nests assigned to the Little America area and made it clear to us by diving during the I.G.Y. period. uncomfortably close, sometimes hitting our heads. NEW MEN SETTLE IN Hallett had some unexpected "first-footers" on the first clay of We left Cape Royds at 2.45 p.m. the year when two U.S. Army heli just before a storm closed in and stranded us, for which we were copters engaged on the survey pro ject TOPO NORTH dropped in, prepared. At Scott Base we were seeking shelter during threatening told that we would have to be weather. aboard the "Arneb" that evening in First ship in was "Eastwind". preparation to return home. While the Hallett men were read ing their mail, the icebreaker was After a comparatively uneventful meeting great difficulties. This trip, during which time we went year the ice has been slow to move ashore at Cape Hallett for a few out and big bergs some miles off hours, we arrived in Lyttelton Har shore caused a build-up of very bour on the 30th January and Roger thick ice which the ship could and I were taken ashore in landing- not penetrate. In fact she was craft with other passengers while holed so badly that "Burton Island'" Maurice went on to Wellinuton. steamed from McMurdo to her aid. March, 1962

NEW ZEALAND NORTHERN FIELD PARTY ENJOYS ITS FIRST MEAL AT SCOTT BASE after nearly two months on the Polar Plateau. From left: John Montgomerie, Dick Walcott (leader), Ron Hewson, George Grindley. Photo: H. D. O'Kanc.

Meanwhile the helicopters ferried and several snowfalls. The sea-ice in in cargo and fuel-pumping appar the bay went out, the air strip with atus. "Burton Island" soon brought it. 'Eastwind" in to a quarter of a FIRE mile offshore. The pumping of the fuel into flat rubber tanks on the An ever-present danger became a north foreshore was then completed reality at Hallett Station on Febru within 36 hours. ary 25, when lire broke out in the Aurora tower at 7 a.m. It was ap Arrivals by "Eastwind" were the parently caused by a brief contact ihree New Zealand Queen's Scouts. of the curtain surrounding the infra "Eastwind" returned to Welling red spectrograph with high-voltage ton for repairs and "Burton Island' neon. The fire was quickly brought look cargo and passengers !;o under control. McMurdo. It appears likely that the grating Main re-supply was by "Arneb". of the spectrograph is too badly A southerly kept the ice out until damaged to allow further operation orf-Joading was effected. Among thc this year. Damage to the rest of the major items to arrive were two new tower was fortunately slight. It is iOOkw generators, which provided not anticipated that there will be major headaches for the first few any delay in starting the all-sky days after their installation. camera programme, and there January weather was very vari should be only a slight delay in the able, with some cold windy days visual spectrograph programme. March, 1962 Twelfth French Expedition to Adelie Land The vessel " Magga Dan " arrived at Hobart, Tasmania, on December 11th with a party of French scientists for Adelie Land.

The ship is on her fifth trip to the p.m. The same evening at 10 p.m. Antarctic. the whole "T.A. 11" team gave the The captain (Capt. V. M. Peder- new arrivals a warm reception. sen), said the "Magga Dan" was carry A spell of exceptionally fine ing a helicopter which would be used weather made possible the unloading in unloading operations and for re of the cargo under favourable con connoitring routes for the ship ditions. By January 11 the whole through pack ice. Equipment to process of disembarkation (includ build a flying fox to aid with un ing 6,800 bags of construction loading was also aboard. material) and back-loading was com Nineteen of the scientists will pleted. " Magga Dan's " voyage to spend the next winter in the An Hobart with Guy Ricou (see below) tarctic. occupied the period January 17-Feb- The " Magga Dan," which was built ruary 1. in 1956, is owned by the Danish ship Ricou had been taken back to base ping company of J. Lauritzen and is on January 13, but the glaciological chartered to the French Government parly worked on the Plateau from for supply voyages to French bases December 25 till January 21. The in the Antarctic and Greenland. hydrographers and biologists began their summer work on Decem- CABLE RAILWAY cember 21. The work was interrupt The first aerial cable car to be ed on January 18 by bad weather. built in Antarctica will be erected On February 2: — at Dumont D'Urville this summer. Rene Merle and his team took over The cableway will be 1300 feet Dumont D'Urville Base. long and will rise 130 feet from The "Thala Dan" with Phillip Law the wharf at Dumont D'Urville. It on board dropped anchor at Du will be used to carry cargo from the mont D'Urville. wharf to the base headquarters. The " Magga Dan " set sail to al This will enable expedition mem ow the hydrographers and P. Arnaud, bers to unload a supply ship in two the biologist of T.A.-12 to carry out days instead of two weeks as at pre the planned scientific investigations sent. along the Terre Adelie Coast. "Magga THE NEW TEAM Dan" returned to Dumont D'Urville Thc " Magga Dan," after a very on February 5. brief call at Albany on December 3 "Magga Dan" left Terre Adelie on for the hospitalisation of a sick February 14 on her return voyage sailor, reached Melbourne on Decem to France. ber 8, and left Hobart on the 16th after embarking P. E. Victor, R. Guil- HURRIED VOYAGE land, C. Lorius, R. Millecamps and A French glaciologist arrived in Ho the American observer F. A. Hamel. bart on January 24 from the Antarc The vessel dropped anchor off L'Ue tic in thc supply ship "Magga Dan" des Petrels on December 19 at 4.10 for an emergency dental operation. March, 1962

The scientist, M. Guy Ricou, 37, T H E W H A L E W O N was the only French glaciologist with The Japanese whale chaser Toshi the French expedition in Adelie Land. Maru No. 17 reached Fremantle on The "Magga Dan" made the 1400- November 21, minus a propeller mile relief trip through rough seas. blade. The blade had been ripped When the ship left Adelie Land off in a collision with a whale. winds of 100 m.p.h. were blowing, but despite this thc ship averaged The incident occurred in Antarc tic waters on November 13. Thc very nearly her normal 12 knots. chaser had begun operations four When the ship berthed M. Ricou days earlier and had caught six was taken straight to Royal Hobart whales. Hospital, where soon afterwards he The whale struggled violently underwent surgery. after being harpooned and suc Later, his condition was reported ceeded in tearing off one of the to be satisfactory. chaser's five propeller blades. The trouble occurred after a nor The Russian whale chaser Vole- mal dental extraction. An infection voi, one of 16 chasers attached to developed in the jaw and doctors the factory ship "Soviet Russia" feared it might spread. working in the Antarctic brought The master of the ship (Captain an injured crew member to Wel V. M. Pedersen) said that much of lington on January 14. the French scientific work in the Mr. Nikolai Alserin was taken to Antarctic depended on M. Ricou. Wellington Hospital suffering from multiple fractures to the right

The accident is believed to have NORWAY AGAIN? happened when a harpoon back Norsk Polarinstitutt has made pro fired. posals to the Norwegian Govern ment for an expedition to the Nor wegian sector of Dronning (Queen) Maud Land. A summer expedition AMPLE only is proposed, not a wintering one. The proposal has not at time A piece of ambergris weighing of writing been considered by the nearly 50 lb.—enough to supply the Government and no details are entire Soviet perfumery industry available. throughout 1962—has been found in a sperm whale harpooned by a Norway maintained an all-year- Soviet whaler in the Antarctic. round station in the Antarctic from January 1957 till December 1959. The station which is at present being maintained by South Africa, is situated in 70° 30' S., 2° 32' W. Plans are afoot for a tourist trip from Hobart to the French sector of the Antarctic after the French- chartered "Magga Dan" has landed ANOTHER BOTTLE its group of scientists in Adelie Land Another bottle from Marion Island in the 1962-63 summer. It is suggest has arrived in Australia, three years ed that the ship should carry a party and a month after it was thrown of some 36 tourists for a trip ex into the sea near Marion Island in tending over about 16 days. This September, 1958. This bottle was would give about four days in An washed up on the Queensland coast. tarctica. March, 1962 AUSTRALIANS' ARDUOUS TREK SOUTH OF MAWSON Three Australians have completed one of the major dog-sledg ing journeys in the history of Antarctic exploration.

The operation began on Novem DOG-SLEDGING ber 5 when a three-man geological Meanwhile the dog parties party set out from Mawson with pressed southward. two dog teams, each of five dogs. In 83 days they travelled 1000 Members of this party were D. miles, to ihe southern Prince Trail, geologist, of Canberra; Charles Mountains and back. They David Keyser, radio officer, of went closer to the South Pole by Perth and James Seavers, assistant foot than any other Australian since cook, of Melbourne. the establishment of the permanenl Two days later a five man party bases. set out with four mechanised With their clothing in shreds and vehicles—two D4 caterpillar trac blackened and blistered by the sun, tors, a weasel and a snow trac, led snow glare and blizzards, the men by Maslen, officer-in-charge at arrived at Mawson on January 27. Mawson Station. During the 83 days they had a After making a rendezvous at basic diet of porridge, meat extract, Mount Twinlop, 43 miles south of biscuits, and vitamin pills. They Mawson, the combined parties pro suffered agonising stomach pains ceeded to a point 225 miles inland. from lack of fresh food on thc re From this point the geological turn journey. parly took off with heavily laden Because of "white-out" conditions dog sledges on a long haul 210 on the way home, the men at one miles southwards into the Prince stage travelled only 100 miles in 14 Charles Mountains. days. Their best daily run was 40 miles. TRACTOR TEAM TOUGH GOING The mechanised party turned During their trek, the men cut west to locale and bring back a their way up the sheer ice face to tractor "depoled" the previous the peak of previously unconquered year by a returning party. At the Mt. Menzies, 11,200ft"., the highest 98-mile depot the tractor, which mountain in the area; groped across had broken down on the 1961 in the unexplored eight-mile wide ward trip, was taken in tow and Fisher Glacier, and often slipped returned to Mawson. into hidden crevasses. Days on end This operation took 42 days of they huddled in minus 20° tempera which only half were suitable for tures in their tent. travelling, because of poor visibil The main object of the trip was ity. Glaciological and meteorological geological, but there were no indi observations were carried out by cations of any rich minerals. t h i s m e c h a n i s e d p a r t y w h i c h climbed to a height of" 9000 feet AT MAWSON above sea level and recorded a November and December at Maw minimum temperature of minus son were shadowed by the illness 40°F. of Newman which caused ureal March, 1962 concern. (See special article). The The first day was spent mainly skilfully performed operation by in clearing ice from the beach prior Doctor Russ Pardoe and his assist lo unloading operations. The next ants and thc devoted care which fol clay, January 18, the constructional lowed was something deservi./g of programme was commenced, in the highest praise. cluding that of three buildings and A Russian plane, en route to Laz- [\vc radio masts. arev, landed on the plateau airfield Lack of snow drift near Davis on December 9 and continued its station this year was pronounced, (light alter refuelling. They returned and resulted in water and meat on the 29th and were met by Mas- storage difficulties. Adjacent snow, l,.., ;~ o ,.„.-,o,.l onH -, enmirrrar,, Six naturally compacted into ice, is the 1 t o normal source of water and ice Mawson and suitably entertained. storage. To alleviate the meat stor age position, the relief and station Wyers and Tod transported the Russians back to the plane early parlies built a large double com- next morning and then returned for parlment ice box to hold the fresh Russ Pardoe and his patient, Alan meat. The box holds ice in the Newman, who were flown to Mirny. cavity walls. All at Mawson were deeply indebted The working parties carried slabs to the Russians for their assistance. from the tops of ice floes up to the station in order to melt it there for water lo be used in concrete mixing. DAVIS BESET Apart from the plateau trip, the most noteworthy events during For eight days the Nella Dan was November included an abnormally trapped in the pack ice off Enderby early thaw and a complete break Land outside Amundsen Bay, 400 out of sea ice beyond the near miles west of Mawson. The ship islands. was in no danger and was freed from the pack on February 12 and December was a month of un headed for Mawson Station. usually poor weather; only eight fine days, while snow fell on twenty days. The temperature has ranged from 37.4 to 23.5, with a maximum wind gust of 62 m.p.h. Due to excess FROM DAVY JONES'S cloudand lower than normal tem LOCKER peratures, for this time of the year, Three years ago the Australian the deterioration of the sea ice was Antarctic expedition tossed a sealed somewhat retarded and it still bottle into the Antarctic Ocean. A extended to a line from Gardner few days ago Mr. F. Flutey, of Bluff, to Anchorage Island. Drifts have found ' the bottle just north of completely disappeared from about Chalky Inlet on the south-west coast the station area and there may bc of the South Island, New Zealand, a shortage of ice for fresh water while he was looking for paua this summer. shells. RELIEF The bottle rolled out of the surf The relief ship, "Nella Dan", was at his feet. He opened it and inside this year fortunate in the time of found a typewritten note, which its reaching Davis as the fast ice said the finder of the bottle was had only broken out on the day entitled to £100 worth of canned previous to its arrival. Having sailed goods at David Jones, Sydney. The from Melbourne on January 4, the offer was made by the store in ship arrived at Davis on January 15. 1958 and remains open till 1963. March, 1962 WITH THE AUSTRALIAN SHIPS

Fifty years to the day, January 30, on which in 1912 Mawson's expedition completed building its winter living quarters at Cape Denison, an ANARE expedition sailed into Commonwealth Bay in the ship, " Thala Dan."

True to its reputation, the local ANTARCTIC MARINE BANK ity greeted the visitors with a 45- The polar ship " Thala Dan," had knot storm. Late that day the storm to battle with difficult weather abated and 45 men went ashore on when it arrived in thc Antarctic on a rubber pontoon towed by the ils way to relieve the Australian ship's launch at 1930 hours. Land station at Wilkes. ing from the boat harbour, they gathered outside Mawson's 1912 The party, discovered an exten quarters where their leader, Phillip sive shallow marine bank on which Law, raised the Australian flag and are grounded hundreds of large- le d three cheers for Sir Douglas domed icebergs. It has a depth of Mawson and his Australasian Ant only 220 fathoms compared with arctic expedition. 1500 fathoms elsewhere in the region. Bad weather with snow It was not possible to enter the storms prevented completion of living quarters as the huts were initial plans for photographing the filled to the gables with ice. How coast from the "Thala Dan's" Beaver ever, one magnetic observatory hut aircraft, but the helicopters helped was in good order and geophysicist, the ship to find its way through Burch, repeated magnetic observa heavy pack ice to Wilkes station. tions at this site. Better conditions for aerial photo This is the first ANARE visit to graphs developed later, after the this historic locality and the first relief of Wilkes station on January Australian visit since Sir Douglas 10. The Beaver, then went back to Mawson and his BANZARE expedi work and mapped the uncharted tion called there in January 1931. At coast east of Wilkes for 200 miles. the foot of the flagpole is a carved plate which says the British flag AIRCRAFT IN SNOW STORM was raised and sovreignty asserted Australian airmen, exploring by in January, 1931, and also a sealed Beaver and two helicopters, were metal cylinder containing the his caught when the weather closed in toric document. around the ship "Thala Dan" before The main hut is in remarkably they could return. good repair although the weather For three days, this expedition boards of the walls and the roof struggled lo reach the coast of King on the windward side have been George V Land and delineate the w o r n b y w i n d - d r i v e n s n o w t o great ice tongues of the Mertz and almost paper thinness in places. Ninnis glaciers which, in 1911, were Here Australia's first Antarctic reported by Douglas Mawson to expedition spent two years of re project 60 miles out to sea. Almost warding scientific effort and it continuous fog frustrated their would be fitting if this station could attempts. Finally, the weather bc restored to its original condition cleared and two helicopters carried and preserved as a national monu Kirkby, surveyor, and Gregory, geolo ment. gist, to Penguin Point, which was March, 1962 last visited by a sledge party from Mawson's expedition in 1912. FIELD ACTIVITIES In addition, the Beaver aircraft FROM WILKES set out on a 300-miles flight to The six-man party of Australians 1 the coast eastwards to from Wilkes made some interesting leaver ice studies as it moved inland across was at the limit of its flight and the ice cap of the continent. The the helicopter at the coast, the weather at the ship suddenly party, which was led by Captain Smethurst, officer-in-charge of the closed-in, with fog and snow showers. station, left Wilkes on October 7. Early December messages reported The men on board waited anxi that the men were at a point 170 ously while the helicopters, 60 miles south of their base. miles away, and the Beaver, 200 miles off, were recalled. Guided to One of thc main objective:; of the the ship by radio compass, they expedition was to measure the landed safely, in heavy snow, where thickness of the ice cap by seismic the ship lay amongst icebergs in sounding. The party's observations a pool on the edge of the pack ice, showed that in some areas there is with visibility only 100 yards. a marked trough under the ice. Bedrock in several places in 1000 Photography was successful, but to 1500 feet below sea level. At one an aslrofix and geological survey point the underlying rock is about by thc helicopter party were cut 9000 feet below sea level. short by deterioration of the wea ther. The results show that a large Another of their tasks was to p o r t i o n o f t h e M e r t z To n g u e measure ice accumulation since appears to be iceshelf and a giant stakes were placed at intervals of iceberg, exceeding 40 miles in one mile by a similar field trip last diameter, lies grounded in this area. year. The observations so far show The Ninnis Tongue is also greatly that ice accumulation on the reduced. A major feature of the plateau was much more than ex coast, Horn Bluff, proved to be an pected. island. NEW COASTAL FEATURES A single fine clay and open water From January 21 to 24 the "Thala Dan" visited the automatic weather along the Antarctic coast allowed the "Thala Dan," to survey thc 150- station at Chick Island off Wilkes mile Sabrina coast of Wilkes Land. Land. The station, installed in Feb The work included a radar plot ruary, 1961, had ceased to fim^tirm from a running survey of 80 miles last year after 21 weeks' opt.. of coast from the ship; aerial photo graphs of 150 miles of coast; and IN NEW ZEALAND TERRITORY an astrofix by surveyor Kirby, who After a surprisingly ice-free run was landed at the desolate ice coast, south from the Balleny Islands the 60 miles from the shop, by helicop "Thala Dan" reached the coast of ter. Officers of "Thala Dan" took Oates Land at the previously un soundings of hundreds of miles of visited region around Cape North, ocean depth. 165i° East longitude in New Zea Ashworth, flying in the Beaver land Antarctic Territory on Febru aircraft accompanying the ship, de ary 11. termined altitudes of the Antarctic Ashore, the expedition leader, plateau up to 80 miles inland, where Phillip Law, raised the New Zealand the ice surface is 5000 feet above- flag and scientists started their sea level. observations. ANTARCTIC March, 1962

" OCTANE " HARD CONDITIONS Severe weather conditions slowed After the permanent mooring down progress over the later part was completed on November 21 and of the journey. In 14 days the party a ramp blasted at the ice-foot, the covered only 40 miles, compared boat "Octane" was launched. The with 80 miles in the previous nine boat logged also 200 hours during December, covering the area south days. Night temperatures varied between 20 degrees and 25 degrees to Vanderfjord Glacier, west to Fahrenheit. Winds had been very Frazier and Chappel Islands and up to •five miles north of Cape Folger. strong and continuous—in fact the wind velocity fell below 25 miles an hour on only one day. The ice surface had been found " ANTARCTIC " lo be hard, with smooth windcrusl, VOLUME TWO in some areas carved into a series 1959-1961 of fantastic sastrugi. Many of these sastrugi measured four feet from Index: An index to volume trough to crest. 2 is being prepared, and orders may be forwarded now. Despite the rough terrain of The price will be 2/6 per sastrugi, the vehicles in the tractor copy. train were in good condition. At Binding: Arrangements have 170 miles the vehicles were checked been made for uniform bind and put in order for further pro ing. Send your 12 issues with gress. To provide adequate water index when ready to— for the parly, snow melters had Express Binding Service been made by welding small tanks 69 Victoria Street to the mufflers around the hot exhaust pipes of the vehicles. Wellington CI The price for binding, in cluding return postage, will be 11/9. NOVEMBER CRASH Some further details have been WANTED ! released concerning the crash of We have buyers for the fol the P2V aircraft in November with lowing out of print numbers of "Antarctic"— the loss of five lives. The plane Vol. 2, No. 2: June, 1959 apparently received damage from Vol. 2, No. 4: December, the take-off which started a fire in 1959. the rear of lusilage. The aircraft Will anyone who is willing crashed approximately eight miles to sell these at 4/- per copy south of the station, and the station please communicate with the doctor with two members of the secrelary? party travelled immediately to the scene by weasel. They were able lo render assistance to the four sur SIGN OF THE TIMES vivors, who were evacuated by a A signpost has been erected at C-130 flown in from McMurdo. No the Russian base Mirny showing the equipment was salvaged from the distance to Moscow, Leningrad, wrecked plane. Prague, Berlin and—the moon. ANTARCTIC RUSSIANS PLAN NEW STATION IN ENDERBY LAND Reports from Russian sources state that a site is being sought in the region of Alasheev Bay, Enderby Land, for a new summer station.

Alasheev Bay (67° 30'S, 46° oo'E) region with the aid of aircraft. A is about 200 miles west of Cape Ann. sea party under the command of V. The diesel-electric vessel "Ob" Shamontev, began to study the after unloading supplies at Novo shores of Alasheev Bay. The camp's radio station transmitted the first lazarevskaya on the Princess Astrid Coast in early January, sailed 1000 meteorological reports and establish miles east to the Alasheev Bay ed radio contact with Mirny. region. In support of this operation a A landing party from the "Ob" set long flight was made by an LI-2 up camp on the shores of Alasheev piloted by N. Stepanov and S. Tara- Bay, where they began geological sov. Carrying a group of explorers surveys of this vast and little- headed by the leaders of the Soviet explored mountainous area. air Antarctic expedition, A. Afana- The ship was anchored at the sev and M. Shevelev, they set out fringe of the fast ice, 36 miles from from Pravcla Coast for Queen Maud the shore. Air reconnaissance showed Land. The route followed the coast that there were many cracks in the of Eastern Antarctica. The first ice road linking her with the main landing was accomplished near the land. It was impossible to trans Australian base, Mawson, on ice port cargo along it on ground criss-crossed with crevasses. The vehicles. Australians joyfully greeted the A twin-engine LI-2 plane and a Soviet explorers and thanked them cordially lor the aid rendered to single-engine light AN-6 unloaded Alan Newman. some 30 tons of cargo. Landing strips were cleared near Ihe camp and near In the region of Enderby Land the ship on a flat ice-floe. the crew of the aircraft carried out Thc LI-2 made several reconnais a survey for the "Ob" which was sance flights into the area of Amund breaking its way through heavy ice sen, Lena and Alasheev Bays looking towards the shore. The airmen for a place on Enderby Land to set found a huge ice field suitable as up a station and to build a landing an anchorage for the "Ob" and for strip for planes. Landings were made the construction of an aerodrome. to select a site for what is described They radioed this information lo as a " seasonal research station." Captain Sviridov and dropped a message bag containing a map of In mid-January the "Ob" was an the ice field on the deck of the chored at the edge of the shore ice in the region of Alasheev Bay. ship. Tons of various items of equipment The LI-2 also called in at the were flown to the shores of Enderby Japanese Showa Station, situated Land. Here a geological field camp on Ongul Island in Lutzow-Holm was established on the bedrock. Led Bay. The Japanese scientists are by L. Klimov, the geologists pro bringing their work in Antarctica to posed to explore the vast mountain a temporary close, and are evacu- March, 1962

" Ob ' had reached Enderby Land. A ating the station on board the ice breaker "Soya." "further Kooperatsiya" message said had that sailed the from M.V. Continuing its flight to a distance nearly 3,500 km. from Mirny, the Cape Town and would reach the LI-2 landed near the Soviet Novo- Antarctic in approximately a week's lazarev Station in Queen Maud Land. time. Here two teams, the old and new In a message to " Vodny Trans personnel, were busy transferring port," A. Dralkin, leader of the ex stores delivered by the "Ob." Sledge- pedition, said that nearly 300 men tractor trains plied between Princess were taking part in the operations Astrid Coast and Schirmacher Oasis. —scientists, sailors, tractor drivers, After completing their work at fliers, radio-operators, men of the Novolazarevskaya those on board most varied professions and most of the LI-2 made a return flight to them experienced explorers. "Many the anchorage of the " Ob," in the have already been to Antarctica," he region of Alasheev Bay. wrote. "They include the leaders of the scientific divisions: Meteorolo OTHER BASES IN TOUCH gist L. Zhdanov, geophysicist G. Confirmation of the Russian in Svetlaev and geologist L. Klimov; tention to establish at least a sum the deputy leader of the expedition, mer station in Enderby Land comes B. Mihailov; the commander of Vos from the Japanese. A Tokyo mes tok station V. Sidorov; radio-opera sage dated February 13, says: tor P. Sorokin, and engineer A. Boro- "The Japanese Antarctic expedition dachev, who took part in a Soviet headquarters here said today the trek to the Geographic South Pole." Soviet Union was constructing a base about 190 miles east of Japan's The expedition will carry out a broad programme of research on the base on Angul Island. A report from Davis Sea littoral and at the inland the leader of the current Japanese continental stations: Vostok, in the expedition team to the headquarters said construction work started on region of the South Geomagnetic Pole, and Novolazarevskaya at the January 8 this year. "Observers said the Soviet Union Schiermacher Oasis in Queen Maud was believed to be in need of a re Land. lay station between its two bases on INLAND TREKS Antarctica." "In addition to stationary observa Mawson, the Australian base, also tions," Mr. Dralkin said, "we shall, reported receiving weather reports with the aid of sledge-tractor trains in February from "a strange position and aircraft of various types, con on the map," and base officers soon tinue scientific research in the cen realised that the reports were from tral regions of Antarctica, where a new Russian outpost, about 500 man has never yet set foot. Scien miles west of Mawson. They think tists will conduct glaciological, gravi that the outpost at present consists metric, meteorological and other ob only of a power-house, radio equip servations and determine the thick ment, living quarters and a fuel ness of the ice cover by the seismic- dump staffed by about three men. method. This work will cover a vast area of the ice cap, far from the lit SEVENTH SOVIET ANTARCTIC toral of the Indian Ocean. For field EXPEDITION work in the south-polar summer the The 1961-62 Soviet Expedition sail inland continental station Komso- ed from Leningrad on November 14, molskaya will be operating. in the diesel-electric vessel " Ob." "One of the expedition's important A radio message received in Lenin tasks will be to study the vast region grad on January 9 reported that the on Ihe littoral of the continent. March, 1962

Soviet scientists will operate in the where man had never before set geologically little-studied region of foot. For the first time exact cal Eastern Antarctica." culations were made by thc geodetic The expedition is equipped with a method of the altitudes of the ice new type of snow tractor designed cap in the central part of Eastern for traversing loose friable snow at Antarctica. high altitudes. Included in the new equipment being taken south this year are four tracked cross-country vehicles, 10 metal sledges and a VOSTOK CLOSED FOR newly-designed pneumatically con WINTER trolled bulldozer-crane, as well as One of the present three perma special oils for ultra-low tempera nent Soviet research stations in the tures and heated clothing made of Antarctic, Vostok, will as from 1962 special synthetic materials. change over temporarily to seasonal Four Czech scientists are accom work, reported " Vodny Transport " on January 20. panying the expedition and will win ter over at Russian stations. Dr. Vostok was established in 1957 for Antonin Mrkos, the leader of the Ihe I.G.Y.. However, because the geo Czech group, was a member of the physical phenomena in the region of third Soviet expedition, 1957-59. The the magnetic pole are of special in Czechs will carry out research in cos terest to Soviet scientists, they con mic rays, aurora and electro-mag tinued their research at Vostok into netic field of the earth. the following years. The meteor Three scientists from the German ological observations conducted at Democratic Republic will carry out Ihe station plete picture of the region's geodetic and meteorological work, and Dr. M. Prior of the United States wiil also be taking part in the ex recorded—88.3° C. (—126.9° F.). pedition. Vostok, 78° 27' S.. 106° 52' E., has The expedition will supply weather served as a base for Soviet sledge- forecasts for the Soviet whaling tractor trains setting out for areas fleet. further inland. It is about half-way KOMSOMOLSKAYA between Mirny and the South Pole. For field work in the summer the The station will be closed down inland station Komsomolskaya will lor the winter, but seasonal opera be operating. This is an important tors will be renewed there in the intermediate base on the route of 1962-63 summer. the Soviet explorers' flights and Vostok Station this year will be traverses. for the third time under the com It was reported on January 13 that mand of V. S. Sidorov. Leader of a group led by G. Lazarev had com Novolazarev Station will be the ex pleted a scientific-research trek perienced polar explorer V. M. Roga- across an ice plateau in the heart chev. of Antarctica. The sledge-tractor train had arrived at Komsomolskaya Station. Research had been com EAST GERMAN PLANS pleted along a gigantic triangular route stretching for over 1500 kilo A press report from Berlin early in metres, and covering an area of February stated that East Germany, more than 100,000 square kilometres. with Soviet aid, was planning to set For nearly one third of the way the up its own research station in the expedition passed through places Antarctic. ANTARCTIC Russian Planes' Long Flight to Antarctica Two Russian world air-line aircraft left Moscow on December 15 on a flight to the main Soviet Antarctic base, Mirny, 15,800 miles away.

The two planes, an AN-10 and an flying time from Moscow was 44 IL-18, landed for refuelling al Delhi, hours 36 minutes. Rangoon, Jakarta, Darwin, Sydney, Christchurch and McMurdo. Both WELCOME AT McMURDO aircraft are four engine turbo-prop Everyone at McMurdo, says a Tass aircraft. correspondent on board the plane, They flew mostly in an altitude from the smiling American officer of about 26,000 feet and at an aver who was the first to board the Soviet age speed of 340 miles per hour. plane to the sailors servicing the The aircraft maintained continuous mess room, did their utmost to make radio contact throughout the flight, the Soviet expedition feel at home and on the second half maintained and gave them a most cordial and constant contact with Mirny. All hospitable welcome. Soviet ships in the Southern Hemis Soviet geographer Pavel Ostapenko phere also followed the flight by is slaying at McMurdo for the win radio. ter. "I have established good con The flight was commanded by tacts with my American colleagues Alexander Afanasyev, head of the and I am sure that my stay at Mc chief Northern Sea route administra Murdo will be just as fruitful as tion, and Mark Shevelev, chief of three years ago when I visited Lillie the Polar Aviation Board. America," he told the correspondent. The Ilyushin 18 reached Sydney At Mirny the correspondent also on the morning of December 21 and talked with one of the two Ameri Christchurch the following day. cans staying there for a year, a 23- year-old student from Stanford Uni VIA NEW ZEALAND versity California. "During my stay The Antonov 10 was delayed at at Mirny I have come to know Rus Darwin and touched down at Kings- sian people well," he said. "I be ford Smith Airport, Sydney, later lieve that there are no two nations in the day. It reached Christchurch closer in character than the Russians 42 minutes after the IL-18. and the Americans. The Russians Both planes left Christchurch early are just as straightforward and un on the 24th, at 4.33 and 4.45 respec prejudiced as we Americans." tively, and arrived at McMurdo, thc At Mirny on January 9 the AN-10 IL-18 at 11.29 a.m. and the Antonov took off in its "winter footwear"— 10 at 12.34 p.m. The United Slates on skis. Experienced polar aviator expedition made 7,000 gallons of fuel Boris Osipov made several experi available to the Russians at Mc mental flights and landed on a new Murdo. snow airfield 7 kilometres from the When the AN-10 touched down at old one. Ihe ice-covered airfield on December This is the first time ever that 25 at 5.2 p.m. its flying time was such a type of aircraft has been put 48 hours 7 minutes. The other plane on skis. Flying to Vostok has now flew lo Mirnv on December 27. Its been reduced by half. March, 1962

MIRNY-VOSTOK RETURN the search party returned to the In the first half of January the AN- Base." 10 aircraft flew from Mirny to Vos A new snow-strip has been laid down at Mirny for the AN-10. The tok. After trials at Mirny, the cap aircraft, its undercarriage fitted with tain of the AN-10, Osipov, and pilot skis, made a number of test flights Rogov flew the aircraft to Vostok. and landings. The crew are making which lies at an altitude of 3,420 flights carrying stores to Vostok. metres. Apart from the crew the From aboard this " flying observa tory " it is intended to carry out aircraft carried a group of scientists. scientific research in the heart of The first flight lasted three hours. Antarctica. The heavy transport plane landed After flying the sick Australian Al perfectly on the snow-covered high- lan Newman to the American Mc altitude air strip and, after unload Murdo Station, the crew of the IL- 18 returned to Mirny. Also arriving ing scientific equipment, set off on at McMurdo aboard the IL-18 was the return journey. the American scientist Stewart Gil- more, who had spent a year at CAPTAIN'S STORY Mirny carrying out research along A message lo 'Vodny Transport" side Soviet scientists. on January 11 from the Captain of HOME AGAIN the IL-18 aircraft gave the following Both the Ilyushin, a sleek aircraft somewhat similar to the Lockheed Electra, and the Antonin, which is more of a work-horse in appearance, arrived back in Christchurch on prop liners IL-18 and AN-10, which have flown in from Moscow. January 25. This direct flight of The members of the 6th Antarctic 3,200 miles from Mirny to Christ church, over the Bunger Oasis and Expedition have experienced much these a vast expanse of ocean, occupied eight hours. Its success has proved huge machines. the feasibility of making flights from "Time arid again snow storms have Russia to Mirny via New Zealand reduced to nothing all work put in without landing at McMurdo en on constructing the huge airstrips. route. Recently, when a violent blizzard broke over Pravda Coast, a group The planes left Christchurch for of men, worried about the state Sydney on January 26 and arrived of the AN-10, travelled out to the back at Moscow airport during the aerodrome in a cross-country ve afternoon of February 2. hicle. Visibility was no more than The Soviet fliers have proved that 5-7 metres and the driver of the it will now be possible to bring the vehicle, I. Abushaev, was compelled bulk of the expedition to the An to halt halfway between the settle tarctic in the early spring to take ment and the site of the aircraft. part in the seasonal field explora They spent the whole night amid tions. Late in the autumn they will the chaos of the storm. Anxious be able to return home. Only those about their comrades, the men, engaged in round-the-year stationary roped together, set out to their aid, observations will winter in An but could not locate them. AI Mirny tarctica. It is expected that a regular anxiety was only allayed towards service through Christchurch will be dawn when the storm abated and gin nexl summer. ANTARCTIC March, 1962 RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS UNITE TO SAVE AUSTRALIAN The international co-operation shown in saving the life of a dangerously ill Australian at Mawson was described by the Australian Minister for Ex ternal Affairs as " a reflection of the manner in which exploration and scien tific research are being conducted in Antarctica, and of the spirit of the 12-Power Antarctic Treaty."

Mr Alan Newman, a 41-year-old Australia has had no aircraft in diesel mechanic, at Mawson suf the Antarctic since its planes there fered a cerebral haemorrhage on were destroyed in blizzards. November 2. He was operated on While he was at Mirny Mr. New on November 30 and December 3. man had an allergic shock. "I The medical officer (Dr. Russell thought I was going to lose him," Pardoe) sought the guidance of a Dr. Pardoe said. "His blood pressure Melbourne neuro-surgeon to carry went down and mine went up." out the delicate operations to re However, assisted by the Russians, lieve Mr. Newman's condition. A he came through and was evacu geophysicist gave the anaesthetic, ated to McMurdo by the Ilyushin while he was assisted by the Maw IL-18—which passed through Christ son cook. church before Christmas, leaving at After the second operation Mr. 4.30am on January 5. The flight of Newman improved, but suffered a 1400 miles to McMurdo was to have i elapse and his condition caused been made on January 4 but was concern. In view of the need to delayed by bad weather. evacuate Newman, Australia's Ant arctic director (Mr. Phillip Law) NOW THE AMERICANS flew from Melbourne to Sydney on December 22 to talk with the crew Rear Admiral D. M. Tyrce, now of the Russian IL-18 turbo-prop air arranged for a ski-equipped Ameri craft then on its way to Mirny via can BOB transport plane to fly Newman and Dr. Pardoe to Christ Sydney and Christchurch. The Rus sians agreed immediately to give church from where they could be fluwn to Sydney in a civil plane. It every possible assistance. was decided that Dr. Pardoe should Meanwhile, Mr. Newman's condi accompany Newman back to Aus tion had become so serious that tralia as he might need immediate Australian medical officers at Maw aiention at any stage during the son believed he should have the flights. advantage of the more advanced facilities at Mirny. While the Australians waited at McMurdo, Mr. Newman was taken RUSSIAN AID into the United States Navy's sick After an appeal for help by the bay. This gave Dr. Pardoe, who had base at Mawson a Russian DC3 air hardly left his patient's side for two craft fitted with skis, returning to months, a chance to catch up on some sleep. Mirny from a flight to the Russian station south of South Africa, A special Hercules flight left called in at Mawson and took Mr McMurdo at 11 p.m. on January 7 Newman and Dr. Pardoe to Mirny and arrived at Harewood at 6.20 on December 30, a flight of about next morning after a flight of 2200 800 miles. miles. March, 1962

BACK TO AUSTRALIA N E W S F R O M The final flight from Christchurch to Sydney was by TEAL Electra on S.A.N.A.E. January 9. Mr. Newman was semi In September the huskies were conscious when he reached Kings- being trained; after a winter in the ford Smith Airport, and was taken shelter they were rather unfit. Un immediately by ambulance to St. fortunately the lead-dog died, thus Vincent's Hospital for examination. only six dogs remained. On January 25 it was reported Rayno van der Riel's birthday was lhat he was making satisfactory celebrated with a typical South Afri progress, although he was still seri can "braaivleis" (or barbeque) out ously ill. side—problably a historic event. Expressing Australia's gratitude In the middle of October the first for the assistance given in bringing dog-sledge journey was done to the Mr. Newman from Antarctica the north-west to do glaciological and Minister for External Affairs, Sir Garfield Barwick, said that the magnetic observations. A second journey was done by muskeg tractor Soviet and United States mercy to the sea area for surveying pur flights had been undertaken despite unfavourable weather conditions poses. The most important discovery probably was the discovery of a and difficult landing facilities. He small Emperor rookery of about 50 said the leader of the Soviet Ant chicks and 80 adults in Otterbukta. arctic Expedition Mr A. A. Afanas- It is probably the first time the em iev, and the Commander of the U.S. Naval Support Force in Antarctica, perors have hatched eggs in this Rear-Admiral David M. Tyree, had area. Skuas, Wilson's petrels and snow petrels were seen. responded immediately to Aus tralia's appeal for assistance. Two bergs were sighted close to the coast in October. October was a month with bad weather. The monthly mean tem DR. COLIN BULL perature was—14.4"C. with a maxi Dr. Colin Bull, the Birmingham- mum of—1.9°C. and a minimum of born visiting assistant professor of —42.9°C. The mean windspeed was geology at Ohio State University, is 22 knots with a maximum gust of To direct an 18,500 dollar research 90 knots. The wind reached gale project to analyse data collected in force on 16 days, driflsnow occurred Antarctica since the International on 29 days and snow fell on 18 days. Geophysical Year. The accumulation so far for this He will study polar wandering year is already 130 cm. and deglacialion, under a grant South Africa plans to establish a from America's National Science new station at 70° 16'S., 2° 21'W. at a Foundation. height of 50 m. It will be staffed by Dr. Bull, in 1956, was appointed 14 men. senior lecturer in physics at Vic toria University of Wellington, New The South African Antarctic Asso Zealand. ciation is thriving. Monthly meet A veteran of three New Zealand ings, mainly taking the shape of film Antarctic expeditions and also of evenings have been held. The num Arctic research work, Dr. Bull said ber of members is steadily increas the project would include the inves ing. tigation of all temperature records A South African Antarctic Club in inland Antarctica during the has also been formed. Membership International Geophysical Year and is restricted to South Africans who subsequent programmes. have wintered in Antarctica. ANTARCTIC March, 1962

The South African Antarctic Re search ship "R.S.A." was launched on CHILEAN September 29. Some details of" the STATIONS ship are as follows:— Dead weight, as cargo boat about 1,555 t. (1,530 The "Piloto Pardo", flagship of the L.T.), as passengerboat about 1,350 Chilean Antarctic Task Force, left t. (1,330 L.T.); main engine turbo- Valparaiso on December 11 for charged diesel 1,560 B.H.P.; service Punta Arenas, en route for the relief speed about 11.5 knots. Special in of Chile's Antarctic bases. At Telea- stallations are heliport, look-out huano the flagship was joined by cabin, echo-sounder for deep sea, "Lauitaro" and "Yelcho," and the motor boat for pack ice. The comple three vessels went on in convoy. ment is officers 10, crew 25, pas The flotilla is under the command of Commodore Francesco Swarez sengers 25. Villaneuva. THIRD S.A.N.A.E. The 1962 South African National The Task Force was due to arrive Antarctic Expedition, which departed at Punta Arenas on the 18th and to f r o m C a p e To w n i n t h e n e w enter Soberania Bay on the 24th. 'South African ice-vessel m.v. "R.S.A." The flotilla will return to the main towards the middle of January, 1962, land in the early part of March. is led by M. J. du Preez (34), mar The " Piloto Pardo" carries on ried. Mr. du Preez is also radio tech board the relief personnel for the nician and radio operator. Previously Antarctic bases of Arturo Prat, Bern employed at the General Post Office, ardo O'Higgins and Pedro Aguirre Pretoria as radio technician, he was Cerda. The j deputy leader of S.A.N.A.E., 1960. Gonzalez Videla bases are travel The remaining 14 members of the ling in the " Yelcho." Also travel expedition comprise medical officer, ling in the " Piloto Pardo" is a geologist, surveyor, four meteorolo Lieutenant of the Peruvian Navy, gists, two geophysicists, two diesel Juan E. Soria, and a group of North mechanics, two carpenters and a American geologists. radio operator. During the summer, the naval personnel will finish constructing R.S.A. IN TROUBLE and equipping the " Yelcho" sub- As we go to press, the U.S. ice base, which is utilised as a seasonal breakers "Glacier" and "Eastwind" base. In addition, the expedition are leaving New Zealand to go to is transporting tractors and heli the rescue of the new South African copters for various services. vessel " R.S.A.," which was trapped The Customs Department has in the ice-pack in 68° 30' S., 3° 50' W., authorised maximum facilities for while returning from thc S.A. An the clearance of material destined tarctic base, on about March 6. for the expedition at O'Higgins In charge of the relief operation Base. This expedition is under the is Captain Edwin MacDonald, deputy auspices of the North American commander of Operation Deepfreeze. University of Wisconsin. The equip Both vessels left Lyttelton on ment arrived in Valparaiso on board March 15 and should reach the the " Santa Isabel " and was exempt "R.S.A." about a fortnight later. The ed from Customs duty. It was load trapped vessel is not thought to be ed on board the " Piloto Pardo." in any immediate danger. "East- This scientific expedition has the wind" will act in support of "Glacier" collaboration of the University of and is not expected to enter the Chile and the advice of the Ameri pack. can Embassy. March, 1962

Japanese Team Closes Down Showa Base Showa Station, 69° S., 39° 35' E., occupied by Japanese An tarctic Research Expeditions, except for the 1958 winter, since 1957, was to be temporarily evacuated on February 8th and the station facilities closed.

A set of automatic climatological and at 6.35 p.m. on that day, Mr. M. instruments will be installed at the Murayama, the leader of the winter station for meteorological observa ing team 1961-62 was the last to tions during the "evacuated" year. leave the station, shaking his hand Regular radio communication will and saying "Sayonara!" Then the be temporarily closed at the end of Showa Base became unoccupied. the operation" of the Sixth Expedi Only the meteorological instru tion. ments and the magnetometer will The evacuation will be carried continue their measurements for oul with the help of the m.s. about one year. "Soya," which left Tokyo on Octo The "Soya" with the 16 men and ber 30 and reached the pack about all the sledge dogs of the winter 530 km. N.N.E. of the station on ing team on board, retreated and December 23, two weeks earlier reached the open sea again at the than on the previous voyage. Here point 67° 49' S., 38° 53' E. For some the vessel awaited an opportunity days she was scheduled to cruise to penetrate the inner zone. to and fro along the ice edge, On January 5, she began the in carrying out mapping from the air vasion at the point 66° 05' S., 41° and oceanographic research. Pier 03' E. Next day, the heli-port was return to Tokvo will be on about constructed on a large ice floe in April 20. 67° 09' S., 40° 07' E., about 200 kilo " T h e S h o w a B a s e w a s j u s t meters N. of the station; and one sealed!" writes a Japanese scien of two Sikorsky S-58 heicopters tist. "Dr. Yoshikawa told us that made the first flight to the station the station will be kept almost per carrying Dr. T. Yoshikawa, the fectly for at least five years; and leader of the relief team, and some we Japanese scientists will wait and cargo. Air transportation was con wait its re-opening day." tinued intermittently. The station About 15 tons of material was was carefully sealed for the future brought to the station to execute re-opening. Five panel buildings the evacuation programme. Trans and twenty-three accessory huts portation of this to the shore was were sealed and covered with water carried out by two Sikorsky-58 heli proof sheets. Scientific equipment, copters from m.s. "Soya" lying at transmitters, generators, ten snow- a distance of approximately 150 cars, etc., were stowed as carefully as kilometres off-shore. The vessel also possible. carried a Cessna and two Bell 47 "SAYONARA" G-2 helicopters. The "Soya's" crew The Cessna light aeroplane was numbers 96 under Captain S. Akita. put together at" the station and carried out scheduled mapping in EARLIER NEWS thc area. By February 8, the opera A message from Mr. Murayama, tion was successfully completed leader of the 1961 wintering part}', March, 1962

describes activities during October and November last. ARGENTINE FLIGHT "I planned a traverse to and TO SOUTH POLE from the region of 80° S. and a continent survey team consisting of Two DC3 naval aircraft left the Amundsen-Scott base on January 7 seven members (including myself), on the return journey from the geo three snow-cars, seven cargo-sledges graphical South Pole. They had and a caboose started from flown over thc base and landed on Showa base on October 4, arrived at Yamato mountains on October 19 Saturday night after a 600-mile flight from Ellsworth base in eight and ran over 73° S. on October 29. hours. This exploit adds the name The 73° S. region is 2800 metres of Argentina to the list of those above sea level. The temperature countries whose nationals have was 30 degrees below zero, every reached the South Pole. Other day. On November 10 we arrived countries are Norway, Britain, New at 75° S. but then had to return lo Zealand, the United States and the Showa Base because of an accident Soviet Union. to a snow-car. Our turning point was 3260 metres above sea level, The two aircraft originally left the temperature 50° below zero. the Rio Gallegos naval aircraft siafion late in December to survey The distance (one way) from ice conditions around the Weddell Showa Base was 886 kilometres. Sea. The aircraft, after several We are making for Showa Base and weeks' work from Campbell base, will arrive about the end of thc year. Robertson Island, and Ellsworth OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEY base, left Ellsworth at 1 p.m. on In addition to the "Soya's" pro Saturday. The journey was difficult through poor visibility, lack of gramme, the sixth Japanese Ant suitable landmarks, and restricted arctic Research Expedition has radius of the sound transmitter at another survey programme, using Amundsen-Scott; but skilled navi the research ship "Umitaka-maru". gation aided by recently acquired The programme for the coming radar enabled the pilots to fulfil year is planned as a part of a their task. circum-Antarctic Survey, which may be completed in live years from The crews were warmly wel 1962 to 1966. comed by the Americans on land ing. Captain Quijada handed over The scientific programme com a plaque as the Argentine Navy's prises: tribute to Amundsen and Scott 50 1. Oceanography. Surface observation and Serial years after their arrival at the Pole. Observation (once a day, Fremantle- ELLSWORTH Survey Cruise Cape Town), Current Ellsworth station is on the move. Measurements, Echo sounding (con Thc carefully observed location in tinuous recording), Core sampling 1957 was 77°" 42.6' S., 41° .08' W. In and dredging, Observation of Pack November last, astronomical de Ice and Icebergs. termination of the location gave 2. Biology. co-ordinates of 77° 39.3' S. and Plankton collection, Sampling by 41° 01.8' W. This indicates a north towing a drag-net in the middle erly movement of about 1.5 kilo layer, observation of whales (in metres per year. cluding whale marking), birds, seals, etc. Fish sampling by a beam trawl method. magnetic declination, charting and 3. Research in fishing methods, bathygraphic charting in the Antarc meteorology, measurement of geo- tic Ocean. March, 1962 BRITISH ANTARTIC SURVEY MEN BREAK NEW GROUND F.I.D.S.—the Falkland Islands Dependency Survey—has cele brated its transformation into the " Brittish Antarctic Survey " by a sledge-journey into previously unexplored territory on the Wed dell Sea coast.

Two men from Britain's Halley negotiated the beginnings of thc Bay base were reported on Decem Polar ice cap and reached the moun ber 19 to be on their way back tains. from a pioneering six-week trek by In breaking the trail to the Tot- dog-sledge to the Tottan Mountains, tans they have opened up a route the first time the peaks have ever reported to be suitable for tractors been approached by land. The Tot all the way in an area which was tan mountains, surveyed from the previously thought to be impass air by Sir Vivian Fuchs during able because of heavy crevassing. aerial reconnaissance prior to his The two men returned to base trans-Antarctic journey, consist of having covered 700 miles in just two ranges running roughly north over seven weeks. (The Tottans east and south-east inland from the are about 300 miles from base). Weddell Sea. Flights over the area during thc Colin Johnnson, base leader at Trans-Antarctic Expedition showed Halley Bay, and Dennis Ardus, a how formidable the obstacles were, glaciologist, journeyed 304 miles and until now field work has been across a desolate expanse of deep confined to the vicinity of the base. crevasses and towering ice cliffs. Halley Bay is a particularly fea This is the first overland journey tureless and monotonous area and made inland from the Weddell Sea the only change of scene possible since Sir Vivian Fuchs headed south lor the men wintering there has from his Shackleton base on the been provided by visits to the bio Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Ex logical hut three miles away. The pedition. prospect of being able to travel On October 20 Johnson and Ardus further afield will be greatly wel set off with dog teams across the comed by all those who can escape ice shelf for a point 80 miles away for awhile from their heavy scien where a promising crossing to the tific programmes. For many this mainland had been sighted. During will be possible when the tractor this part of the journey they were parties move into the mountains in constant radio touch with base. next year for topographical survey and geological work. After they had reported that they had successfully penetrated the ANNUAL RELIEF crevassed zone, their radio faded The summer season has been and for several weeks there was fairly good so far, but low tempera practically no contact. tures and calm weather delayed the On December 11, scientists wait break-up of the fast ice. This and ing for news at Halley Bay picked dense pack have held up the ships u p a t r i u m p h a n t s i g n a l f r o m in several localities—but not seri Johnson. Pushing up the Dawson ously—and five of the eight main Lambton Glacier, in temperatures bases were relieved before Christ- of minus 20° F., the two men had March, 1962

R.R.S. "Shackleton" which was Deception, Hope Bay and Lockroy; the first ship to sail from South she relieved the Argentine Islands ampton, arrived at the Falklands base on December 16. Six days later on November 2. She sailed for she ran into 10/10ths medium pack South Georgia a week later and ice south west of Adelaide and it visited Signy Island (South Ork was not until January 13 that she neys) and Deception Island (South was able to round the southern Shetlands) before proceeding down coast of the island and reach the the west coast of Graham Land to base hut. Off-loading was completed Port Lockroy. She was then held up on February 1, and the ship sailed at the ice edge just south of Lock for Stonington Island, but was held roy and, being unable to continue up by fast ice three miles from southwards, returned to Deception Stonington and returned to Adel and sailed eastwards through thc aide. The Stonington base had Bransfield Strait to Hope Bay. Sur already been relieved by air from vey parties from Hope Bay were Adelaide on December 24 and the put ashore on the west coast of three-man advance base at Fossil Joinville Island and on Hope Island, Bluff in George VI Sound was re west of d'Urville Island, and the lieved by air on January 27. ship re-visited Deception and Signy. M.V. KISTA DAN She then continued the seaborne The "Kista Dan" chartered for the magnetometer survey of the South third season in succession sailed Shetlands, runs being made off from Southampton on December 2 Robert, Nelson, King George and and arrived at the Falklands on ■lephanl Islands. Gravity readings January 1. Five days later she sailed were taken on Gibbs Island before for South Georgia via Deception the ship returned to the Falklands and Signy and arrived at South on December 23. Georgia on the 15th. By the 22nd. Seismic runs were carried out in she was reported to be about 660 the same area by the "Shackleton" nautical miles east of thc southern in company with H.M.S. "Protector" end of the South Sandwich Islands, for a week at the beginning of and had to keep well over to the January, and the "Shackleton" then east in order to avoid the dense called at Hope Bay prior to a ren pack ice in the Weddell Sea. Halley dezvous with R.R.S. "John Biscoe" Bay was reached on January 30 at Deception. Fast ice persisting in and the ship remained there for the Deception anchorage prevented four days. On the return voyage both ships from unloading at the she was held up by fast ice for same time, so the "Shackleton" five davs before regaining open sailed south lo Lockroy and trans water at 68° 25' S., 19° 00' W. and ferred the Lockroy ionospheric d i d n o t a r r i v e b a c k a t S o u t h equipment to the Argentine Islands Georgia until February 17. observatory. (The Port Lockroy base will be closed at the end of the summer after being occupied continuously for eighteen years.) Bases will be manned as folows at The ship then continued southwards the end of the 1961-62 relief season: to Adelaide Island, arriving there Deception Island, 12. on February 1, and remaining for Hope Bay, 9 eleven days before sailing for the Stonington Island and Fossil Falklands. Bluff, 14. Arcentine Islands, 16. R.R.S. JOHN BISCOE Sicnv Island, 8. The "Biscoe" sailed from the Falk Adelaide Island, 11. lands on November 17 and visited Halley Bav, 21. March, 1962

NEWS FROM THE BASES geological parly consisting of two DECEPTION ISLAND men, left base in mid-October and worked in the south-western part After the winter much mainten ance work was carried out on the of James Ross Island and at Pers- two Otter aircraft—partly to repair son Island which lies immediately lo Ihe west of it. In December, damage caused by high winds at the beginning of October. Test three surveyors crossed Trinity Peninsula at about 63° 40 S. and flights were successfully carried out on October 12 and depot-laying worked in the Russell West Glacier flights were made lo Pedersen region. The subsidiary View Poinl Nunatak (64° 56' S., 60° 46' W.) on base was visited a number of limes the east coast of Graham Land via by parlies travelling to areas fur ther south. Hope Bay on the 20th. On the 28lh., one of the aircraft again flew to During November, all 14 members Hope Bay and reconnoitred the of the Hope Bay base were at base northern part of Livingston Island together lor the first time in nine on the return journey. Four more months—but then only for a short depot laying flights in support of time. It has been a record year for field parties from Hope Bay were sledging; depot-laying flights made made during December, three of by the two other aircraft from De them to Pedersen Nunatak and one ception to areas south of Hope Bay lo Cape Longing (64° 33' S.). The gave the field parties greater mobil aircraft were flown south to Adel ity and enabled them to give their aide Island on December 22 lo full attention to the work. Conse begin the summer programme. quently not only was a greater mileage covered than ever before HOPE BAY (all clog teams travelled more than Six sledge parties were in the 2000 miles and one nearly 3000) but field simultaneously between Octo much more was accomplished. ber and December. Two surveyors Human physiological records returned to base after five weeks in were kepi on most of the journeys. which they extended Ihe triangula- tion of the Nordenskjold Coast. STONINGTON ISLAND AND Another two-man survey party trav FOSSIL BLUFF elled in the Seal Nunataks area, Sledging continued east and south and continued the triangulation to of Marguerite Bay. A depot laid slations on the Oscar II Coast. (One east of Stonington in October was of these two men spent 13 weeks later used by three geologists who in the field continuously and the travelled to the east coast of other 10 weeks). A three-man geolo Graham Land in December. Mean gical party spent a month in the while, another three-man geological vicinity of Larsen Inlet, in the same parly continued working in thc area, and a two-man geophysical Moraine Cove area, some 30 miles parly worked further north in the south of base, while the Muskeg Prince Gustav Channel. party (see December issue) con Two more surveyors, who had tinued nearly 200 miles further left base at thc beginning of Sep south to Fossil Bluff in George VI tember, spent three months in the Sound, where they arrived on field travelling from Cape Longing November 24. Later a depot was lo Pedersen Nunatak where they laid further south in the Sound, were joined by a third man. These and field work was undertaken three then made a plane-table sur locally and at the south-eastern vey of a glacier on the Oscar II corner of Alexander Island. Both coast before returning to Pedersen Stonington Island and Fossil Bluff Nunatak for supplies. A second were relieved bv air from Adelaide March, 1962

—Stonington at the end of Decem function as air-base for field oper ber and Fossil Bluff at the end of ations further south in the Marguer January. ite Bay and George VI Sound areas. ARGENTINE ISLANDS HALLEY BAY OBSERVATORY OBSERVATORY Low temperatures continued late Routine scientific work was con in the year, the average being—30" C. tinued. In addition the foundations for September and —16° C. for for a new seismological building October. were laid in December and the At base, routine scientific obser ionospheric equipment from Port vations continued as usual — the Lockroy was installed. Several short trips were made to the main year's auroral observations being land and to other islands in the terminated on October 7. The iono spheric aerial feeders were again Argentine group. raised to keep pace with the accu SIGNY ISLAND mulation of snow. (The floor of the old hut, built in 1956, is now more Biological work is being expanded at the South Orkneys and Dr. Mar than 30 ft. below the snow sur face). New sun-fixes have indicated tin Holdgate (formerly lecturer in that the rate of the twist of the zoology at Durham University and ice-shelf has accelerated 50% over now assistant director of the Scott last year. Polar Research Institute, Cam bridge) is working there during the The Emperor Bay biological lab summer and advising those biolo oratory which had been occupied gists who will winter. A new labora throughout the winter was occupied tory is being built in the base hut until the end of October, except for and a refuge hut has been con a short period at the end of Sep structed in the southeastern corner tember, and work on Emperor of Signy to facilitate the continua Penguins continued. tion of seal-pup tagging and bird Several sledge journeys have been ringing. In the first half of Novem undertaken. A two-man sledge party ber no fewer than 100 ringed Cape carried out a compass traverse pigeons were recovered. One of along the coast to the north-east them had been ringed by FIDS in in mid-September, and two depot- 1948, and two more had been ringed laying journeys were undertaken in in New Zealand. thc same direction in October to a New collections of mosses, micro- point 40-50 miles from base. A two- fauna and soils have been started man sledge party then made a this season. glaciological reconnaissance of the Glaciological observations were Dawson-Lambton Glacier. Also in continued on a glacier near base October, a two-man party man and patterned-ground studies have hauled 30 miles in eleven days as been initiated. part of thc physiology programme, and a second manhauling journey ADELAIDE ISLAND was undertaken in November. Survey and geological field work have been carried out in the south and southeast of the island and continued in Laubeuf Fjord which separates the island from the main MOUNTAIN CLIMBED land. A Royal Navy team has climbed the The two Otter aircraft arrived 8000 ft. Mount Liotard, on Adelaide from Deception on December 22 Island, for the first time, the Admir and the base then resumed its alty announced on February 23. March, 1962 UNITED STATES SUMMER ACTIVITIES COVER WIDE FIELD A big building programme in Marie Byrd Land and several unusual field projects successfully carried through have been the most striking features of a busy summer for Operation Deepfreeze.

United Slates Geological Sur Sound began breaking up on Febru veyors assisted by nine U.S. Service ary 4—two weeks earlier than ex personnel, have completed mapping pected—plans for the evacuation of control operations, necessary to scientists and servicemen to New compile topographical maps, in an Zealand have been altered from air area of some 85,000 square miles in to sea transport. the mountainous areas west of the This is the earliest that the ice has Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea. broken up since the United States This area extends from 320 miles began its Antarctic operations six away from the South Pole to just years ago; it usually begins break north of Hallett Station, a distance ing toward the end of February. greater in length than that of the length of New Zealand, and was EREBUS CLIMBED AGAIN surveyed by three members of the Two members of the U.S. Antarc U.S. Geological Survey using an tic Research Programme recently be electronic measuring device known came the fifth party to reach the as a Telluromeler. Travelling by summit of Mt. Erebus, some 13,200 helicopter, the surveyors estab feel above the sea. Primarily con lished 68 observation sites, 43 dur cerned with looking for animal life ing the 32 days spent on Topo and soil, they made their way up, South and 25 more in 25 clays for Topo North, all of them on the collecting soil samples, and reached highest accessible mountain tops en 10,600 feet for the second night, at route, reaching the maximum which height it was impossible to burn a fire for lack of oxygen, and heights of 10,500 feet (Mt. Victory) in Topo North and 11,500 feet passed a shivering night in a minus (Mt. Usher) during Topo South. 10° F. temperature and high winds. Traverse miles covered amounted The next day they reached the to 922 during this phase and 588 second crater and the summit and during Topo North. made the descent in four days, cross- The completion of so many miles of ground map control within a space of only 57 days, despite the SUB-ICE MARINE LIFE rigours of the Antarctic climate, is Living material — sea spiders, considered by the National Science marine worms, corals, sponges and Foundation, which sponsored the crustaceans—has for the first lime work, as an outstanding accom been collected from the sea beneath plishment, and will allow accurate a permanent ice shelf. From pres mapping of some of Antarctica's sure cracks around islands sur more rugged terrain. rounded by the Ross Ice Shelf, two Stanford University biologists have EARLY BREAK-UP made this unique contribution to Because (he one-year-old ice sur b i o l o g i c a l a n d o c e a n o g r a p h i c rounding the runway at .McMurdo knowledge. March, 1962

STATION GOES SKY-HI The reactor heals water, which February 9 saw the completion then passes through the heat ex of one of the most ambitious U.S. changer, and finally becomes steam lo operate the generators, and in projects for Deep Freeze 62, when the final plane-load of equipment Ihe future perhaps to drive salt was landed in Ellsworth Land for water evaporators to get potable the new Ski-Hi scientific outpost water from saltwater, thus obviat 700 miles from Byrd Station and ing the need for all those truckloads 1600 miles from McMurdo. of snow in the snowmelter. Thc one-ton automatic (and Ski-Hi is a summer scientific atomic) weather station planned station manned by five United for the Ross ice-shelf has also been States scientists, and is located at installed. 75° 14' S., 77° 10' W. Ski-Hi was launched in December THE NEW BYRD 1961 when aircraft of VX-6 were The new Byrd has arisen, and has flown farther than they had ever been dedicated by Rear Admiral before been flown on a scientific Tyree. support mission in thc Antarctic. Five landings by Navy C-130 aircraft, More than one and a half miles of each trip involving 2680 nautical deep trenches were built to house miles and 11,800 pounds of cargo, this new station for polar research, plus six Air Force C124 Globemaster then roofed and covered with snow, air-drops, delivered the men, veh all achieved in 224 days. At the dedi icles, camp materials, fuel and cation ceremony Admiral Tyree com scientific equipment needed for mended the men of the Seabee de this five-man outpost during the tachment who had "carved a new austral summer. Antarctic station out of the desert," and read from a letter he had re S k i - H i i s a c o n j u g a t e p o i n t ceived from Richard E. Byrd, Jr., station, one of two widely separated son of the late Admiral Byrd. stations that will carry out simul taneous measurements of the Three New Zealanders attended earth's magnetic field and of the the ceremony—head of the Antarctic ionosphere. Ski-Hi's opposite num Division, D.S.I.R., Mr. G. W. Mark ber is located about 100 miles ham; leader at Scotl Base, Mr. Athol north of Quebec, Canada, and ob Roberts; and scientific leader at servations made at each station will Scott Base, Mr. Ian Richards. be identical and simultaneous within a matter of seconds. NEW SKIWAY FOR McMURDO In evacuating scientists and others ATOMIC POWER PLANT from the Antarctic this month, the The prefabricated reactor system U.S. Navy will prepare and man a reported in December's issue of new skiway on the barrier ice off "Antarctic" has now been installed Scott Base. The old runway at Mc at McMurdo Sound on volcanic Murdo, though still intact, is sur rock on a plateau above the base rounded by breaking-up ice. camp, and should start operating by March 1, 1962. The basic as THESE AMERICANS LIKE sembly of the plant consists of three buildings, one for the reactor, CHRISTCHURCH the heat exchanger and the waste An oft-repealed phrase at Mc disposal tanks; one for the gener Murdo, according to a New Zealand ators and other electrical parts; and journalist, is: "It's nice on the ice, the third for the steam condensers. but it's peachy in Chee-Chee". March, 1962

WHERE'S THAT POLE? exploration, "Glacier" recorded The present position of the con- more than 400 miles of ocean tanlly shifting South Magnetic soundings, charted 100 miles of Pole is the aim of two New Zea previously unapproached coastline landers accompanying a U.S. party and collected scientific data from now in the field in the truly south the sea. ernmost part of the world. The first lime the South Magnetic EASTWIND CRACKS HULL Pole was reached by David, Mawson Icebreaking off Hallett Station and Mackay of Shackleton's expedi last month. U.S. "Eastwind" tion in 1909, it was more than 200 cracked her hull and was diverted miles inland at about 72° south and to Wellington for dry dock. U.S. 155° east. Since then it has been "Glacier" in December found ihe ice moving steadily towards the Pacific in McMurdo Sound so thick that Ocean till in 1960 it was very close it could not be rammed through so lo Cape Denison at 67° south and "Glacier" had literally lo break it— 143° east. by riding up on top of it and break Cape Denison, which with wind ing through with her weight—until gusts of up to 200 miles per hour it broke her propellor blade, neces can happily out-rival Wellington sitating her visit to the Wellington (N.Z.)'s claim to being the windiest dry clock. place in the world, is the venue of two U.S. ionospheric physicists from FASHION LANE CROSSED Stanford University who will listen in to and tape record Very Low and Seven miles of heavily crevassed Extra-Low Frequency phenomena ice between Little America and taking place in the ionosphere, to Byrd Station was successfully, if gain greater knowledge of the emis agonisingly, crossed last month by sions of these frequencies and how a Sno-Cat, a D-8 bulldozer, a Trax- it varies with geomagnetic latitudes. cavator (a tracked vehicle designed for hauling cargo) and four ten-ton The New Zealanders, A. L. Bur capacity sleds, as part of an equip rows and A. Han ley, will seek their ment reclamation project under goal first at sea, then, if this proves taken by U.S. Navy's Operation unsuccessful, on land with the aid Deep Freeze. of helicopters. If they find the point at which a freely suspended magnetic Some 300,000 dollars' worth of needle would point straight down heavy vehicles and equipment had or a mariner's compass lose its been buried under drifting snow at directive force, then they will have Little America, and six men dug found the South Magnetic Pole. it out, got it all running again and s e t o u t f o r o l d B y r d S t a t i o n . Fashion Lane was crossed with the A NEW ISLAND aid of a human, not electronic, Investigation by the ice-breaker crevasse detector, whereupon the U.S.S. "Glacier" along the unex party stopped for a breather at plored coast of Marie Byrd Land Little Rockford, filling in the time has brought lo light a hitherto un by excavating another bulldozer, charted island in this area. A two- another Traxcavator and several day stopover at Shepard Island 20-lon sleds. Forly-lhree clays after resulted in the charting of that they had started I hey delivered island and two others nearby, both their "mobile junkyard" to Byrd, believed lo be of volcanic origin, having travelled 646.7 miles. The and the determination of yet an equipment was wanted for com other island, some 300 feet below pleting and construction of new the ice cover. During her week's Byrd. ANTARCTIC March, 1962 Belief in Divided Antarctica Revived by Traverse

The frequently propounded theory that the Antarctic Conti nent is split into two distinct land masses by a trench under the ice has been strengthened by the findings of Dr. John C. Behrendt's University of Wisconsin traverse party this summer.

The seven-man party has com Indications from this new informa pleted a 1052 mile journey through tion are that:— largely unexplored territory in Ells The George Bryan and Robert Eng worth Land, near the base of the lish coasts are further south than Palmer Peninsular. They had set out mapped. from a point near Eights Coast on The base of the Palmer Peninsula December 1 last year, and were is much narrower than believed. flown to McMurdo from Ski-Hi in the heart of Ellsworth Land on The mountain areas east of Ski- Hi are more extensive. February 9 by a U.S. Navy C-130 aircraft. Ranges such as the Lowell Thomas, Sweeney and Latady Mountains are The traverse route was roughly as further north. follows: Eastward along the Eights Coast to 74° S, 80.5° W, generally IMPORTANT FINDINGS south-east lo Sky-Hi, then east- Investigations made en route were north-east up into the base of the aimed at determining surface ele Palmer Peninsula as far north as 73° 31' S, south-east to the eastern vations, ice thicknesses, annual snow most traverse point at 74° S, 66° 35' accumulation, character of the snow surface, gravity values, componnents W, then south-west and west back to of the earth's magnetic field, mean Sky-Hi. The actual travelled route annual temperature, nature of the varied somewhat from the intended underlying rock surface, and posi route both in distance and direction tions of ice-free mountains and because of the many mountain areas nunataks. A combination of tech and adjoining crevasse fields en countered. niques — gravimetry, magnetometer readings, and seismic soundings— Studies carried out by this party was used to determine the ice thick indicate that the sub-ice trench, al ness and character of sub-ice topo ready known lo extend under much graphy. of Western Antarctica, may actually after all reach from the Ross to the DISCREDITED THEORY Weddell Sea. Using three Sno-cat REVIVED tracked vehicles pulling a roli-lrailer Results show that sub-ice trench, and several one-ton sleds, the party i.e. the area of rock surface beneath travelled for 68 days in generally the icecap that is actually below sea bad weather, determining the ice- level, extends at least as far east thickness and character of sub-ice as 71° W. This trench stretches from topography, finding new mountain the Ross Sea eastward under much ranges and gathering scientific in of Marie Byrd Land and into Ells formation that may alter the map worth Land. Its eastern extremity is still unknown, but earlier suspicion. March, 1962 that it might extend all the way into correct the trouble. Thirty-six hours the Filchner Ice Shelf and the Wed late, after a new engine had been dell Sea, thereby splitting the conti collected, installed and started, the nent in two, had been largely dis helicopter completed her lift off. counted by later studies that seemed to rule out this possibility. This year's traverse, however, has COAL shown that the trench does not ter Press reports state that there are minate anywhere in the Bellings strong indications that coking coal hausen Sea; nor does it extend up may be present in the Central into the Palmer Peninsula. This Horlick Mountains, only 350 miles would mean that the trench would from the South Pole. have to end abruptly at 71° W, or An American geologist says a continue on to the Filchner Ice Shelf mineable reserve of coking coal and the latter possibility seems more could possibly serve as the basis reasonable. f o r t h e fi r s t i n d u s t r y i n t h e The party found many new moun Antarctic. tain ranges, including one covering Working in what can accurately the area from 75° to 75.5° S. and be called Antarctica's first coalmine, from 71° lo 73° W, for which it has five geologists from the Ohio State proposed the name Thiel Mountains, University are digging for some after Dr. Edward C. Thiel, noted thing never before obtained from polar geophysicist from the Uni the continent—unweathered coal. versity of Minnesota who was killed earlier this season in an airplane crash at Wilkes Station on the oppo NOTES LINK UP FIFTY YEARS' site side of the continent. EXPLORATION A note left on a small rocky ridge about 325 miles from the Pole by A HOMING SKUA members of Admiral Byrd's firs't One bird of the six South Polar Antarctic expedilion has just been :n from Cape Crozier to found by a University of Michigan ain at glaciological field party. Thirty-two years ago Byrd's party, leaving the note found today, themselves found barren and comparatively featureless another note—written eighteen terrain, an achievement believed to y e a r s b e f o r e t h e m , b y R o a l d be the longest experimental demon Amundsen on his return from be stration of the instinctive homing coming the first man to reach the South Pole. ability of these birds. Each of the three parties involved in this note-worthy coincidence represented a further stage in Ant SHE DIDN'T PASS THE TEST arctic exploration—Amundsen's, the While being tested for perform pioneer exploration; Byrd's the ance in Antarctic conditions, one HU- early scientific technology and ex 1B Iroquois turbo driven helicopter ploration; and the Michigan party was set clown on the 9000 foot peak present day large-scale scientific of Mt. Discovery. After an hour's investigation. It was, coincidentally. planned rest, the engine was re Dr. Swithinbank, leader of the started, but then the trouble began Michigan team, who last month —the helicopter had not sufficient found a 27-year-old note left on the power to fly. Personnel were there- Robert Scott Glacier by the geolog f o r e fl o w n b a c k o n a n o t h e r ical party of Byrd's second expedi machine, and specialists returned to tion. ANTARCTIC March, 1962 Honour to Amundsen and Scott In many countries special gatherings have been held to com memorate the arrival of Norwegian Roald Amundsen and British Robert Falcon Scott at the South Pole on December 14, 1911, and January 17, 1912, respectively.

IN ENGLAND John Walker, the British Ambassa Two survivors of the Scott expedi dor in Oslo, as well as other dis tion will be attending the annual tinguished guests from Norway dinner in London of the Antarctic ancl abroad. Mr. Jorgen Stubberud, Club. In the chair will be Sir Ray the only survivor of the party that mond Priestley, 75, who was a scien spent the winter with Amundsen at tist on the Scott and Shackleton Amundsen's main base, Framheim, expeditions. Mr. Frank Parsons, of was also present. Plymouth, who was a member of The exhibition was organised by the crew, will also be there. the Norwegian newspaper Aften- The founder-director of the Scott posten and the Norwegian Polar Polar Research Institute, Prof. Institute. There are items on show Frank Debenham, 78, who was a from many countries. geologist on the expedition, will not be able to attend the dinner IN RUSSIA because of his health. "But I shall Scientists, polar explorers, mar certainly drink a private toast to i n e r s a n d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f Capt. Scott's memory tomorrow," scientific and public organisations he said at his home in Cambridge. in Leningrad attended a meeting And in the ship Scott used in held to celebrate the 50th Anniver his first expedition, the Discovery, sary of the discovery of the South now moored in the Thames, the Pole. shipkeepers will drink a toast. At an evening organised by the Geographical Society, the "USSR- IN NORWAY N o r w a y " a n d " U S S R - B r i t a i n " Societies and the Arctic-Antarctic The Scott expedition's achieve ment in reaching the South Pole 50 Institute, the well-known polar ex plorer, A. Treshnikov, told of the years ago was commemorated by intrepid first discoverers of the a ceremony in Oslo on January 18 South Pole. at the grave of the first Lord Moun- tevans. The audience learned with inter est of an exhibition organised by Lord Mountevans, then Lieulen the Arctic and Antarctic Museum. ant Evans, was second in command Here they have photographs, docu on Scott's expedition, returning in ments and books devoted to the command of the expedition after journeys of Amundsen and Scott. Scott's death. Lord Mountevans Individual exhibits relate the parts died in Norway in 1957. played by Russians in Norwegian The conquest of the South Pole and British Antarctic expeditions. by Amundsen and Scott was also In Moscow also the occasion was commemorated by a South Pole ex remembered. On January 11, Sir hibition which opened in Oslo on Frank Roberts, British Ambassador December 8. to the U.S.S.R. and Mr. F. Jakobsen, The exhibition was opened in the the Norwegian Ambassador, at presence of King Olav and Sir tended a meeting in Friendship March, 1962

House to commemorate the reach THE PIONEERS ing of the Pole by Amundsen and Scott. The past quarter has seen the Yevgeny Tolstikov, who led the passing of several noted veterans of third Soviet Antarctic expedition, Antarctic exploration. We regret spoke on the history of the con that our tribute to them must be quest of the South Pole. so brief. "I am glad to say," he stated, "that compatriots of mine took part MICHAEL BARNE in Amundsen's and Scott's expedi Lieutenant (later Captain) M. tions. The job of navigator and Barne was a young naval officer and oceanographer was clone on Amund surveyor in Captain Scott's first sen's 'Fram' by the Russian sailor, Antarctic expedition, in which he Alexander Kuchin. Scott's expedi played a notable part. His name is tion had two Russians—Dimitri commemorated in Barne Inlet, Cape Gerov and Anton Omelchenko." Barne and the Barne Glacier (see The Scott Polar Research Insti cover, "Antarctic", September 1961). tute at Cambridge announced that Mr. C. R. Ford writes: "I remem it had received an anniversary tele ber Barne well as he was in gram from the Arctic and Antarctic 'Discovery' days. All of us on board Research Institute, Leningrad, and except Armitage and Koettlitz, who from the Soviet Antarctic Expedi were in their forties, and Captain tion. Scott, about 32 I believe, were in our twenties. Barne was the junior lieutenant and a Royal Navy oflicer. New Zealand's commemoration of He was tall and rather thin with a the anniversary was described in bright and boyish face. He used to "Antarctic" Vol. 2, No. 12. wear his uniform cap at a rakish angle. His face was frequently set in a bright and winning smile. In Descriptions of functions held in fact, this is how he always comes the United States arrived too late to my mind. He was never self- lor inclusion in this issue. assertive, always generous to others, ready to accept blame to shield others and equally ready to share praise if it were being given. He was BACK AT THE POLE my ideal of an Englishman." A photograph taken at the South Mr. C. H. Hare of Queensland Pole by Amundsen's party 50 years writes: "In my tribute to the mem ago has found a permanent home ory of the late Michael Barne I go at the American South Pole station. back to my memories of 60 years Olav Bjaaland, who died in June, ago, and can picture him as a the last survivor of the Norwegian typical young Naval Lieutenant, live-man team who were the first just promoted to that rank. He had to reach the Pole, requested that rather a reserved nature but was the photograph should be placed in very keen on sport and all outdoor the Pole Station and it was handed activities, which enthusiasm was to the United States station leader evident on his later sledging jour by a Norwegian journalist on neys. It was with regret that I December 8. learned of his passing, he being the last of that grand company of 'Discovery" officers to go." ERRATUM (Mr. Ford and Mr. Hare are the Vol. 2, No. 11, Sep. 1961, page 455, sole survivors of the "Discovery 1.28: for Hausberg read Gaussberg. expedition.—Ed.). ANTARCTIC March, 1962

J A M E S W O R D I E traverses, either (1) to the point J. M. Wordie, later Sir James of inaccessibility (reached by the Wordie, was one of Shackleton's Russians) or (2) a first check on men on the "Endurance" in the some mountain peaks reported in abortive trans-Antarctic expedition 1911 bv Roald Amundsen. of 1914-1917, one of the band mar ooned on Elephant Island. He was geologist and Chief of the Scientific Staff. Throughout a long life he continued to play a very active part in Polar exploration and research, Mr. A. J. Heine, a New Zealand culminating in the Chairmanship of glaciologist, returned to New Zea the United Kingdom IGY Commit land after some weeks in the Ant tee. He was formerly Master of arctic with a number of snow St. John's College, Cambridge, and samples for analysis. These samples was President of the Royal Geo should tell the story of the time graphical Society in 1951-54. before Hiroshima when the atmo Sir James died at his Cambridge sphere had no man-made contam home on January 17 at the age of ination and also the story of the 72. The Wordie Ice Shelf off Graham succeeding bomb tests up to the Land and Wordie Nunatak in En present time. derby Land are named after him. From a careful examination of the bomb fallout contained in these F R A N K H U R L E Y samples the division of nuclear Captain Frank Hurley was an sciences of the D.S.I.R. will be able Australian explorer, photographer to plot the degree of contamination and author who also went south on of the atmosphere above this sector Shackleton's "Endurance" expedi of the Antarctic over the last 20 tion. This however was not Hur years. ley's first Antarctic venture, as he Some two years ago an Ameri was a member of Mawson's expedi can glaciologist (Mr. A. W. Stuart) tion in 1911-14 and one of the three- spent the winter at Scott Base with man southern party which all but Mr. Heine and they dug a large reached the Magnetic Pole. Now a hole on the Ross ice shelf, the walls famous photographer, he explored of which revealed the layers of northern Australia and New Guinea snow that had fallen during the last with his camera, and was an official 20 years. photographer in both World Wars. Later he made many notable films, SAMPLE BLOCKS and wrote "Shackleton's Argonauts" Some weeks ago Mr. Heine and as well as producing magnificent Mr. C. Lorius, a French glaciologist, photographic records in book form continued with the tests in the snow of each of the Australian states. He mine. Sample blocks of snow were served again with Mawson in BAN- carefully sawn from the walls and ZARE 1929-31. His name is remem their location carefully plotted bered in Cape Hurley on George V against the estimated age in relation coast and Mount Hurley in En to the present. derby Land. Mr. Heine returned to New Zea land with about 50 gallons of water—water which will give a pic JUMP-OFF FROM POLE ? ture of the Antarctic desert world Australian news sources report where there is little precipitation, that Americans at the Pole Station but which will indicate what fall are planning to make one of two out, if anv, there has been. March, 1962

Reports from the Sub-Antarctic MACQUARIE ISLAND beach—a hazardous operation in (Australia) the heavy surf. M.V. Thala Dan sailed from Mel Unloading finished, the return bourne on December 1 for Mac was twice delayed when a DUKW quarie Island with 15 men who will bogged in the soft sand and tus man the ANARE station for the socks. One hour of digging and ensuing twelve months. winching by the other DUKW and In addition the ship carried eight the trapped vehicle was freed. physicists, five of them Americans, HENS GOOD SAILORS for special scientific projects. Six of these men will remain at the Island Twelve Rhode Island hens were until March. landed. On board for the return voyage Unlike many of the passengers were two Army Cadets, two Queen's the hens had shown no ill effects, but there was a decrease in egg Scouts, a woman journalist and a woman biologist, the Chief of the production. W i l d l i f e S u r v e y D i v i s i o n o f For the next five or six clays the C.S.I.R.O., six Army personnel men, the crew and the two cadets whose job it was to operate DUKW's and two Queen's Scouts aboard to unload stores from the ship, and worked 11 hours a day, unloading ihe Administrative Officer and the and initialing the relief party into Senior Engineer from the Antarc the life on Macquarie. tic Division. One man, Weather, a radio tech "Thala Dan" returned to Mel nician, volunteered to stay an extra bourne on December 18. three months when his relief be came ill in Melbourne three days Two Army DUKW's have proved their worth on Macquarie Island. before thc ship sailed. For the first time in ANARE history FIRST IMPRESSIONS a landing was made at various points along the rugged, surf- The new leader, Mr. I. J. Peder lashed west coast. sen, reports: "Summer in Mac quarie Island has presented to the The DUKW's battled through newcomers some stark contrasts to heavy seas clown the coast for six the Australian summer scene. The miles from the station to Bauer penetrating shorewinds averaged Bay. This coast is quite uncharted 25 m.p.h., with prolonged gusts of and the bays are dotted with jagged 70 m.p.h. and temperatures in the :ocks pounded by heavy surf. low forties. The highest wind gust The DUKW's were hidden from of 72 m.p.h. caused a minor sensa each other intermittently by the tion, when the American balloon 20-foot swell. However, the landing group's radio antenna draped itself was made without mishap. about the Met. office roof! On the DUKW's were food and a "The Americans and Dr. Ned Par prefabricated hut to be set up at sons, who are with us until March Bauer Bay where Wim Vestjens, a to conduct a concentrated pro biology assistant, will spend this gramme of geophysical research, and next summer studying and have completed installation of filming the movements and behavi equipment and the work is proceed our of the penguins. ing well. An old tractor-shed has A D-6 tractor was placed on two been transformed into a scientific pontoons and hauled in from thc laboratory crammed with electronic ANTARCTIC March, 1962

gear and four new antenna arrays released a few years ago, now pro now defy the prevalant gales. vide valuable mutton. One of the "The principal project involves hens has hatched a few chickens— ihe launching of 25 high altitude whether they will grow up is a dif balloons carrying instruments from ferent story. which information on radiation con ditions at the top of the atmosphere is radioed to ground recording CROZET ISLANDS stations. Three eighty foot plastic (France) balloons were launched successfully Included in the programme of in December producing excellent the 1961-62 relief team of Terres results. The wind conditions make Australes et Antarctiques Francaises the launching action an exciting is a 40-day visit to Possession Island period for many willing assistants." in the Crozet Archipelago. A team of The biologists set the freshwater 12 under M. Alfred Faure was scheduled to land at l'Anse du plankton programme underway, on December 29 at Prion Lake. A cata Navire. The team's task is to carry- out a reconnaissance in preparation maran-type craft, powered by a Johnson 55 h.p. outboard motor for the establishment of a per will be used in the collection of manent station during the 1962-63 summer. specimens from this fresh water lake. As a preliminary, a meteorological The boat was success fully station will be erected in the im launched. Horizontal tows, with mediate vicinity of the camp site. A ieam from the National Geographic special plankton nets yielded an abundance of immature planktonic Institute is to carry out a topo forms. graphical survey of the island while an ornithologist and a biologist will The O.I.C. had the sad task of make an inventory of the fauna and shooting Snowball, the cow who flora. developed paralysis after the birth of her calf Snowllake. Thc calf is During disembarkation the ship's helicopter will make an aerial re doing well. connaissance while the geophysi cists on their way to Kerguelen will MARION ISLAND make magnetic measurements. (S. Africa) T h e S o u t h A f r i c a n We a t h e r ILES KERGUELEN Bureau has announced that it no longer intends to set up a neutron (France) monitor on Marion Island during At Kerguelen a partial relief of 1962. personnel will be effected during the first call at the islands of the Many different species of birds returned in September for thc nest "Gallieni". Several noted scientists will take part in a programme of ing season. Penguins however had not yet arrived. great interest under the auspicies of the Committee on Space Re On one of the calm sunny clays search, Professor Blamont, for the men organised a rugby match but they soon discovered that Ihe example, will study the proton phenomena in the Upper Atmo muddy bogs of Marion did not sphere by means of 3000 cubic lorm the ideal rugby field. metre balloons released simultane The half yearly target shooting ously at Kerguelen and at the anti did not produce good results either. podes of the islands, in the United The interest in farming has be States. This project will involve the come one of the major pastimes. construction of a wind-shelter 28 The few wether goats which were metres long and 18 metres high. Morch. 1962

CAMPBELL ISLAND BOOKSHELF An investigator from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum spent nearly a AUSTRALIA IN THE ANTARC month at Campbell Island on a TIC: R. A. Swan, Melbourne Univer programme bearing on the wind sity Press, 432 pages, maps and ill. dispersal of insects and the general N.Z. Price 52/- (approx.). biology of the fauna of the island. It appears from preliminary results Some years ago Mr. Swan set of the air-trapping that insects tend himself a difficult task, to search lo avoid flying when the wind is out and describe the part played by Australia and by individual Aus strong since the numbers of insects taken in the nets decreased with tralians in the exploration of the the wind speeds. Antarctic. This important and im pressive volume is (he measure of The collecling of native insect his success. A considerable propor fauna proved very rewarding. A tion of all Antarctic expeditions conspicuous aspect of the Island have either set out from Australian fauna is the presence of a large ports, have included Australians, or number of wingless species of have worked in what was to become n o r m a l l y w i n g e d g r o u p s . T h e Australian Antarctic Territory, and general tendency to avoid flight in as Mr. Swan has dealt with all such bad weather may be a first stage of expeditions as well as with those evolution towards the loss of wings. which have been wholly Australian, his work is almost a history of ieen fully em Antarctic exploration. But so skil ployed since the period of annual fully has he marshalled his facts, servicing in November, and all mem and so clearly but as a rule suc bers are preparing for the winter cinctly has he filled in the back days soon to come. ground of those expeditions which During February things looked were not purely Australian, that he rather bad for the Ionosphere pro has left himself nearly half of his gramme, with both observers, Ian book in which to deal more fully Fisher and Leo Rush becoming re with Australian expeditions proper. luctant " medical cases." However, Inevitably, with such a wide field, with the co-operation of H.M.N.Z.S. " Rotoiti," steaming north from he has not been able to deal fully with such expeditions as those of station duty, these two patients were Ross (who left from Hobart) or able to be taken to Dunedin. Leo's Shackleton (whose men included tooth and Ian's knee responded to several Australians). Nor has he treatment offered by the experts, and had room to tell in detail the great once again using the good services exploits of Ihe "heroic age", even of "Rotoiti," they returned to their those in which Australians played Island home just a week after leav the major part. ing it. Many readers will wish that Mr. Bob Lamb and Laurie Cooper, Swan had more rigorously excluded Meteorological Observers, who have such strictly-speaking irrelevant been on the Island for 19 and 15 matters as William Smith's discov months respectively are to return ery of the South Shetlands and to New Zealand on U.S.S. "Vance" that he had omitted some of the about March 1. In the Island's con background, the genesis and plan test of strength skills, Bob turned ning of non-Australian expeditions, out to bc Mr. Campbell Isand 1962 in order lo tell again such tremen while Laurie proved to be the run dous stories as the journey of ner-up. Ninnis, Mertz and Mawson in 1911. March, 1962

Nevertheless this is a "popular" supplies and equipment, visual dis book in the sense that it will make abilities and cold injuries, first aid, a strong appeal to the wide public safety and survival." which is "interested" in the Ant Comprehensive and authoritative, arctic. But it is in no sense a this volume should be in the hands superficial book. Mr. Swan's re of every person in any way re search has been extensive, pains sponsible for the welfare of men taking and rewarding. So his book will be of even greater interest to working in the Polar regions. serious students of Antarctic his A quotation of interest to New Zealanders: "The average New tory. Of particular value here are his chapters on sealing and whaling Zealanders on Antarctic survey south of Australia, and on the early parties (and there are no tougher Australian advocates of Antarctic men) are over 6 feet tall, well fed, but not obese." exploration. In these fields Mr. Swan is himself an explorer. As one would expect from such "ANTARCTICA": The first num a diligent researcher, the book is ber of a new Russian journal pub lished for the Soviet Committee on fully documented without being overloaded with footnotes and Antarctic Research by the Publish ing House of thc Academy of appendices. It has been attractively Sciences of the U.S.S.R.: sub-titled produced with useful and unusual "Thc Committee Reports 1960". An maps and a fine selection of photo 85 page volume, it contains articles graphs. It is a notable contribution lo Antarctic literature.—L.B.Q. dealing with geological and geophy sical investigations, glaciology, pub lications on Soviet Antarctic re "GLACIOLOGY AND GLACIAL search, and a long well-documented GEOLOGY OF ANTARCTICA": J. article in which Professor V. L. P. Minard: United States Antarctic Lebedev presents the case for the Projects Oflicer publication, 44 first discovery of the Antarctic pages, maps, ill. LCDR James P. Continent by Bellingshausen's ex Minard, USNR, seeks to provide pedition, on January 28, 1820. the reader with an understanding of 'the general glacial geology of PUBLISHED IN the continent of Antarctica; the NEW ZEALAND extent and thickness of the icecap, its form, and relation to, and effect Springtime Temperature Changes upon the land mass, and some of in the Antarctic Stratosphere: E. i t s p h y s i c a l a n d m e c h a n i c a l Farkas: in N.Z. Jnl. Geol. and properties'. Geoplrys. 4:4, November 1961, 372-386. Hydrology of Circum-polar water "POLAR MANUAL": Captain E. south of New Zealand: R. W. Bur E. Hedblom, M/C, USN: U.S. De ling. N.Z. Oceanographical Institute p a r t m e n t o f t h c N a v y, N a v a l memoir No. 10. Medical School. 124 pages, dia grams. Captain Hedblom, with his The 1961 edition of the Swiss publi experience of five successive Ant arctic expeditions behind him, gives cation "The Mountain World" in in this revision of the third edition cludes a well-illustrated 60-page of his "Antarctic Manual", re article by Prof. H. Hoinkes, of Inns named, an invaluable handbook on bruck, on "The Antarctic during the Antarctic (and Arctic) "living con I.G.Y." and Antarctic mountains; ditions, personnel selection, hygiene also a short article by George Lowe and sanitation, clothing, nutrition, on the T.A.E. March. 1962 THE READER WRITES Sidelights of Antarctic Research

Letters of approximately 500-600 words are invited from readers who have observed some little known facet of Antarctic life or who have reached conclusions of interest on some Antarctic problem.—Ed.

AT CAPE CROZIER extended from the beach up the Sir,—Ever since Apsley Cherry- hillsides, even higher than the Garrard wrote his story of a winter camp, to about 524ft. By this time, trek to Cape Crozier this cape has 17 December, most Adelie chicks been renowned as a bleak and ter had hatched but some were still rible place. Although well-known hatching and some nests held one as the breeding place of Emperor chick and one egg. Skua prcdation penguins few people realise that on Adelie chicks was heavy, the there is also a very large Adelie skuas seizing their prey despite the penguin rookery, with its attendant presence of an Adelie adult. Adults predatory skuas and sea-leopards. were taking turns in going swim An eight-man party, which was ming to return with sea-food for the taken into Cape Crozier by heli chicks, so, with 24-hour daylight, there was constant movement of copter last December for a two-day visit had to spend five days there penguins up and down the hillsides. on account of bad flying conditions Dr. Stonehouse in late October and at McMurdo Sound. Consequently Warren Featherston in December the members were able to survey counted the Emperor chicks and the animal life and carry out scien estimated the breeding population as tific studies in greater detail than about 3,000, or 1,500 pairs. would otherwise have been possible. Skua nests were generally placed Six "USARP's" from McMurdo outside the penguin rookery areas and myself, entomologist, were on higher ground. Most had one joined by two zoologists from egg but hatching was apparently Scott Base. As our helicopter just starting as three chicks were rounded Cape Crozier several groups seen. of Emperor penguins were sighted Smaller animal life in the form of on the ice below the cape and we insects and mites were also ob landed to examine them. They were served and their habitats were mostly young, just at the moulting studied. The primitive insects, stage, losing their chick clown and known as springtails, live in soil consequently their immature mark or under stones, as do the free- ings. The chicks arc light grey with living (non-parasitic) mites. Spring- black head markings. Counts of tails are wingless and are up lo chicks were made. 2 mm. in length: mites are smaller. We then went on to camp on the None were found in the penguin snow of a saddle 420ft. above sea rookeries but they occurred in level, at the western end of the areas between the widely spaced Adelie penguin rookeries which skua nests on bare rocky hillsides. spread over several bluffs and Plant life in the form of lichens, sloping areas along the northern mosses, and algae, also occurred coast of Cape Crozier. It was inter here but not necessarily in thc esting to note that the rookeries same spots as the insects. March, 1962

During the period 17-22 December SHACKLETON 1960 we were fortunate to have the PHOTOGRAPHS first three clays fine, sunny, and calm, with light snow and cloud Bought by accident at a public n the remaining two clays. Air temperatures were approximately 23°F.—30°F. Wind was only un em journey in 1908-1909, with cap tions in what appears to be the comfortably strong for a few hours. There was a large mass of pack explorer's handwriting, is on show ice north of Ross Island and this lor the first time in Dudley public changed position many times, de library in the English midlands. pending on direction of currents The fly leaf of the album is and wind, sometimes with startling inscribed "Lord Dudley, from E. H. rapidity. Shackleton, 1909". Notes to the K.A.J. WISE. photographs inside are written in the same hand. "So far as we can discover most Mr. Rowland Taylor's letter in the of the photographs have never been September issue of "ANTARCTIC" published before", said Mr. Alex on the method adopted by Adelie ander Wilson, the Dudley borough penguins lo avoid getting cold feet librarian. has aroused interest in England. "The album has been accepted by In the London "OBSERVER" of the Scott Polar Research Institute February 25 John Gale writes that at Cambridge, and it will go there he watched four King penguins at in the new year." the London Zoo and discussed the The album was in a collection of problem with Zoo attendants, who books presented to the library pointed out that only Antarctic pen recently by Mr. B. T. Horwood, i guins, the Kings, the Adelies and the former mayor of Dudley. Emperors, not those that live further north, rock back on their heels and tails. Mr. Gale noticed that the ones he watched had their eyes shut, sug gesting that they actually slept with ANTARCTIC SOCIETY their feet off the frigid surface. At CHRISTCHURCH BRANCH any rate the keepers admitted that During the year a number of the whole subject gave them "food speakers gave illustrated lectures, for thought." amongst whom were: — Mr. Gale's article is illustrated by Dr. B. Stonehouse on his experiences, photographs of the "feet up" pos " O n E x p e d i t i o n s w i t h t h e ture of the King penguins he ob F.I.D.S." served and he concludes, "Mr Tay lor's findings can only enhance the Mr. Garth Matterson, "Two summers already high reputation of the pen- and one winter in Antarctica." •>uin. An elegant fowl." Mr. E. G. Turbott (Assistant Direc tor, Canterbury Museum), "Sub- Antarctic Islands." Golfers in the Australian Antarctic Dr. Paul Siple, "The Earth as seen Expeditions have had trouble in from above" and a series of finding their white golf balls on the snow-covered fairways. An Austra "Establishing the South Pole lian rubber manufacturer has made Station." a black golf ball and RAAF men S.C.A.R. delegates were entertained have taken four dozen of them at the home of Miss McLean south this year. prior to their visit to Antarctica. The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a group of New Zealanders, some of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, but all vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development or research. You are invited to become a member. BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: Mrs. R. Balham, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: J. H. M. Williams, 85 Waimea Terrace, Ch'ch. Dunedin: J. H. McGhie, Box 34, Dunedin.

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

"ANTARCTIC" Published Quarterly • Annual Subscription 15/- Copies of previous issues of "ANTARCTIC" with the exception of Vol. 1, No. 1, Vol. 2, No. 2, and Vol. 2, No. 4, MAY BE PURCHASED FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE SOCIETY, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 4/- per copy. Of our predecessor, the "ANTARCTIC NEWS BULLETIN", only the following numbers are available: 5-6, 8-10, 12-20. Price: 4/- per issue. UNIVERSAL PRINTERS LTD.. 22-26 BLAIR STREET. WELLINGTON