i 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

WHAT LIES AHEAD? Something of the vastness and awesomeness of the Antarctic is captured in this photographic study of a disintegrating iceberg in Moubray Bay. Photo: Guy Mannering.

Vol. 4, No. 6 JUNE, 1966 Winter and Summjr bases. .Scott S u m m e r b a s e o n l y t H a l l e f r . ' " * C r 0 N NEW ZEALAND Transferred base Wilkes US toAutt TASMANIA Ttmporanly non-operational KSyowa

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(Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

Vol. 4, No. 6

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

New Zealand New Zealanders Examine the Campbell Glacier Area: D. R. Lowe

France Australia U.S.S.R A Skua at Vostok

Japan Belgium-Holland South Africa United Kingdom Chile U.S.A Sub-Antarctic Islands

Whaling 50 Years Ago Antarctic Stations - 6 - Almirante Brown The Reader Writes Four "Discovery" Men In the Coldest Continent The Seals at White Island: Ian Stirling The Veterans Adelie Penguin Rookeries in the Cape Hallett Region: H. J. Cranfield Bookshelf June. 1966 NEW ZEALAND PLANS FOR 1966-67 SUMMER With all expedition personnel confined at the base and its environs for the long, dark winter months, there is not much to report from Scott Base except the progress of routine observations, and the plans for the 1966-67

The most exciting event of the vicinity of the base. The sun finally quarter occurred on June 6, as we set for the winter on April 24 and go to press: the second-ever mid will not be seen again till August. Six winter flight from New Zealand to men climbed to the 1,500 ft. altitude McMurdo, risked to bring out a sick of Castle Rock to watch the last American sailor. sunset. "The transition from seven Leader Prebble and others from hours of daylight at the beginning of Scott Base drove out the 14 miles April to twilight at the end of the to the landing strip on the Ross Ice month has been marked by a succes Shelf to collect a bag of mail, and sion of vivid sunsets and sunrises to see some new faces—by moon until the two blended into one," light. wrote the Leader, Mike Prebble, on Details in our next issue. May 5. W I N T E R C L A M P S D O W N Temperatures for April: maxi The base was buffetted by a four- mum - 10.5°C, minimum -37°C spray, i the shore produced vibrations that SUMMER PROGRAMME prevented the seismograph from No spectacular change is proposed Kickinglarch 15 up the any sea earthquakes. froze over But out on to in the scientific programme at Scott Cape Armitage two miles to the west, Base during 1967, and the plans for and ten days later was safe enough field work during the 1966-67 sum to walk on. mer follow fairly closely the trend During March, senior scientist Dr. previously indicated, the trend to A. Porter observed six aurorae. "Most wards the study of specialised prob of the aurorae were of a type known lems in restricted areas as opposed as rayed arcs and rayed bands and to the wider-reaching reconnaissance were of a white-bluish colour," said and exploratory field journeys of a Dr. Porter. few years ago. To combat the complete darkness The major innovation planned at later in the winter, groups marked Scott Base itself is the installation routes with reflectorised stakes, of a completely new generating plant lights were erected over doorways with nearly double the capacity of and snow-melter hatches, and sup the old plant and aimed to provide plies of food were brought up to more than sufficient power for the base from the meat cave one mile ever-increasing demand. away. The new plant will be installed by NOT SO COLD a team from the Ministry of Works March was a relatively mild month which is expected to carry out the with a maximum temperature of necessary work in about six weeks. -4°C (compared with - 12°C in March The summer party including Uni 1965), minimum -28°C (-44°C last versity and other field parties will year) and an average temperature number in excess of 50, apart from of -12.6°C (-24°C in 1965). This any visitors and men engaged on less severe cold is attributed to the short-term projects. Twelve men unusual extent of open sea in the will probably winter over. June, 1966

FALL-OUT Dry Valley region and a Canterbury Studies of nuclear fall-out — using University team will continue studies in biology and micro-meteorology. samples of air, snow, ice and rain water— will continue. The principal area for biological research will be Cape Bird, where the They will provide basic data on penguin and skua colonies will be isotopes occurring both naturally studied over a period of some and as a result of nuclear explosions months. and sampling will be carried out in the area extending from New Zea Oceanographic, magnetic and sedi land to the South Pole. This work ment thickness measurements will will be done largely by men primarily be taken from H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeav our" on passages between New Zea engaged on other projects. land and Antarctica during her 1966— Among other tasks, the programme 67 re-supply cruises. includes studies in auroral physics, earth currents, geomagnetism, iono A short visit will be paid by biolo gists from the Dominion Museum to spheric physics, meteorology, radio Scott Island and to Duke of York propagation and seismology. Island in Robertson Bay to investi FIELD PARTIES gate the petrel colony in each area. The programme of field work in The glaciological studies of the volves scientists from the Depart McMurdo Ice Shelf will be continued ment of Scientific and Industrial for a period of approximately three Lesearch, Victoria University and months. Canterbury University. Biologists working in the Ross De Two main geological parties will pendency area will collect samples be at work. One party of four men throughout the summer in all locali will map the area between the ties visited in order to establish the Tucker and Campbell Glaciers and amount of DDT content in the attempt a detailed geological survey natural life. of the northern part of the area from Tucker Glacier southwards to the ONLY 15 HUSKIES Victory Mountains. The second team, also of four men, will cover the With the progress of New Zealand's Aviator Glacier, the lower part of work in Antarctica, dogs are becom the Campbell Glacier and Mount ing outmoded and replaced by Melbourne. Each team is expected to mechanised transport. Now that the spend about six weeks in the field. reconnaissance topographical and Work in these areas is part of a geological survey of the Ross Depen programme to correlate the rocks dency has been completed, long mapped in surrounding areas and sledge journeys with dogs are no will have a direct bearing on prob longer necessary. Our scientists are lems to be tackled by the joint spending shorter periods in the field United States-New Zealand Expedi and are not moving far from the tion in 1967-68. specific areas being studied in detail, areas to which they can be trans ROSS ISLAND VOLCANICS ported by air. Mechanised transport, The main problem facing a three- for example motor toboggans, is man party studying the stratigraphy, more suitable for such projects. mineralogy and crystallisation trends So the dog population at Scott of Ross Island volcanoes will be Base is being reduced, not by any Mount Erebus, which will have to be wholesale slaughter, but by strict scaled. control of breeding and by making It is the only active volcano in dogs available to the few other coun Antarctica and has only been climbed tries which still use them. three times in history. Once there were 60 huskies at the Of the two universities directly base, the majority drawn from Aus associated with Government expedi tralia's Mawson Station, but 16 of tions, the Victoria University will them bred from Byrd's dogs at the send a party of geologists into the Auckland Zoo and 12 brought from June, 1966

Greenland in 1960 to strengthen the strain. At the end of last summer the SCOTT BASE LEADER 1967 number had been reduced to 22. Leader at New Zealand's Scott But the dogs will not disappear. Base for next year will be Colin They are needed for short field trips, Clark of Christchurch. and for use in emergencies. At such times they are still the best transport Born in Christchurch, Mr. Clark in the worst conditions. was educated at Christchurch Boys' The superintendent of the Division High School, where he was awarded (Mr. R. B. Thomson) says that the a Junior University Scholarship in UUJJS IClclIIl till 1I1IJJUI lain 1UIC Ul new Zealand's activities in the Antarctic in spite of all the changes taking about 18 months to work on con place. However, improved types of struction projects at Roxburgh, Wai- mechanical transport, with its asso taki and Benmore until 1959, when he was appointed Officer in Charge of ciated economies, and the aim to the» rr\e>te>r\rr\\r\airc\\ Qtntinn on Rnnill

111 nil. uu6 uupuiauun v«ui»»»fe i«.w »"-" two years. Plans call for a slight fur ther reduction during next year, and the intention is to limit their number to 15. in a similar capacity. In October of the same year he was appointed POPULATION EXPLOSION Leader at Campbell Island in the The Scott Base population has in sub-Antarctic, returning to New Zea creased by four. Towards the end of land in October 1962. After a further March Virgo gave birth to four Dups. term at Raoul Island, another period Their guardian Roger Bartlett has on construction jobs and a second chosen Eskimo names for the lively term as Leader at Campbell Island quads: Akortok (he who steers a he accompanied the team led by Dr. ship), Ardluck (killer whale), Uglen R. A. Falla, on the Auckland Islands (owl) and Kakiva (the spear). At one last summer, acting as field assistant, week old the pups weighed nearly radio operator and (to use his own three pounds. term) "general rouseabout". N.Z. ANTARCTIC WORK ON He made a familiarisation trip to DISPLAY the Antarctic on H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeav New Zealand's Antarctic work is to our" before joining the Antarctic be displayed at two international Division in May to prepare for his exhibitions, one in Chile and another year's work at Scott Base. in Canada. In conjunction with the fourth TRY OUT consultative meeting of the Antarctic The Tasman Glacier was used as a Treaty nations at Santiago, Chile, in testing ground for Antarctic equip September, there will be displays by ment for two weeks in April by Mr. the 12 treaty nations. Photographs, William Budd, of the Australian Ant field party equipment, rock samples, arctic Division and the Meteorology and flora and fauna from the Ross Department of Melbourne University. Dependency will be exhibited by New Zealand. Similar materials will be displayed Members of the Canterbury at the Universal and International Branch of the N.Z. Antarctic Society Exhibition of 1967 in Montreal. are providing a series of six lectures, Already there are permanent over illustrated with slides, on "New Zea seas displays of New Zealand's Ant land and the Antarctic" in the 1966 arctic work in both Tokyo and Christchurch W.E.A. syllabus com Washington. mencing on June 2. The speakers, A striking exhibit was mounted at men with Antarctic experience, will the Display Centre in Wellington, deal with such topics as "manhauling which was visited by the Queen to snocats", planning and construc Mother in April. tion of a base, and mineral wealth. June, 1966 New Zealanders Examine the Campbell Glacier Area by D. R. LOWE The main objective of this year's abled a quick dash to be made to northern party was the geological the nunatak. Adamson and Cavaney survey of the mountainous area lying collected what rocks they required between the Campbell Glacier and and the movement stakes were hur the Priestley Glacier. This area with riedly surveyed in before returning peaks of over 11,000 ft. lies some 200 to camp in rather cold wind and drift miles north of Scott Base. snow, -21°C. During the next few The Campbell Glacier, 90 miles in days we made our way into the head length and running down into Terra of the Campbell plagued by white-out Nova Bay, drains the northern flank and very soft snow, making it neces- of the area. The southern side of the sarv at times to relay loads. Two range drops abruptly to the Priestley- saddles, one of 8,000 ft. and another Glacier which joins the Nansen Ice of 9,000 ft., were crossed before Sheet in the vicinity of Inexpressible descending 2.000 ft. into the extremely Island. It was here that V. L. A. soft snow of the Campbell. Campbell, Raymond Priestley and their four companions had an un THE CAMPBELL GLACIER scheduled wintering over in 1912. So at last on December 12 we were in position to start on the main THE FLY-IN objective. As we were still towing On November 25, R. Cavaney and approximately 2,300 lb. per toboggan myself were flown into the head of and the surface was very soft, it was the Aviator Glacier. This is the next still neccssarv to relay loads even main glacier north of the Campbell though downhill. and about 40 miles north of the start After spending four days in the of our main geology area, but the Recoil Glacier surrounded by tower- possibility of investigating a nunatak ins* granite walls and tremendous ice (Navigator) at the head of the Avia falls we moved off back down the tor and also the placing of some Campbell again, visiting rock expo glacial movement stakes across the sures on both sides whenever crevass- glacier had looked feasible when ing, which was now increasing, seen from the plane on a recce flight allowed us. on November 20. So here we were, About half way down the Campbell only eight miles from the nunatak, we depoted again and taking 10 days' at 5,500 ft. food and fuel climbed up on to a It was the evening of the 27th large plateau to our south and over before R. Adamson and R. Bates, looking the Priestley Glacier. Two field assistants, joined us. A third days were taken to ascend the icy plane carrying the remainder of our steps and very soft snow to a camp fuel and stores arrived half an hour at 5,500 ft. where we were confined later, just setting down before white- for two days by strong winds. out conditions closed in. IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS The following day turned into a NAVIGATOR NUNATAK marathon. Our pick-up date was fast A blizzard confined us to the tents approaching and much work and for the next 5 days but on December travel remained. We were away at 3 a move was made towards the lunch time in a cold wind and, travel nunatak with the two Polaris motor ling round the periphery of the toboggans and two lightly-laden plateau, finally rejoined our track up sledges. the icy steps and made a high speed After only four miles white-out descent to our Campbell depot which conditions forced another camp, but we reached at 5 a.m. on December 24, clear weather two nights later en having covered 39 miles and made June, 1966

NAVIGATOR NUNATAK at the head of the Aviator Glacier. Photo: D. R. Lowe. a number of geology stops and de bated point throughout the trip. The tours. No doubt our Christmas dinner aerial photographs and recce were of chicken and tinned foods, fruit, of little moment on the final route etc., that were at the depot, had as at times we only had some yards something to do with the long day. of negotiable space: ice falls on the Christmas Day also provided a left and steep ice and snow slopes good opportunity for a routine over on the right. At one point a pulley haul of the two toboggans. They had system using one toboggan as an already done some 300 miles of anchor was needed to move the trouble-free running — and the last sledges up on to a shoulder to avoid few days of grinding up icy slopes a large crevass. Very deep sugar-type and snow-covered moraine could snow on this section did nothing to have done some damage. It says very help and the six-mile section drop much for them that there was no ping 1,600 ft. took two days to nego undue wear and tear. tiate. By January 3 we were at the pick DIFFICULT COUNTRY up point and were able to complete The next week was a busy one with the rest of the geological programme complications of travel and little with journeys up the 16 mile long opportunity of being able to gain Boomerang Glacier and 14 miles up the rocks because of crevassing. Our the northern side of the Priestley proposed pick-up point was near Glacier. The scenery here was very Inexpressible Island on the Nansen varied, with Mount Melbourne, an Ice Sheet, and the route from the 8,500 ft. volcanic cone which for Campbell into the Browning Pass many weeks had loomed on our was very confined and a much de eastern horizon, now framed to our June, 1966 north by the walls of the Browning Pass. The Priestley Glacier with its FRENCH ANTARCTIC fantastically broken surface squeezed out between two buttresses only a Temperatures at Dumont d'Urville few miles apart, and across the Base during the quarter January- March, 1966, averaged in the vicinity gently undulating Nansen Ice Sheet of 0°C in January but fell progres the granite faces of the Mt. Nansen massif rose from near sea level to sively as the months passed to -14°C. 9,000 ft. An 18-mile run down to the Average wind force increased cor south end of Inexpressible Island responding" enabled us to extend the survey and hour to 5' to visit the Adelie penguin rookery there. Only a few hundred birds were outside work. in attendance and very few chicks. During this quarter, "Thala Dan" disembarked at Dumont d'Urville the PICK-UP linal members of the wintering party All this, coupled with line weather, of TA-16, the sixteenth French Adelie made a fine finish to the survey, and Land expedition. On March 7 the on January 11 the DC-3s of' VX 6 vessel look on the 15th Exi squadron arrived to continue their amazing work of moving American 1y many parts of Antarctica, and re The most significant of the tasks turned us to McMurdo. undertaken during the quarter were It is noted with regret that the the following: crew of one of our put-in and take (1) The erection of walls and roof out planes were all lost a few weeks for the "community" building. later when crashing on landing to (2) The assembling of the frame for pick up a party on the Ross Ice Shelf. the summer-party dormitory. The interior fitting of these two ANTARCTIC MAN'S Ph.D. buildings is now under way. (3) The construction of a monorail Drawn to New Zealand by its vol sewage disposal system from canoes, a 24-year-old geologist, Dr the station living quarters. James Cole, of Kent, has become the first British scholar to gain his doc (4) The formation of a new drop torate of philosophy at Victoria ping zone for helicopters. University of Wellington. He is be lieved to be the first British scholar room. to gain his Ph.D. in this country. (6) The laying of numerous power cables. Dr. Cole came to New Zealand three years ago as a British Com (7) The construction of footpaths monwealth scholar, a B.Sc. honours linking laboratories 1 and 2. graduate from the University of (8) The construction of new GRI Leicester. He won his Dlace because installations: four shelters, a 72- New Zealand is one of the most metre pylon on which a beacon favoured areas in the world for his has been set up; erection of the particular branch of geology, vul- antennae for sondes and rio- canology. meters. He was able in 1964-65 to work (9) The setting up of a new system with the Victoria University Antarc of hour-signals giving the labor tic research team studying Mount atories concerned absolutely Erebus, near Scott Base, as well as precise synchronisation. the old Antarctic volcanoes of Black (10) The fitting up of the seismic Island and Brown Peninsula. cellar. Under the terms of the scholarship "Thala Dan" on her way home he has to return to Britain to work arrived at Hobart during the week for a period, but he hopes eventually end March 12-13, and left again on to return to New Zealand to live. the 15th for France via Aden. June, 1966 HURRICANE WINDS AGAIN ENDANGER AUSTRALIAN RELIEFS In our last issue we recorded the weather and ice conditions which harassed "Nella Dan" and "Thala Dan" off Australian Antarctic Territory in January. Much the same conditions obtained at Mawson a month later. In the early hours of Sunday morn In the late afternoon the winds ing, February 13, the mooring lines moderated and the passengers re holding the relief ship "Nella Dan" in turned to the ship by Army Dukw in position in Mawson Harbour parted a 35-knot jzale. As the stern of the when winds exceeding 100 knots ship was floating free, no difficulty struck the vessel. was envisaged in sailing from the The work of relieving Mawson had harbour when tide and winds per just concluded, and the men of the mitted. However, the helicopter on 1965 party, together with the expedi the after deck had been damaged by tion's leader, Dr. Phillip Law, and the storm and was not to be in action staff, and some members of the crew again during this voyage. had gone ashore on Saturday even At 1100 hours the following morn ing as guests of the 1966 party for ing, the "Nella Dan", no worse for the traditional changeover celebra her ordeal, departed for Prydz Bay. A tion. running survey of the edge of the Unable to return and, in fact, un Amery Ice Shelf was carried out able even to venture outside as the before the ship visited the closed fury of the storm mounted, the 52 Australian station at Davis. guests spent an uncomfortable night FIRST ASHORE lying on the floors of the mess and recreation huts without bedding. On February 17 the ship penetrated to the bottom of Prydz Bay, six miles Meanwhile, the captain and crew south of Davis Station, to a point spent a watchful night with the within 10 miles of the Munro Kerr ship's engines running as the vessel Mountains. tugged and strained at the six bow Dr. Law, with seven men including and two stern mooring lines attached to shore anchorages. geologist (of New Zealand), Woinar- VISIBILITY NIL ski, Edward, Corry, Dr. Cameron and Wilson, then took the launch through At 0325 hours on February 13, when a maze of icebergs to land on one of the steady wind speed was 85 knots these features. Although ANARE air and gusts exceeded 100 knots, four of craft had landed on the continental the lines parted and the ship drifted ice near Mount Caroline Mikkelsen sideways with the wind. in 1957, heavy pack ice had previ With zero visibility, in a blizzard ously prevented any landing from of driving snow, Captain Wenzel the sea. Gommesen, with radar to guide him, Magnetic and geological observa managed to guide the bows of the tions were made, the surrounding ship against a lip of short ice as the hills were photographed and lichens fore part of the keel ground on the collected. rock bottom of the harbour. The men returned at dusk and the With one stern and three bow lines, ship proceeded around the impene and with engines at full speed ahead, trable massed icebergs of the Polar Captain Gommesen succeeded in Record Glacier tongue to try to ap holding the ship in this position proach Bolingen Islands which have heading into the wind. never been visited. Juno, 1966

On February 18 the "Nella Dan" little more than illuminate the driv stopped a mile north of Lichen ing snow, the ice-covered deck and Island, an outlier of this group, and the waves surging past the bows. again put out the launch. First Mate Jorgensen, at the radar, Strong winds and rough seas break reported the positions of icebergs, ing on the rocks, however, prevented while from the wings and the crows- a landing. nest lookouts called attention to the The launch then proceeded through floating growlers undetectable by a close screen of icebergs in rough radar. seas for a further three miles south The captain translated this inform east to investigate another island. ation into crisp instructions to the This proved to be a pair separated helmsman. At 0200 the ship entered by a narrow 20 ft. channel between an area of brash ice — pulverised steep rock walls. pack-ice covering the sea and studded PERILOUS LANDING with bergy bits and growlers. For 20 terrifying minutes the rock-hard ice The launch managed with some thumped and battered the hull and difficulty to enter this cleft through the ship wallowed in the huge swell which the wind was funnelling and as the captain brought her around to a strong current was running. move out of this area with the wind The men landed and the motorboat now astern. with its crew stood by until they had When daylight came at 0400 hours completed their observations. it disclosed the full fury of the storm. Geological and magnetic data were Towering waves came screaming collected and the launch pitched and down on the ship, their breaking tossed its way four miles back to the crests cut off by the hurricane and 'Nella Dan" which then sailed for hurled as spindrift and spume down Davis Station. wind until the whole surface of the sea was streaked with foam. The WORSE TO COME barometer had dropped steeply from On her homeward trip to Hobart 1018 to 966 millibars. which was reached on March 11, the In the late afternoon the wind "Nella Dan" struck one of the most dropped to 50-60 knots and the ship severe storms of her considerable was able to make some distance in Antarctic career. a northerly direction away from the Captain Gommesen was unable to ice danger zone. leave the bridge for more than 50 All on board spent another sleep less night until, at dawn on Saturday, hours. March 5, the storm moderated. With a blizzard impending, "Nella Dan" left Lewis Island hurriedly at JOB DONE 0500 hours on Thursday, March 3, and "Nella Dan", bringing home the ided north, past accumulated ice- 1965 team from Mawson, reached rgs of the 60-mile Dibble Iceberg tongue. Hobart safely on March 12 and left for Macquarie Island the same day. The wind increased steadily, until at 1800 hours it had reached 100 AT MAWSON m.p.h. The ship had nearly cleared the end of the tongue when she was Time passed quickly for the new forced to heave to into easterly team at Mawson. The leader, Morri winds. The night was one of grave son, reported at the end of March it anxiety. seemed unbelievable that almost four ICE AND GIANT SEAS months had elapsed since the depar The ship pitched and rolled in ture from Melbourne. Morrison led giant seas, and spray from the waves an autumn field trip accompanied by crashing into the bows soon encased Quinert and Edgar. At the same time the superstructure and rigging in Hudson, Dalgety and Ellyard took a thick ice. The ship's lights could do dog team to Rumdoodle. June. 1966

March temperatures were warmer Elkington and Groom made history than for several years. The maximum with the first expedition to Repstat was 32°F and the minimum - 1°F. with dogs, returning exhausted with Maximum wind gust was 93 m.p.h. iced-up beards. Perhaps they pulled the sledge. By the end of April, Mawson was well launched down the long slide April was an eventful month at into winter. The sea was frozen, the Wilkes. Dr. Elkington gleefully car temperature hovered around the zero ried out the year's first operation, an mark, the sun, rising around 1030 appendectomy on Rodger Williams, hours (even later than most of the ably assisted by Sawert, Taylor and scientific staff), had vanished by 1730 Sparks. hours in the evening. Snowdrifts During March the weather was were developing in the lee of the cold with a lot of snow and blizzards. huts, and the uncovering of food The temperatures were: maximum stacks was providing ample ammuni 38.5°F, minimum 12.8°F; maximum tion for occasional snowfights. The wind gust 80 m.p.h. ice in the harbour, now being more than two feet thick, some intrepids For April: Maximum temperature endeavoured to find their sea legs 28°F, minimum -7°, average 11°. The under the delusion that the ice ex maximum wind gust was 90 m.p.h. tended all the way to Australia. Two THE NEW WILKES men had built ice yachts and were Australia's new $400,000 Antarctic ready for the fast trip back to base —about l'/i miles from Wilkes warmer climates. — will take about four years to build. Several parties have ventured on Under normal conditions, it would to the plateau behind Mawson for take about 20 weeks to build, but business or pleasure, to see the workmen can only depend on the sights, to do a little climbing, or to weather for about five weeks a year. sit out an occasional blizzard. Three It will be the most modern base ol men walked home from Fischer any nationality in the Antarctic. Nunatack, some fifteen miles, after their Snotrac broke an axle around ICEBERG-HELP? sundown. A plan to tow giant icebergs from the Antarctic to the Australian coast to provide fresh water to develop the WILKES arid south-east corner of Western Australia has been considered by an A field party left Wilkes Station at American-financed development cor the end of February. Led by station poration in Perth. leader Alan Blyth, it also included Other proposals put forward by Elliot, Giddings, Willment and Pfitz- the group, hoping to exploit an ap ner. Elliot as mechanic had a busy parently useless 4,500,000-acre waste time keeping the vehicles in order, in the area, include using nuclear having to do a major repair job on explosions to dig reservoirs and a Snotrac. Willment as radio opera building a gigantic bitumen catch tor kept in touch with Wilkes each ment area of hundreds of square evening. Giddings' special cooking miles. This, like the icebergs plan, maintained a high morale. By the would be designed to change the end of April the party had turned weather cycle in an area with reason for home from their furthermost able soil but very low rainfall. point. They had been hampered with vehicle breakdowns and tempera tures of -42°F. Anzac Day was cele DR. LAW brated in the field with a flag-raising ceremony and suitable hymns. Dr. Philip G. Law, Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, severed Trips of one week's duration to his direct connection with Antarctic Repstat were a feature of the autumn exploration and research on March months, and also 25-mile trips to 31, after nineteen years on Antarctic Jack's Donga and the old American work. He becomes Vice-President of plane wreck. the Victoria Institute of Colleges. uSSSMallmWSlRS^

June, 1966 PREPARATIONS ARE UNDER WAY FOR SOVIET 12th EXPEDITION Organisation has already begun in Leningrad to equip the 12th Soviet Antarctic expedition, which will set out in October. The 12th expedition will fill in the ing a crystalline foundation. They last blank spaces on the geological found fossil fauna in sedimentary map of Queen Maud Land, which sandstone rocks. Soviet explorers have been studying Skin-diving in the Davis Sea to for some years. depths of up to 130 ft., members of Geologists will investigate a vast the expedition have discovered over area stretching from Enderby Land 400 types of living organisms on the to the region of the Novolazarevskaya sea bed, some of which are appar station. ently new to science. They have been Members of the expedition will amazed at the abundance of life in continue construction work at the the cold Antarctic waters. Molodezhnaya station, which is to become the centre for Soviet Ant THE BIG BERG arctic exploration. Earlier this year there were reports of a gigantic iceberg which had been 11TH EXPEDITION RETURNS discovered in Cosmonauts Sea. From The Soviet ship "Ob", which took the north it closed Alasheev and Lena members of the 11th expedition to Bays. As a result of the autumn Antarctica, was expected to return to storms and the ocean swell, large Leningrad with 132 Soviet explorers sections were broken off the berg who have completed their stint in and at present it is said to be 150 Antarctica. They include members of kilometres (95 miles) long and 40 the tractor and sledge party who kilometres (25 miles) wide. It has covered over 1,800 miles on a trek also moved 30 miles to the south from Mirny to Vostok station and west. back. Thev took supplies to Vostok, which is about 870 miles from the FIRST TANKER coast. For the first time in the history In the course of a cruise of about of Soviet research in the Antarctic, 4.300 miles along the Antarctic coast, diesel oil, aeroplane fuel and other the ship called at Molodezhnaya and oil products for the expedition have Novolazarevskaya stations to deliver been brought in by tanker, and not equipment, provisions and building in drums. Leaving Batum early in materials. February, the vessel "Friedrich En- gels", under the command of Captain PRINCE CHARLES MOUNTAINS V. Ivanova, travelled 8,000 miles to Geologists of the 11th expedition Molodezhnaya Station on the coast obtained very interesting and valu of Enderby Land, where, when a able information in Enderby Land message was radio-ed on March 5, and in the course of their studies of she was lying in Renaissance Bay. the Prince Charles Mountains, which The vessel cut its way into the stretch deep into the continent for fast ice near the shore where large- more than 600 miles and approach capacity oil storage reservoirs have closer to the South Pole than the been built, and from it several thou other Antarctic mountains. It was sand tons of fuel oil were piped the first time that Soviet geologists ashore. had visited these regions, which are "Ob" left Mirny on the return difficult of access. The parly flew in voyage to Russia early in April and from Mirny in light planes. They was expected to reach Leningrad discovered sedimentary rocks cover about the middle of May. June, 1966

AFTER 10 YEARS expansion of sea and air travel, the Antarctic would soon become a try 13, 1956, marked the be region which tourists would visit. ginning of Soviet scientific research on the sixth continent with the estab AGE OF ANTARCTICA lishment of the Mirny observatory. A geological party of the 11th Since then, most of the buildings Soviet Expedition carrying out re have been deeply buried in snow. It search in the Prince Charles Mts. is estimated that more than 2,000,000 and in Enderby Land flew thousands tons of snow have accumulated on of kilometres over mountains and that community's territory. completed numerous treks on foot In these 10 years, Soviet scientists in areas that had not previously reached all of Antarctica's poles. been explored by Soviet geologists. Their research covered vast areas ol They confirmed that one of these the ice continent, they have brought mountainous regions is unique in out the basic features of its geologi that it rests not on a crystalline cal structure and the depth of the base, but on sedimentary rocks. In ice shield. the sandstones of the Prince Charles Mts. explorers discovered fossil loviet scientists are conducting fauna remains, almost a thousand .. iervations, parallel with their specimens of which were collected work in Mirny, at Vostok station, at for study in the laboratory, where the South Geomagnetic Pole, at the the age of these remains will be Pole of Cold, and at coastal scientific determined. bases — Molodezhnaya and Novo lazarevskaya. A radio press conference connected AN ICE-FLOORED LAKE with the tenth anniversary was held Russian scientist A. Z. Vigachcv recently by means of a direct recalls in the "Soviet Antarctic Expe Moscow-Mirny radio link. It was in dition's Bulletin", No. 56 (1965), that January 1956 that the "Ob" arrived in December 1963 the water in Lake in Antarctica with the members of Lagerny, near the Russian Molodezh the first Soviet expedition. Corres naya base, which is normally not pondents in Moscow were able to put more than 10 metres in depth, sud questions directly to Leonid Dubro- denly rose as the result of "warm" vin, the leader of the 11th expedition, weather which thawed the winter who was at Mirny. accumulation of snow. But the water He emphasised that international running into the lake lay on top of agreements concerning the Antarctic the 3-metre thick ice which already were being successfully fulfilled, set covered the lake, forming a new lake ting an example in fruitful peaceful with an ice floor. co-existence. All the scientific work On December 18 the water level conducted in Antarctica, he said, was reached the top of the ice-dam which international in character and the had formed the lake by blocking the results of observations were avail basin on its north-western side. Now able to the scientists of all countries. the water began to flow over the ice dam in ever-increasing volume. It He pointed out that the expedi soon became a veritable torrent tions of the various countries regu which broke through the thick ice larly exchange representatives. One with a roar forming a narrow ravine Hungarian and three Polish scien through which it flowed down to the tists were at present working with sea. the Soviet explorers. John Taylor, an It was three days before the water American, was at the Soviet Vostok stopped running out of the lake. The station, and Lev Klimov, a Soviet lake depth was now only three specialist, was at the U.S. McMurdo metres. The bottom of the ice-walled station. ravine through which the torrent had Dubrovin told the correspondents flowed out was covered with great he was confident that given the rapid boulders. ^STW.-

June, 1966

In the summer of 1957-58, an Ameri A SKUA AT VOSTOK can expedition found Adelie penguin tracks in the Ellsworth Mountains [We are indebted to Soviet Antarc region, approximately three hundred tic men V. Petrov and B. Chernov for kilometres from the Amundsen Sea their article in the "Soviet Antarctic Coast. The direction of the tracks Expedition's Bulletin" No. 55, 1965, seemed to indicate that the penguin which we summarise here. — Ed.] had travelled from the Amundsen Vostok consists of a few small Sea across the continent to the Wed huts, surrounded by hundreds and dell Sea. A young seal was found by thousands of miles of snow and ice, men of Molodezhnaya Station, nine with not a single living creature to kilometres from the coast. They be found there. To the coast — the tried to turn it back to the shore, home of the native birds and seals but it doggedly continued its journey of Antarctica — it is over 1,200 k.m. into the interior of the continent. Taken back to the seal colony, it Workers at Vostok were therefore started out again for the south. astonished when on December 15, 1964, a large dark-coloured bird Such strange animal behaviour is appeared in the sky. It came from a fairly rare, and has been little northerly direction and seemed very studied. Could it be that ancient tired, as it fluttered from place to instincts are being awakened of the place, often settling on the snow, time when Antarctica was not cov drawing its feet up under it. The men ered with ice? Or do some animals tried to feed it, and it ate a tin of lose their amazing sense of direction preserved meat, but it would not for some reason or another? Could allow anyone near it. It appeared to it be, perhaps, that birds are carried be a great skua, one of the most into the depths of the continent by widely distributed birds of the air currents? Or are they simply fol Southern Ocean. For two days the lowing the sledge-tractor trains in skua was the centre of attention at the hope of finding food? For the the station, and then it disappeared, present these can only be conjec without anyone seeing in which direc tures. Future efforts by scientists of tion it flew off. many countries coming together to study Antarctica will doubtless show The skua is a great traveller. To which of them is true. fly a hundred or so kilometres with out resting is nothing for it. In the mountains of Queen Maud Land, its TESTING GROUND FOR nesting place is three hundred kilo metres from the sea. But what was it T H E M O O N doing in these empty ice wastes, A New York Times correspondent more than a thousand kilometres from the sea, and from any source in a report from Moscow quotes Mr. of food? Leonid L. Dubrovin, the Mirny scien tist, as saying on April 28 that man Long flights by skuas have been could learn much in the Antarctic recorded several times before. In to help him survive on the moon. 1911 Amundsen, completing his jour "The conditions at Vostok", he said, "are closer to those on the moon ney to the Pole, saw a skua flying to than at any other point in Antarc the South almost seven hundred kilo tica." Most Soviet scientists in the metres from the nearest coast. And Antarctic wanted to work in space later, members of other parties trek and most of the 138 men chosen for king across the continent observed the Soviet Antarctic expedition hoped these birds far from the sea coast of to be in the Russian moon pro the mainland. But no one has ever gramme. seen a skua as far from the coast as When Mr. Dubrovin spoke, the this one at Vostok. temperature at Vostok was - 103°F. Penguins and other birds which do Vostok is 875 miles inland at an not fly make similar long journeys. altitude of 11,000 ft. June, 1966

Japanese Antarctic Activities Take on a New Look We are now able to give some further particulars of the re-opening of Showa Base early this year. The station had been unoccupied since February, 1962. The following outline was, of and rooms for measuring the changes course, written before the work was in terrestrial magnetism and the actually begun. observation of earthquakes. "In addition to the present facili "The last to be constructed will be ties available at the base, a total of mobile observation rooms which can 11 new buildings are being con be loaded on sleds and transported structed, all of which will be con anywhere." nected by corridors. FEELING OUT "The first structure to be con structed will be the temporary living It is hoped eventually to station quarters for the members of the wintering teams at such advanced team with an area of approximatelv bases, and with these bases as start 80 square metres. The 40 team mem ing points teams will trek to the bers will live in this building until South Pole. It may also not be long the base expansion project is com before Japanese observation teams pleted. Later the structure will serve will launch rockets for superstrato- as a warehouse. spheric observation purposes, and second building to be con plans are being discussed for the structed will be a generating plant installation at Showa of facilities for generating atomic power. The data with an area of approximately 70 obtained from surveys will be for square metres. It will be an oval structure in which two 45 kw genera warded to the National Polar Re tors will be installed. The generators search Institute scheduled to be are expected to start operating 48 established shortly, where the data hours after they are installed. The will be classified and extensive building will be made of light metal research initiated. and will serve as a model for the FUJI HEADS FOR HOME other structures at the base. The icebreaker "Fuji" returni "Adjacent to the generating plant will be a waste heat room measuring Tokyo Harbour on April " 13 sciuare metres, containing facili touching at Cape Town on 1 ties for melting ice and producing 24-March 3, and at Colo water. Bathrooms and toilets will March 19. also be constructed in this building. JARE VIII "Next to be constructed will be a refrigerating room measuring about On April 30 the Special Committee 10 square metres. This room will be on Antarctic Research of the Japa built of stainless metal and will be nese Science Congress recommended used to store meat and fish at a tem Dr. T. Torii as Leader of next year's perature of 23 degrees below zero expedition, JARE VIII, and Dr. K. Centigrade, even in summer. Kusunoki as Deputy-Leader, and the "Other buildings planned are the recommendations were approved by transmitting building (about 30 the Ministry of Education. square metres) for the dispatch of Dr. Torii has had considerable Ant wireless messages, a communication arctic experience, as a member of building (about 47 square metres) JARE I and II and of the wintering for the control of the transmitters, a party of JARE III. In addition he has building for the observation of the on four occasions accompanied ionosphere (about 41 square metres) American expeditions. June, 1966

Dr. Kusunoki is a specialist in the tronic computer to be used in physics of sea ice. He was a member measuring and recording the average of JARE I, and more recently, as wind velocity and direction every 10 assistant professor at Hokkaido Uni minutes. This device is the pride of versity, joined the U.S. Arctic Ice Japan's scientific world. Island research expeditions T-3 and This use of automatic equipment Arlis II. for meteorological observations will JARE VIII will consist of 40 men, also permit vastly improved observa including a wintering party of 24, six tions for research purposes. For ex more than the party at present win ample, it will be possible to send tering at Showa. aloft 100 special sondes to a height of about 30 kilometres and probe the mysteries of the circulation of the SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME air at that height. As well as the usual meteorological FUTURE ADVANCED BASE observations based on internationally- When spring arrives at the base, recognised methods, the wintering team will concentrate on two main the team will make trips into the interior of the continent for pre disciplines. liminary observations for the estab (1) Superstratospheric physics is a lishment of an advance base (No. 2 field in which Japan excels. Observa Showa Base) in a few years hence. tions will be made on the aurora, These trips will also gather necessary noctilucence, ionosphere and terres data for a trip to the South Pole trial magnetism. These observations scheduled for the near future. will be of particular significance since 1966 will be an International ON THE HOME FRONT Quiet Sun Year when sunspots are The administration of Japanese the least active. Instruments and polar research has been re-organised devices to be used for these observa by the establishment of the Japan tions arc much more precise than Polar Research Association, which before. For example, there is a newly was officially approved by the Minis developed instrument which is capa try of Education on November 11, ble of filtering the light of the aurora 1964. The association is a private, into six different colours of light and non-prolit organisation supported by continuously measuring the changes the fees of the associate members in the strength of these respective and the donations from various or lights. Hitherto, it has been possible ganisations in Japan. to separate the light of the aurora The main objects of the associa into only two colours. tion are research in the polar regions, (2) In the field of biology, inten the development of logistics tech sive studies will be carried out on the niques and the promotion of polar lichens and planktons living under studies. The association also closely the Antarctic ice fields. For these collaborates with the Japanese Ant studies, the mobile observation arctic Research Expedition. Inter rooms will be used. These rooms will national co-operation in polar be transported to regions where pen research and the exploitation of the guins live and extensive observations polar regions is another interest of will be made of the districts. the association. Another feature of the expedition's The association is managed by a research is that all meteorological board of governors consisting of observations to be made at Showa thirteen members and a Board of Base will be completely automatic. Council of thirty members. All the With the installation of a modern members are representatives from meteorological observation device, both governmental and private or the temperature, humidity, atmos ganisations. pheric pressure, wind velocity and The association publishes an illus direction at the base will be recorded trated journal, Kyokuchi (Polar automatically and continuously. News), twice a year. The first issue Particularly noteworthy is the elec was published in August 1965 and June, 1966 the second one in March this year. The journal is distributed to all the WHALING FINISHED? associate members and many other Early reports of whaling catch organisations. figures for the 1965-66 season indi cate a further drop in both the num The head office is located at Shoko- ber of whales caught and the pro Kaikan, No. 1, Sannen-cho. Chiyoda- duction of whale oil. ku, Tokyo. United Press International report Dr. Seiji Kaya, chairman of the ed on April 8 that the two Norwe Board of Governors, is ex-president gian expeditions had produced and professor Emeritus of the Uni 98,490 barrels of whale and sperm versity of Tokyo, ex-chairman, Na oil by March 19 compared with tional Antarctic Committee and the 124,650 barrels at the same time in Science Council of Japan. The execu the previous season. Another report tive secretaries are Dr. Masashi states that the total catch for the Miyadi, secretary, National Antarctic season to March 26 was "almost half" Committee, and Dr. Tetsuya Torii, that of the previous year. 3,944 blue professor of Chiba Institute of Tech whale units were taken compared nology and secretary, National Ant with 6,864 units in 1964-65. The sea arctic Committee. son did not end until April 8 and Among the members are Dr. Take Japan had already reached her per shi Nagata, professor of University mitted quota two weeks earlier, but of Tokyo and secretary, National because of a reputedly poor Norwe Antarctic Committee, Mr. Masayoshi gian catch it is expected that the Murayama, chief, the Second Polar final overall figures will fall short Section, National Science Museum, of the combined quota of 4,500 blue and secretary, National Antarctic whale units. Committee, and Dr. Kou Kusunoki, The Japan Fisheries Agency is re chief, the First Polar Section, Na ported as stating that Russia ex tional Science Museum, and member, ceeded its agreed 1965-66 quota by 2 National Antarctic Committee. per cent with a catch of 920 whales. The industry is obviously threat FOOD FOR WHALERS ened with extinction and it would not be surprising if the world catch limit is still further reduced for the next season by the International Whaling Commission, perhaps to be tween 2,500 and 3,000 blue whale and chasers, of the fleet. units. In 1954-55 the permissible An urgent order went out at 2.30 catch was 15,500 blue whale units. p.m. on Saturday for nearly 100 tons One world whaling expert looking of fresh vegetables. Monday is back reminds us of the catastrophic usually a quiet day, but market- fall in the catch of the main species gardeners in the Wairarapa and between 1930-31 and 1964-65. Manawatu areas worked from dawn till dusk in order to have the cases 1930-31 1964-65 Blue Whales 22 ready for the trucks which were on 39,410 the road early on this particular Fin backs 10,017 7,380 Monday morning heading for the JUST HOW BIG IS THE ship. ANTARCTIC? Among the goods supplied were: The sub-glacial relief map of An 16 Vi tons of apples tarctica to be included in the Rus 2 tons of peaches sian Antarctic Atlas gives the fol lowing figures: 6,000 cases of lettuces Area: 13,996,000 square kilometres. 10 tons of saveloys and This corresponds to 25 countries the size of France. If the ice-shelves 750,000 eggs. are excluded, but islands over 500m This big order is estimated to be in height are included, the figure worth in the vicinity of £10,000. is 12,579,000 km5. June, 1966

BELGIAN-DUTCH EXPEDITION SOR RONDANE MOUNTAINS THE GOAL FOR AUTUMN TREK The most important news from the Belgian-Dutch Expedition based on Base Roi Baudouin tells of the successful completion of a journey into the Sor Rondane Mountains. The Sor Rondane mountains form On March 19 the party left Sma an irregular escarpment assumed to legga for the eastern portion of the be the front of the Polar Plateau Sor Rondane. For this purpose the about 200 miles inland from the team separated into two sections. Princess Ragnhild Coast, which lies This part of the programme occupied between 20° 30' E and 34° E, south 23 days and the party re-assembled of Africa. They were discovered from at Smalegga on April 11. the air by a Norwegian flight in 1937, Already the temperatures were and mapped from the air by planes low, and very strong winds were of the U.S. Operation Highjump in being encountered. 1947. They stretch almost 250 miles On April 11 the team again left from east to west. Smalegga for the western part of the The mountains were first visited range. No radio set was carried. Food by a Belgian expedition, the survey was taken for 22 days. At the return work being done by Ken Blaiklock, to Smalegga on May 8 all members the English explorer, in 1959 and of the party were in good health and 1960. spirits. Before leaving the mountains The trail party this summer was on May 18 it was planned to make led by the Base Leader, T. Van Auten- more measurements around Sma boer (geologist). The other members legga. Food was available for 45 days. of the six-man team were K. Naert ALL'S WELL AT BASE (geologist), J. P. De i. Winde n Francq and E. At Base Roi Baudouin everything is -. Gordts reported as being "O.K." Tempera teux was in tures in March were: average -12.2°C, maximum -1.6°C, minimum charge of the station in M. Van - 19.8°C, and in April average -16.9°C, Autenboer's absence. The objects of the trek were: (1) maximum -3.3°C, minimum -27°C. to set up markers to measure ice Radio communications between flow and ice thickness in the eastern Antarctica and Belgium were still part of the Sor Rondane, (2) the good on May 18 and all members of same nrnrefhire in the wpstprn nrpa and (3) geological surveys around Smalegga. The vehicles for the jour ney comprised two sno-cats, two dog- sledges and a Polaris toboggan, held GREETINGS FROM in reserve. Enough food and fuel BASE ROI BAUDOUIN were available to last several months. A greeting card has been received by the Editor from the Belgian- party, 1965-66. Dutch base in the Antarctic. It bears TREK STORY the manuscript message — The trail party left the Roi Bau Best wishes to the Editor and douin Base on March 4 and arrived readers of "Antarctic" magazine at Smalegga on March 10 after a of ALL expeditions and is signed foodi.oi trip.Baudouin Radio were contacts quite with satisfac Base T. Van Autenboer tory. Mr. Autenboer is the leader of the June, 1966 MISHAPS HINDER SOUTH AFRICAN FIELD WORK Members of the Sanae 7 expedi next summer field party will have tion received intensive training in its work cut out to complete the physical fitness, fire fighting and programme as scheduled. cooking in Pretoria before leaving As far as the other programmes for the Antarctic. This training spell are concerned good progress has was calculated not only to prepare been reported. It is anticipated that the expedition for the hazards which no serious problems will be en might be encountered but also to countered and that the programmes iron out any difficulties in regard to will be completed. Since the arrival personality conflicts. of the expedition some 50,000 groups The success of this training spell of data have been transmitted to can be measured against the per the Republic for processing. formance of previous expeditions. It was possible for the summer geo The expedition is maintaining its logical field party of Sanae 7 to excellent spirit. Some men are busy leave the base some 14 days earlier building models whilst others are than any previous expedition. Where re-arranging the base. The books time is of the essence as far as geo in the library have been removed logical survey is concerned an extra to the dining room. This has im fourteen days in the field is a hand proved the appearance of the dining some return for the hard work in room. the Republic. SANAE 8 MISHAPS AT BASE In the meantime the stage is set Unfortunately this good fortune in South Africa for the compilation was nullified by problems which of the next expedition to be known arose at the base whilst the party as Sanae 8. This expedition will be was in the field. As a result of the the last operating under the current sagging of some of the foundations five-year programme. The size of of the buildings the field party had this expedition will be the same as to return to the base to assist in the Sanae 7. The present programmes, restoration of the foundations. For viz. Aurora, Airglow, Cosmic Rays, tunately the problem was solved in Geodesy and Cartography, Geology, good time and all is now well at the Geomagnetism, Gravity and Field base. It is reported that the base is Geomagnetic Observations. Iono now in a reasonably good condition. sphere, Medical Research. Meteoro logy and Seismology, will be con AND IN THE FIELD tinued. A major mechanical fault to one The expedition will once again of the muskegs in the field further assemble in Pretoria for a three- hampered the geological survey pro week period to undergo an intensive gramme. The net result of these training in physical fitness, fire fight major breakdowns seriously disrup ing and cooking. Every member of ted the progress of the geological the South African expedition is re programme. In consequence the quired to cook at some stage or other. This obviates the necessity 1966 Expedition. The envelope is to employ a full time cook. Cooking postmarked BASE ROI BAUDOUIN, is an excellent outlet for excessive ANTARCTICA, and bears the date energy and provides the members 15-2-66. with scope for improvisation and The Belgian Expedition Office in mental recreation. Brussels has been asked to radio A major change is intimated in greetings to Mr. Van Autenboer and the organisation of South African his 17 companions on our readers' Antarctic activities. Previously, all behalf. matters relating to Antarctic explora- June. 1966 All set for the winter at British Antarctic Bases It will be recalled that the British Antarctic Survey reported in our last issue that ice conditions had been unusually good for ship movements, and that change-overs had been speedy and relatively without trouble. The Survey reported again on May was postponed last year. To back up 19. the remaining De Havilland Otter the Events for the first half of the Survey is now to get a Pilatus Porter summer season were described in the single-engined, turbo-prop STOL last report. Ice conditions continued aeroplane from Switzerland. In due to remain favourable with the result course the Otter will be phased out that the ships completed a full pro and Skyvans phased in one at a time. gramme. Using Decca Hi-fix, the Next year it will be necessary com "John Biscoe" achieved over 600 pletely to rebuild the station at square miles of soundings in Mar Halley Bay, the existing area having guerite Bay. This is a major contri become saturated with buildings and bution to navigation in an area where installations at various levels from the charts have hitherto been inade the surface down to a depth of 50 ft. quate. Moreover, the present site has moved All the bases were replenished and a distance of y/i miles since it was have now settled down for the win first occupied in 1956. A design study ter. The remaining field party at the for the new base has been completed Heimfrontfjella returned to Halley and financial approval received to go Bay in March and a subsequent jour ahead. ney was made to recover a tractor Welcoming home 16 men returning abandoned earlier in the season. In from Halley Bay on March 18, Sir the South Shetlands the summer Vivian Fuchs, Director of the Survey, geomorphological survey party suc said that the new base would include ceeded in attaining all their objec living quarters, laboratories, and an tives and have brought back a wealth electricity generating building. of material to the U.K. for study and This season the men at Halley Bay eventual publication. There is no news yet about the completed a three-year survey of the Tottanfjella range of mountains dis field performance of the two Inter covered in 1956. national BTD-8 crawler tractors sent to Halley Bay this season. They are APPROACHING HALLEY BAY proving extremely useful about base, Ice cliffs rising 90 ft. from the sea having a vastly greater snow shovel are the first view of the continent oi ling capacity than the Bombardier Antarctica seen by the teams of scien Muskegs. tists travelling to the base at Halley Mainly on account of the cost, the Bay. The men must now travel inland purchase of Short Skyvan aeroplanes from these icy cliffs up a snow slope ("which is quite a problem in itself," tion and research, apart from purely says Sir Vivian Fuchs) and then scientific research, were handled by across the level surface of the float the Weather Bureau, a division of ing ice shelf to the base. the Department of Transport. All they see of it as they approach This work will be attended to in is a dome-shaped mass of snow about future by the Antarctic Section of three-quarters of a mile across, with the General Division of the Depart radio aerials, chimneys and exhaust ment of Transport, Private Bag 193, pipes for generators standing up Pretoria. from it. Year by year since the first June, 1966 buildings were put up ten years ago, 50 YEARS AGO the snow has drifted over them and formed the dome. The first building In mid-winter. June, 1916 three anxious men, Joyce, Richards and Wild, were sub is now some 50 ft. below the surface sisting as best they could in the bare, bleak and others 30 ft. old hut at Hut Point, McMurdo Sound, until it should be possible to cross the 15 miles "The lowest one," said Sir Vivian of sea-ice to the food and shelter of Cape Evans, where in Scott's 1911-12 hut, four of in a broadcast, "is getting badly their companions awaited their coming. The crushed by the weight of the ice and other three of the 10 marooned when "Aurora" was blown out to sea were dead. its gradual sideways movement, and Joyce's diary entries* are infrequent and we hope to build again in 1968." short. SURGERY "May 31-June 7 The Leader and Medical Officer at One wonders if it ever stops blow Signy Island, John R. Brotherhood, ing in these regions. For a fortnight states that a steward on the relief it has hardly ceased, and the worst ship "Kista Dan" had an appendix of it is that no seals have been up operation in the Chemistry Labora tory at Signy on Januarv 11. The sur geon was Dr. R. N. Lloyd, on his way "7th to 14th to be M.O. at Halley Bay, and Dr. Wind ceased on the 9th but came Brotherhood was anaesthetist. The on again in the night. Later on the patient's recovery was entirely trou 10th Vi moon about midday heard ble free. barking, went outside and found "SHACKLETON" Gunner and Towser had Oscar down, so had to go in and part them which The R.R.S. "Shackleton" returned was a contract. Eventually brought to Southampton on May 13. It was Oscar in the hut and examined him her sixth voyage under the command and found him badly mauled, so had of New Zealand-born Captain David to put 12 stitches in his back after Turnbull. which tied up Towser and Gunner. During the season, it was reported, Oscar disappeared and we searched "the remains of a petrified forest everywhere for him but could not were found in the South Shetlands". locate him. Eventually he turned up three days after. I brought him in the hut and fed him up. I think he ANTARCTIC TOUR will get over it. . . . Wild and I went "There is a possibility of the Ant- to the North to see if sea ice is fit artic regions being visited by a to travel on. It seems in good condi party of tourists next year, Messrs. tion about 10 inches thick. So Thos. Cook and Sons having put for weather permitting will start in a ward proposals for the despatch of day or two. a vessel to McMurdo Sound. The I took stock of our food supply. If trip, it is estimated, will take fifty no seals show up we have sufficient days, and it is intended that the fuel (blubber) to last 10 days if we vessel should leave some New Zea use same sparingly. land port about the end of the year, so as to arrive at the Antarctic in "14th to 21st mid-summer. Already some members Blizzard sprang up again and con of the New Zealand Parliament, a tinued for the whole week, through number of ladies, and several gentle this we shall have to stay here until men interested in scientific matters, next moon the 15th of July. Our salt have made enquiries about the trip, supply ran out which makes the seal which, it is likely, will include a meat very unpalatable. Wild was visit to the Sub-Antarctic islands of reading a book called (The Term of the Dominion". His Natural Life) and a passage The Press, Christchurch, * From his own "transcript" written at the time "for Richards and Cope". In the Turn- November 4, 1910. bull Library, Wellington, N.Z. rs\>v

June, 1966

Flight to Chilean Base The comparative nearness of the bases on the Antarctic Peninsula to populous areas is highlighted by a report in El Mercurio of Santiago from a correspondent of that newspaper who recently flew in a Gruman 569 plane from Quintero Station in Chile to Pedro Aquirre Cerda Base in the Antarctic. Taking off a little before midday in quick succession Livingstone and flying at 130 m.p.h., the aircraft Island, and Pendulum Cove on Port was over Admiralty Bay 50 minutes Foster, Deception Island, touching later. At 3.46 p.m. it was only 150 down off the Air Force's Pedro miles from Livingstone Island. At Aguirre Cerda Base at approximately 4.50 Snow Island was sighted; then 5 p.m., less than five hours after leaving Chile. The corresponding flight from New Zealand to Mc came in of a convict making salt out Murdo Sound takes about eight of salt water. Wc tried same by hours, and then there is a sea-ice and taking the snow from the top of the land journey of two or three miles ice, and then boiling down same in to Scott Base. the cooker, extracted a pound and half of salt,, so our salt supply is Pedro Aguirre Cerda, established in 1955, is the principal Chilean Ant alright. . . . arctic meteorological station. In We lost Con for a few hours as addition to the usual observations we have been out all day looking for and forecasts, special investigations seals. Richy and Wild going about are made into air current move 11 miles to the West and South. We ments, frontal situations, aeronauti heard barking about 4 in the morn cal phenomena, ice formations, etc. ing and I went out and saw a strange In collaboration with the United dog. I brought him into the hut and States National Commission on found it was Con. Now Con is a beautiful white dog, but he was red all over and not a sign of white. This and supplies, a modern observatory was great news to us as we knew he of atmospheric radio activity has had been at a seal. We took him out been established. and he led us to the seal which was quite dead. So we had another 5 days' The correspondent describes the fuel. Tomorrow is the shortest day base as being "the most modern and then we will look forward to the and comfortable Chilean base in sun returning. Antarctica". He was welcomed by don Roberto Stange, Base Com "21st to 28th mandant, and his deputy, Captain It seems strange that this con Donaldo Suarez, who informed him tinual wind will never cease. It keeps that from the inauguration of the the seals down and we have not seen weather centre and the despatch of one since Con killed one on the 10th. the first report on January 18, be We have been without food for 2 tween 2,500 and 3,000 reports had days. If we cannot get out tomorrow been forwarded to the American con and find seals we shall have to chop tinent. up part of the hut as the tempera The take-off of the aircraft from tures are so low and our clothes and Port Foster was difficult because of sleeping bags so thin we shall have strong winds but otherwise the flight to trust in Provi." home was uneventful. On July 15 with the full moon they made the crossing to Cape Evans, where there was more food and sheiter — of a sort. On January 10, 1917, the "Aurora" arrived and the seven NOW AVAILABLE survivors were rescued. It was a year and eight months since they had been left to fend INDEX, VOL. 3 for themselves, with the "Aurora", they felt sure, sunk with all hands. PRICE 3/- June, 1966 BETWEEN THE SEASONAL RUSHES AT U.S. STATIONS This is the Season of Quiet in Ant Aires-Christchurch and Christchurch- arctica as continuing darkness re Honolulu legs, though it failed bv duces activity and prevents all nearly six hours to match the round- contact with the outside world save the-world flight record. Its total fly by radio. Not that activity ceases in ing time was 51 hours 20 minutes. wintering-over Antarctica, however Yet another water-producing plant little news may break through the is in operation at McMurdo Station, Pitch-black Curtain. which a year before began to use fresh water from a sea-water distilla POLE JUNCTION tion plant. In April, after a three-dav The stations that are now enjoying operational test, the water condensed the uninterrupted peace of the long from the nuclear power plant's steam night may well need this spell, to was also "on tap". recover from the ceaseless comings and goings of the summer season. At THE LOW DOWN the South Pole Station, for instance, South Pole Station's coldest dav in the last season an unprecedented this winter was still quite torrid number of visitors called. Personnel when compared with the record low en route to the Plateau Station of -113° enjoyed last winter. This paused at the South Pole for time, if year's effort was a mere - 96° "in the not to breathe, at least to learn how red". to breathe in the rarified atmosphere A record low temperature for Ant ahead of them; similarly, aircraft arctica (and therefore for the world) supporting the Queen Maud Land is expected to be made this winter at traverse, as well as the Plateau the new American Plateau Station. Station construction, staged through Because of a temperature of -100 F the South Pole; and in addition to recorded at the station on April 4, these more routine arrivals, South scientists are anticipating that the Pole acted as host to two groups of temperature will fall below the Argentinians. In early November, 14 record—127°F recorded at Vostok men in three aircraft boosted the on August 20, 1960. Pole station's population to 52, some By contrast, at Palmer Station on two and a half times its normal the Antarctic Peninsula, the lowest winter complement, for a week, with temperature during the same week four Argentinians and two aircraft was 22° above freezing point. remaining nearly a month. In Decem Eights Station has closed down, ber, the Argentine appeared again most of its scientific equipment being when a party of ten Armv men transferred to the new Plateau reached the South Pole, from General Station. Belgrano Base, and paused awhile to The Support Force too is in retire repair and service their Sno-Cats. ment until the sun reappears, giving Passing over, if not through, the it time to lick its wounds and recover South Pole during November was a from the frenzied activity that accompanies each Deep Freeze. Yet Boeing 707 on a private scientific another challenge this last season flight which took it from Honolulu was the huge iceberg (Antarctic, to London, via the North Pole, and March 1966, p. 259) which in block from Buenos Aires to Christchurch, ing the sea passage into McMurdo, New Zealand, via the South Pole. blocked the passage of vital supplies of aviation fuel for air services in This aircraft, in a total of 62XA hours, the Antarctic. U.S.N.S. "Alatna" broke the speed records prevailing arrived off McMurdo on December 13 for the Honolulu-London, Buenos (coincidentally for the superstitious) June, 1966

to find the way to Hut Point blocked "ELTANIN" by one of the two huge ice floes already reported, and it was not until NEW ZEALAND CO-OPERATES December 19 after U.S.S. "Glacier" had succeeded in splitting the fast- New Zealand interest in the work jammed floe that "Alatna ' was able of the United States Antarctic re to reach Elliott Quay and discharge search vessel "Eltanin" will be fur her jet fuel. That very day, VX-6's ther stimulated this year through LC-130F flights had been suspended, the plans which have been made for for want of fuel. Shortly afterwards, New Zealand scientists to work on N.Z's H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" board and for extensive oceano- brought further supplies of aviation graphical work to be carried out in gasolene for the helicopters and pro the off-shore areas of New Zealand. peller aircraft. On May 18 the "Eltanin" research TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING team began magnetic and seismic profiles and ocean bottom coring Despite the huge strides made in along the line 48° S, 167° W to 39.5° S, the mapping of the Antarctic con 178.5° W on the voyage from Val tinent, the U.S. Geological Survey paraiso to Auckland. On board was still has long-range plans for further Peter Harper of the Dominion photographic activities. Two advisory Museum, Wellington, an ornitholo groups in the U.S. continuously re gist, who was completing his fifth view current and possible work — cruise on the research ship. As the the Technical Advisory Committee on course set passed just north and east Antarctic Mapping (TACAM), an offi of the Chatham Islands, crossing the cial inter-agency committee of the sub-tropic convergence, full oceano Federal Government, and the Panel graphic stations were taken. The on Geodesy and Cartography of the vessel was due to arrive at Auckland National Academy of Sciences' Com on May 30 for dry-docking and over mittee on Polar Research. A three- haul. stage plan has been put forward for future activities, providing the Imme On July 6 "Eltanin" will leave for diate Plan, using presently available Valparaiso, Chile, returning to New Zealand to berth at Wellington in late aircraft and photographic equip November. Cruise 26 will be a rela ment; the Interim Plan, based on the use of C-130 aircraft and more tively short one in local New Zealand elaborate photographic and naviga waters, commencing about December tional equipment; and the Long- 1. On this cruise two New Zealand scientists are expected to assist in Range Plan, recognising the feasi the planned geophysical programme. bility of more advanced aircraft and Gravity and magnetic results, details equipment, photographic, electronic from the seismic profiler and the navigational and data-gathering, within the next few years. The value precision depth recorder, etc., from of space photography for Antarctic the work on forthcoming cruises will be made available to them and the mapping has alreadv been proved cruise will be planned as far as pos (Antarctic, March 1966, p. 253), and sible to meet New Zealand require plans for the future include the use of satellites and manned orbital ments. flights. Cruise 27 will be a two-month cruise to the Ross Sea. INTERNATIONAL MEETING Antarctic scientific matters will be Amongst the scientists at work the subject of two international aboard U.S.N.S. "Eltanin" on her last meetings planned for this year. Both cruise this season, two must have will be held in Santiago, Chile, where stood out amidst the crowd of men. a Symposium on Physical and Bio They are Mesdames Kenneth W. logical Oceanography of Antarctic Walls and Spencer Defoor, National waters is planned for September, and Science Foundation bacteriologists, the ninth meeting of SCAR later that who have been studying the micro month. organisms in the Antarctic Ocean June, 1966 that decompose matter as it sinks to AT "CHI-CHI" the ocean bottom. "Anything we can Christchurch, New Zealand, said learn about matter in nature can farewell to the last flight of the Ant have potential application in other arctic season in mid-March, when situations," said Dr. Walls. some 25 U.S. servicemen and their Biological specimens gathered by dependants left New Zealand for U.S. expeditions into southern waters home. Eight officers and 33 men will will be identified and preserved at an remain in Christchurch to man essen Antarctic Centre, in the oceanogra tial services at the airport base. phic division of the Smithsonian Some 40 New Zealand girls married Institution. Preliminary listing of into the U.S. ranks during the season. specimens has already taken place. The expenditure by the Support Force in New Zealand during the FOREIGN EXCHANGE season was about one million dollars, REPRESENTATIVES most of it in Christchurch. The total Seven countries accepted U.S. in cost of the entire support operation, vitations to observe operations in including hire of ships and aircraft, the Antarctic in the last season. for the 1965-66 season was $7,000,000. Representatives from Australia (Mr. John Bechervaise), Argentina (Cap SUMMING IT UP tain Enrique Ferrari, Argentine Air Looking back on the United States Force), Belgium (the Hon. Alfred van operation for the season in an ad der Essen, Director, Ministry of dress to the Canterbury branch of Foreign Affairs), Chile (Mr. Victor the N.Z. Antarctic Society on March Dezerega, Chilean Antarctic Insti 14, Rear-Admiral Bakutis said that tute), Japan (Mr. Shunichi Nomi- apart from the tragic aircraft acci yama, First Secretary of the Japanese dent in which six men lost their Embassy in New Zealand), South lives when a DC-3 crashed on the Africa (the Hon. J. S. F. Botha, South Ross Ice Shelf, the only unsuccessful African Minister to the U.S.), and aspect of the operation had been the Great Britain (Mr. L. M. Forbes of failure to accomplish more than 40 the Scott Polar Research Institute) per cent, of the photo-mapping pro reached McMurdo Sound in Novem gramme. It was hoped, he said, that ber (Mr. Bechervaise in October) next season messages from the Esso and returned to Washington on De II satellite received at McMurdo cember 2, after visiting stations and would eliminate many fruitless inspecting concerns in which each flights by giving pictures of those representative had especial interest. areas covered by cloud. The United States nominated only one person to join a foreign expedi "By and large," he said, "we accom tion under the exchange programme plished more than we thought we — Ltjg. F. R. Myers of the U.S. Naval would. Among the most significant operations was the outstanding air Oceanographic Office, who left Wash lift accomplished by our Hercules ington in December to join the Bel gian Antarctic expedition. aircraft." They had flown 4,427 hours Aboard U.S.N.S. "Eltanin" was a during the five months of operation. New Zealand ornithologist from the This represented 221 hours a month Dominion Observatory conducting a for aircraft, or an average of 74 hours research programme, while McMurdo flying each day. Station was host also to Dr. Igor Zotikov, a U.S.S.R. exchange scien tist; to Dr. Roland Souchez a geolo The effects of six months' isolation gist from the University of Brussels at the South Pole Station, a project who joined a University of Massa carried out by the U.S. in 1958, were chusetts party working near Mount the subject of a TV programme Bastion; and to Dr. Tetsuya Torii shown recently in Australia. The film, and members of his field party while prepared by Ed Remington, one of they prepared for their work in the the scientific guinea-pigs for the pro Dry Valleys. ject, is a half-hour programme. June, 1966

NEW JOURNAL OVER BOTH POLES A new publication, the Antarctic Details are now to hand of the Journal of the United States, made record-making commercially-spon its first appearance recently, the sored flight by Boeing 707-320C "Fly logical next-step in the re-organisa ing Tiger" jet aircraft last November tion of American Antarctic activities. round the world, passing over both Where, in the past, two monthly North and South Poles en route. We journals were presented, one the are indebted to Ice Cap News, Polar Bulletin of the U.S. Antarctic Pro Times, and the Press (Christchurch) jects Officer, the other the National for this information. Science Foundation's Antarctic Re The Rockwell Polar Flight, so- named after its chief sponsor, began lished by the Office of Antarctic Pro at Honolulu at 1944 hours on Novem grams, N.S.F. and the U.S. Naval ber 14. The plane, named "Pole Cat" Support Force, Antarctica, on a bi for the flight, flew over the North monthly basis, to provide "a common Pole, refuelled at London, Lisbon and outlet for information on the logistic Buenos Aires, made several passes and scientific aspects of the national over the South Pole and refuelled at effort". Though its news-impact is Christchurch before flying on to less immediate, the new journal is Honolulu, which was reached at 1025 able to supply far more background hours on November 17. The actual material. flying time for the 27,000 miles was In the first issue of the Antarctic 51 hours 29 minutes. Journal is an article on the organisa tional developments in the U.S. Ant The plane carried five pilots, arctic Program. 1954-65, by Henrv M. headed by Captain J. L. Martin, three Dater, Staff Historian to the U.S. Naval Support Force in that area. flight engineers, three navigators, In conclusion, Dr. Dater says: "At scientists, medical and aviation ex the time of writing, the Antarctic perts and observers, 39 men in all. Program seems to be fairlv well Most honoured passenger was 66 stabilised both organisationally and years old Bernt Balchen, who was operationally. Currently annual cost the pilot of Byrd's "little tri-motor amounts to about $28 million of Ford" on the first flight over the which some $8 million is contributed South Pole, on November 29, 1929. by the National Science Foundation The Ford's speed was 90 m.p.h., the and the remainder by the Navy. Boeing's about 400 m.p.h. Byrd and Since . . . 1954, the United States has Balchen flew over the Pole at an expended, according to the best avail altitude of 2,000 ft., "Pole Cat" at able estimates, between $285 and $300 37,000 ft. It was Balchen's 29th flight million." over the North Pole. The return for this huge expendi Christchurch people were intensely ture has been almost entirely in the interested in the flight. The plane landed at Christchurch airport at form of scientific information, he 9.16 p.m. on November 17 and left for continues. Despite current rumours, Honolulu at 11.20. The distance from there seems no prospect of any im Buenos Aires to Christchurch across mediate economic gain from the the Pole was 6,102 nautical miles. great continent, which is, and will 4,900 special envelopes were car ried on the flight, but as the plane likely remain, the field for scientific had not been authorised to carry research only, with any Zone of In mail, each cover was subsequently accessibility, comparative or other stamped "Not carried on officially wise, already a misnomer. authorised mail flight." June. 1966

W*HM II ||

reconstruction and adaptation work ANTARCTIC STATIONS was carried out for the purpose of 6 the new task assigned to it. ALMIRANTE BROWN Work was undertaken in two 64° 53' S — 62° 53' W stages. The first of them was under Commander (RS) Federico W. Mul- Argentina's Almirante Brown Sta ler, assisted by ten men, who were tion is situated at Paradise Harbour transferred to Brown aboard the on the north-western coast of the ice-breaker "General San Martin", northern part of the Antarctic Penin and who disembarked there on sula. The station faces across De November 28, 1964. On the following Gerlache Strait towards Wiencke day the Act of Transfer of the instal Island and Anvers Island, where Bri lations to the Argentine Antarctic tish and Chilean stations respectively Institution was formalised. As the are located. station had been closed since the During the summer programme for summer of 1960-61, Captain Muller's 1950-51, the Argentine Naval Antarc work was at the start hindered bv tic Group under the command of the the great quantity of snow which then Commander Rodolfo N. Pan- had accumulated and which practi zarini, began the construction of cally covered all the buildings, onlv Almirante Brown Station. Almost the top part of some of which was fourteen days after that, April 6. showing. The men were obliged to 1951, when Antarctic activities started clear the main access tracks, then to there under the command of the commence the planned work, which then Lieutenant Antonio Vanek, the was limited to rehabilitating the locality was transformed into a main barracks and the emergencv station, under the Argentine Antarc barracks to be used as dwellings, as tic Institute. well as putting the stove, the gener The station was temporarily de ating unit, the "ham ' and emergency activated in 1961. But in the 1964-65 radio station and the freezing cham summer, on the basis of existing ber into working order. installations, personnel of the Insti tute rehabilitated the old station as The second stage commenced on a scientific post, and for this some December 25, 1964, with the arrival June, 1966 of Commodore Carlos E. Perticarari were recorded as having clear skies, and twenty-six men at Brown. They 20 per cent, of the days as partly had travelled aboard the transport cloudy, and finally 72 per cent, of the "Bahia Aguirre". The work entailed days showed the sky to be completely constructing: a dwelling house of 292 overcast. square metres area (with a dining The 1965 scientific activities were room, bunks, infirmary, kitchen, limited to the following: animal bathroom, freshwater reserve tank, biology, biochemistry, animal physi freezing chamber, larder, washroom, ology, bacteriology and mycology, in main RT station, heating boiler, and addition to complementary observa an emergency snow melter); a build tions for ecological studies, such as ing of 170 square metres area for measuring the C02 of the air, climato- laboratories (three laboratories, a logical observations, also radiation, photographic dark room, an emer nivometry, chemistry of snow and gency RT station, the office and ice, chemistry of melted water, and library of the Scientific Head, bath the condition of sea ice. room "and heating room); a building for the power plant; a 12-squarc- metre building with an ice melter FA B U L O U S J O U R N E Y ! for the production of 1,000 litres of water daily; a wooden ramp for the A few extracts from articles writ unloading of material (over which ten by passengers on the Lapataia two "Pillow" tanks with 36,000 litres Cruise and published in American of gas oil each were unloaded for newspapers, just to show O.A.E's servicing the station); and a hut for that they ain't seen nothin' yet. The the tide gauge, located on the plat tourists' did not get south of the form of the wharf. Antarctic Circle. The inauguration of the Almirante "We disputed a segment of beach Brown Scientific Station was carried with a vicious sea leopard." out on February 17, 1965, at a cere "The 'Comandante Irigoyen', two mony presided over by the Director miles away, anxiously watched the of the Argentine Antarctic Institute, pack ice for any change in wind Rear-Admiral Rodolfo N. Panzarini, direction." and in the presence of the Minister "The pack ice surrounded the ship of National Defence, Dr. Leopoldo very quickly and there was danger it Suarez, and other high-ranking would close in on us." national authorities. "The waves were 30 feet high and The station is located in a biologi everybody was made to wear life cally representative area, at Port jackets." Paraiso, on Point Proa of the Sana- "The furniture broke loose from its viron Peninsula (Antarctic Penin moorings and careered from port to sula) at 64° 53' latlitude south and starboard and back." 62° 53' longitude west, and is con "We listened to the torsion creak- structed on rock seven metres above ings amidships and to the sounds sea level. The area has a mild from below decks." climate, a mean annual temperature "If we had been delayed by three of 2°C below zero having been hours we might have foundered in recorded with an absolute maximum the gale." of 10°C below zero (recorded on Janu ary 29, 1955) and an absolute mini But 86-year-old Mrs. Sweeney de mum of 20°C below zero (recorded clared that the highlight of the most on August 9, 1958). The average wind thrilling experience of a travel- velocity is 2 metres per second packed life was "holding a penguin recorded in the period 1951-56) with in my arms, stroking his chest and 46 per cent, calm days. As regards observing him relax and even enjoy cloud cover, 8 per cent, of the days being petted". June, 1966 NEWS FROM THE SUB-ANTARCTIC HEARD ISLAND tion and habitat were investigated up to a height of 2,000 ft. (Collecting (Australia) was also done at Kerguelen.) Zoo A popular report issued by the logical work was carried out, over South Indian Ocean Expedition to limited areas through lack of time, Heard Island 1964-65 — see "Antarc between the Compton and Gotley tic" 3 (12), 4 (1, 2)—outlines the Glaciers. A census in this area indi very considerable extent of the scien cated a population increase of both tific work accomplished by an King penguins and fur seals. expedition which frankly included in Botanical collections were made at its motives the encouragement of Spit Bay, Long Beach and Green "the spirit of enterprise". Valley, and a comprehensive collec The oceanic programme on "Pata- tion of lichens on the uplands of nela" included 56 hydrology stations, South Barrier and the bluffs above 6 night surface plankton hauls, Long Beach up to 3,000 ft. At the etermination of the position of the request of the University of Canter intarctic Convergence, insect net- bury, N.Z., collections of algae and collection, twice daily synoptic obser mineral soil were made at Spit Bav, vations of weather and sea condi- Green Valley, South Barrier uplands ' >ns, whale and bird logs and the and Long Beach, both red and green ollection of sea-bottom mud for algae being found growing on melt ing snow between 2,000 and 3,000 ft. study of microcrustaceans. on South Barrier and on the upper No landing could be effected on snow-fields of the Winston Glacier. the McDonald Islands but the wes tern, northern and southern aspects The remains of the settlements of were inspected at a range of one New England sealers who occupied quarter to half a mile on two occa the islands last century were photo graphed for a U.S. historical collec sions, and the eastern aspect at a tion. greater range. Vegetation could be seen only on the largest island. (We are indebted to Major W. M. On Heard Island itself the high M. Deacock, leader, for forwarding us the attractively produced bro light was the ascent of Mawson chure from which we have extracted Peak, Big Ben, where the summit the above information. Philip Tem crater was photographed for the first ple's book on the expedition, "The time. A sudden blizzard prevented a Sea and the Snow", is to be pub closer examination. Glaciological lished by Cassels.) studies and geological collections were made at various heights and a M A C Q U A R I E I S L A N D topographical survey was made of the part of the island bounded by (Australia) Stephenson Glacier, Gotley Glacier, March was extremely busy with the sea coast on the south and the preparations for the Summer Tour ists' Farewell Ding, letter-writing and annular cliff-line of the main moun a six-day changeover. The farewell tain massif on the north. A map is concert performed by the summer being prepared. boys was a spectacle the 1966 party The major sponsored part of the will never forget, and this was pre ceded by a magnificent smorgasbord programme was the collection of tea. insects and arthropods for the B. P. Perhaps the most arduous trip Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Compre was the 20-mile sea journey to Bauer hensive collections were made under Bay for the unloading of much the supervision of New Zealander needed supplies. The first-ever Dukw Philip Temple. All types of vegeta landing was made at Caroline Cove zzwr*'

June, 1966 and materials for the new hut were powerhouse was mounted, tested and landed. A team headed off early in run in. A piggery and a footbridge across April to erect the hut. the camo stream were constructed. The biologists organised a new A barracks building at American laboratory between bouts of seal and Bay has been fitted up for the biolo penguin work. gists and for the tourists who are Weather results for the month: sure to come — some day. highest temperature 45.6°F; lowest The met. station has begun day 35.8°F; 61.2 hours of sunshine; maxi time observations as from January 8, mum wind gust 80 m.p.h.; total rain night observations as from the 21st. fall 338 points. The automatic station began func The station was almost emptied in tioning again as from January 26. the earlier part of April with field The painting of the aerial railway parties at Hurd Point, Lusitania Bay is under way. and Caroline Cove. Most hands were back at the base by the end of the KERGUELEN month, having completed their vari ous projects. (France) April departed after 27 days of The quarter January-March, mete strong to gale winds accompanied orologically speaking, has been a by 28 days of rain, eleven of which poor one, with few fine days and included snow and hail. Sun ap weaker solar radiation than usual. peared for a total of 78 hours, pro Nevertheless, the work programme ducing a highest temperature of 47°F planned for the summer was not dis and a lowest of 31°. Most of the rupted and has in general been com penguins had left the island as had pleted, viz.: the larger seals and gulls. The reconstruction of the unloading FATHER AND SON jetty; Michael Bryden, a biologist who The formation of a carburetted hydrogen station with 24 fifty- studied birds and elephant seals on cubic-metre cisterns; Macquarie Island for 15 months, returned to Australia on "Nella Dan" The re-roofing of buildings Ai and in March. With him on the relief Aii (messroom, hospital, etc.), ship was his father, Dr. W. Bryden, painting of the wind-break wall, Director of the Tasmanian Museum, and painting of the slipway; who was on the relief expedition. Dr. The completion of the big task of Bryden in 1959 was a member of the erecting the H.T. Distribution first landing party on the Oates Land Centre on the plateau; coast of the Antarctic continent. The construction of a reinforced con crete bridge over the farm drain, CROZET ISLAND and the forming of the first 50 metres of the new access track to (France) the plateau; The second wintering party at The extension of the telephone net Crozet was relieved on January 4 on work to the plateau stations; the arrival of the "Gallieni". Unload The completion of the photographic ing was carried out under excellent coverage of the archipelago with conditions in 48 hours. the exception of a few scattered All the cargo unloaded was trans reefs. ferred by the aerial railway up to the Unfortunately, weather did not permit the completion of the geode plateau where the base is situated. tic chain, as observations of the Wes All that remained piled on the land tern Island and Mt. Rafales could ing beach were fuel and the not be carried out. material for the construction of a An ornithological reconnaissance shelter for the crane. was made from the Geographical The new generating set for the Society Peninsula to Port Couvreux. June, 1966

BOUVET ISLAND by a Canterbury Philosophical Society Expedition to the islands (Norway) i n 1 9 0 7 . I t s s u r v i v a l i s d u e A report from Cape Town dated to the fact that Adams Island April 14 says: is separated by almost a mile The first human beings ever to set of sea from the main island of the foot on "the world's unfriendliest group, and that Adams Island has island" — storm-lashed Bouvet in the no introduced animals at all. In con Antarctic — are back safely from a sequence, on this remote and undis perilous adventure in which helicop turbed 20,000-acre, 2,000 ft. high, ters succeeded where boats had almost inaccessible island, animals and vegetation are much as they always failed. The isle, which belongs to Norway, were in remote time. lies 1,600 miles south of the Cape. Geologists, ornithologists and others in the seven-man Adams South African experts, with a man Island party were in undisturbed from the U.S. Weather Bureau and a territory, said Dr. Falla, expedition Norwegian geologist, found two pos leader, territory which had never sible sites for a weather station. been modified by settlement or cast Dr. Wilhelm Verwoerd was lowered aways. The main island, by contrast, for a few minutes to plant a survey had in 1848 a township of 300 people flag on an ice-covered 2,340 ft. peak. with a church and cobbled streets, He remained roped to the helicopter while he carried out the feat. One of the men who landed on CAMPBELL ISLAND Bouvet was stranded for two hours when a snow-storm prevented the (New Zealand) helicopter from reaching him. With the approach of Mid Winter's Bouvet which is five miles long and Day all are looking forward to the three miles wide, except for the wes traditional dinner and there is much tern cliffs, is covered by ice-cap with speculation as to what our chef, dangerous crevasses. The only plant Gordon Surrey, will devise to sur life is moss. pass the exceptional meals he has already provided. MARION ISLAND The weather, although maintaining the usual Campbell Island pattern of (South Africa) wet and windy, has been better than The Biological-Geological Expedi average. A surprising number of tion at Marion and Prince Edward calm days with moderate tempera Islands has completed its field work. tures, with blue skies during May, The material is being processed and allowed most Islanders to get out it is expected that an authoritative and about the hills. work will be published shortly. In the meantime the other scien Banding of the Royal Albatross is continuing at a steady rate, and to tific programmes are continuing. date 2,335 have had rings slipped on their legs. A study colony of 100 R A R E B I R D D I S C O V E R E D nests have been pegged out on the IN AUCKLAND ISLANDS St. Col ridge, and kept under obser vation by Surrey and Leigh. Earlier The southern section of last sum in the year a record number of 831 mer's Auckland Islands expedition Royals were banded by Surrey and found on the remote and almost Paull in one day. inaccessible Adams Island, the south A game of chess is being conducted ernmost island of the Auckland with Macquarie Island and is pro group, a New Zealand bird long viding much interest. Macquarie was thought to be extinct. victorious last year, but won't be so The latest rediscovery is the Auck fortunate this year. land Islands rail, a small ground- The addition of the movie projec living bird about the size of a quail. tor has done much to lighten our The rail was reported to be extinct winter isolation. June, 1966 THE READER WRITES Sidelights of Antarctic Research

Letters, preferably not longer than 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. SOUTH POLE mands would be world wide, and A TOURIST ATTRACTION sales a colossal record. Postcards giving particulars of position and surroundings, leaving Tourism is our rapidly expanding room for address and signatures, and most profitable industry. People could be on sale at the post office are anxious to visit and see unusual only. How thrilled people would be places and sights. posting cards to their friends from Recently a group of scientists re there. turned to Sydney from Antarctica, I am sure the vast number of stating it was suitable as a tourist tourists visiting New Zealand would resort. Last January a party of 57 gladly spare 24 hours to have that visitors from New York made the unequalled experience, and to relate trip. It was so successful two more it ever afterwards. trips are proposed for next season. G. W. ALLSOP. But these people were not near the Orua Bay, South Pole so had not that unique Waiuku, experience. Auckland. I am suggesting that during the months of continuous daylight, [We are happy to publish the n flights within 24 hours be above letter. Readers may be sur prised to learn that the writer is over made starting from Auckland. 90 years of age — though obviously This time would coincide with the still youthful in spirit.—Ed.] northern winter when very few tourists would be travelling. There INCENTIVES fore, could not planes be temporarily diverted for this purpose and be We re-publish without comment — more remuneratively employed? and without disclosing the country Building. All material should be concerned — these two advertise fireproof: floors, walls and roof to be ments culled by a columnist from lined with insulating material. Built the Employment columns of one of in New Zealand. Transported in sec his city's newspapers. tions. Ground floor to contain post A "Medical Officer . . . supervise office, novelty shop, snack bar, (few) medical activities, arrange and co toilets, stores, etc. Staff quarters ordinate specialised research pro upstairs, including an officer from the Weather Bureau. jects for medical officers at Antarc tic stations. Applicants must be If competitive designs were invited qualified medical practitioners with from overseas, it would create an some surgical experience." enormous amount of interest and would be an economical form of B "Ice Cream Salesman ... As our tourists' advertisement. The selected new Depot is near completion design could be shown on television invites applications from here and overseas. prospective salesmen in the and areas. Good conditions." Stamps of all denominations would The lower figure in the salary be issued. Surely they would be the bracket for A and the figure of "pos most unique ever issued, the de sible earnings" in B are the same. June, 1966

'DISCOVERY1

Of the men who sailed south with Scott on the "Discovery" in 1902, four are still alive: two in England, one in Australia and one in New Zealand. We are happy to publish the story of what these veterans, all between 85 and 95 years of age, contributed to perhaps the most significant of all Antarctic expeditions, and something of what has happened to them in the 62 years since the expedition ended. JAMES DELL J. W. DELL James W. Dell was a young Royal On Shackleton's "Quest" 1921. Navy A.B. on H.M.S. "Pembroke" when he was selected to join the bags for the sledging teams. During expedition. Scott had asked personal the autumn sledging of early 1902 the friends in the Channel Squadron to fur sleeping suits proved useless, and choose one or two men from those it was Dell who cut them up and, who volunteered. In the photograph incorporating un-used skins, con of officers and men in "The Voyage verted them into excellent sleeping of the Discovery" Dell looks a mere bags. All this meant working directly boy, standing between Crean and under Shackleton. Partly because Evans. He served throughout the they were both lovers of sailing whole period of over three years till ships, the two men had much in the ship arrived at Spithead on Sep common, and the friendship thus tember 10, 1904. formed lasted until Shackleton's Naturally enough, few of the sea- len figure to any extent individually in Scott's story. Dell, moreover, was debarred from active sledging for under Shackleton". some time. He was the expedition's Dell was one of three who helped butcher and blood-poisoning con Royds' team for the first 36 hours of tracted while cutting up a frozen their journey to Cape Crozier in seal carcass put him out of action October 1902, and was a member of for some months and necessitated Ferrar's four-man sledge party sup several operations. But Scott singles porting Armitage's pioneer journey him out for praise because of his west in 1902-3. work in training young dogs while Scott was away on his long western After leaving "Discovery" in 1904 journey in late 1903. Armitage tells he was invalided from the Navy for us that Dell was "an excellent per two years because of the injury former on the mandolin", and " a referred to above. He was married in capital boxer". May 1905, and in 1906 was able to He was also a capable sail-maker, return to complete his Navy service. and in this capacity he made food- During the war, after ferrying troops June, 1966

home from India, he was on "Swift- C. REGINALD FORD sure" off the Dardanelles, and was Ford, at the time of his engage in the Harwich flotilla from 1916 till ment by Scott a young man of 20, the end of the war. He took his R.N. was a "writer" in the Royal Navy. pension in 1921 and worked for a He tells how when he was summoned time at Lysaght's sheet-metal works to an interview some months after in Lincolnshire. his application, Scott spoke with him But Dell was not yet finished with for less than a minute and then said, the Antarctic. When Shackleton's "You'll be coming with us." On the "Endurance" left for the projected expedition he was officially designa Trans-Antarctic journey in 1914, Dell ted "ship's steward": his role on was in hospital, but when Shackleton "Discovery" would today be regarded was preparing to sail in "Quest" on as that of stores officer and secretary his last expedition of all, Dell, then He ranked as warrant-officer, and in working on the London docks, went many respects was Scott's right-hand along to have a look. He ran into man. He did all the secretarial and Shackleton, who talked him into accountancy work required. joining the expedition as electrician and bos'n. His technical knowledge was of considerable value, and Shac kleton soon raised his pay in view of his efficiency and "the growing im portance of his work". Shackleton died suddenly soon after the "Quest" reached South Georgia. Dell was one of the last men to speak to him on the evening of the night in which he died. It was Dell who sewed the body in canvas before, at Lady Shackleton's request, it was decided to burv him on South Georgia; and it was Dell who made the cross which was erected over his grave. During the later stages of the expedition Dell, now a Petty Officer, was in charge of the "sounding machine and is praised by Wild, who took over command of the expedi tion, for his work. Dell was now employed by the wealthy Gerald Lysaght, Shackleton's friend and supporter, at his home in Somersetshire, as electrical engineer to the estate. He became a close friend and confidant of Mr. Lysaght and accompanied him on travels abroad on several occasions. Lysaght beaueathed to Dell the house in which he now lives, only a few yards from "the Severn Sea". C. R. FORD He has two daughters, three grand as he was in 1902. daughters and four great-grand children. His first wife died in 1956 At the Hut Point base, Ford was and he married again in 1959. Now naturally tied by his duties rather closely to the frozen-in ship, but he 86, he is in reasonably good health, got out and about all he could. He able to garden and to do all sorts of became a keen ski-er and, as a result, useful jobs in the house when on one occasion early in 1902 was required. incapacitated for about six weeks ANTARCTIC June, 1966 by a broken leg sustained while Ford of Auckland, which was respon "running" the eastern slope of the sible for such notable buildings as Gap in a rather bad light. the Dominion Museum and Art Gal Scott pays warm tribute to the lery, the National War Memorial, the quality and value of Ford's work: Wellington Public Library and the "He soon mastered every detail of Auckland Railway Station. our stores, and kept his books with Mr. Ford early recognised the im such accuracy that I could rely im portance of earthquakes in relation plicitly on his statement." Despite to building construction in New Zea the onerous demands of his official land. In 1926 (before the Murchison duties, Ford became a valued con and Napier quakes) he published tributor to the expedition's own "Earthquakes and Building Construc book, "The South Polar Times": he tion" in which he drew attention to is represented by several paintings the danger involved in adhering to (one of the "Discovery" leaving Lyt traditional methods of construction telton) and a finely written article in a country subject to earthquakes. on the ships which have borne the He was active in his profession name "Discovery". until only a few years ago. Now 85, he He managed to get out into the field on at least one sledging journey. lives quietly in retirement with his In January 1903, when Scott was far wife at his suburban home in Point to the south with Wilson and Shac Chevalier, Auckland. kleton, and Armitage was opening up the route to the west, Ford, Dailey and Whitfield sledged a load of provi CLARENCE HARE sions as far south as Minna Bluff to C. H. Hare was not an original form a cache in case Armitage's party member of the "Discovery's" comple should return to the ship that way. ment, leaving England. When the Thev were out for nearly three ship berthed at Lyttelton, the 20-year- weeks. old New Zealander was doing office Ford earned Scott's high praise for work in a Lyttelton grocery store. his unexpected wizardry as a cook Mr. Ford came in to purchase stores when most of the ship's companv for the expedition, and the two were away at the "sawing-camp" in formed a friendship which led to a desperate attempt to free "Dis Hare being taken on "Discovery's" covery" from its icy prison: "He was strength as assistant steward for a achieving dishes of a more savoury year. nature than we had thought possible An alert and intelligent young fel with the resources at our command." low, his diary gives vivid, original and often searching comments on the achievements and vicissitudes of On the return to England Ford the voyage south. At this stage Hare wound up the financial affairs of the was Scott's personal attendant — but Scott remained a hero to his "valet", expedition. This included negotiating who recalls with pleasure that when the sale of "Discovery". He toured Scott was in Melbourne on the "Terra England with Scott, as his private Nova" in 1910, Scott asked him if he secretary. He then went to Canada to would go south with him again. study, occasionally giving lectures Hare very nearly did not return and then embarked on a highly suc from the first expedition. He was one cessful lecturing tour under the of the 12-man party which set out direction of J. C. Williamson Ltd. in soon after arrival to sledge south of Australia. Ross Island to Cape Crozier. All were He then settled in New Zealand, inexperienced and it soon became commenced practice as an architect, evident that the whole team could and became one of the partners in not possibly complete the journey. the well-known firm Gummer and So Lieut. Barne was sent back with June 1966 eight others including Hare and two dogs which had lain down on made for Castle Rock with the idea either side of him. Everybody seems of returning to "Discovery" along the to have agreed with Armitage that Hut Point peninsula. Struck by a his survival was "perfectly marvel blizzard, the party was soon in trou lous". ble, and when they got back to the Hare did more sledging later. Early ship in a sorry state, Vince and Hare in November 1902 he was with Dr. were missing. Scott wrote in his Koettlitz and Lieut. Skelton on a diary of "the calamity that had be short journey northwards on ski, fallen us in what appeared to be the certain loss of two of our comrades". looking for a penguin rookery. His engagement was only for one year, and he returned with Shackle ton and several others when the relief ship "Morning" sailed for New Zealand and England. After six months in London, Hare came home to New Zealand, worked on farms for about a year and then did office work in Wellington and Christchurch. After his marriage in 1910 he went with his wife to Melbourne. The newly-married man resisted the temptation to go south again when he met several of his old comrades on "Terra Nova". He became fore man of the repair workshops in a piano factory. After 26 years he went into a music business with a partner and, 20 years later still, retired — at 74 years of age. When his daughter and son-in-law took over a pineapple, later citrus, orchard near Brisbane some years ago, the still active Hare went with them and is today enjoying the Queensland sunshine in a pleasant countryside, a very lively 86-year-old.

FRANK PLUMLEY C. H. HARE Frank Plumley, like Dell, came to A recent portrait by A. Campbell Drury. "Discovery" from the Royal Navy. Classed as "Stoker R.N." he was in fact a Navy blacksmith, "a very i\Rl W*uvTmFM-imi clever one," says Armitage. extraordinary thing has happened." Young Hare was seen coming down He certainly did his full share of the hillside, exhausted, weak and the tough sledging. He was one of the hungry, but "in full possession of his nine under Lieut. Barne who had to faculties and quite free from frost turn back during the first attempt to reach Cape Crozier in March 1902, bite ... he must possess great and who struck trouble when a bliz stamina to have come through with zard swept over the Hut Point Penin out hurt." Dr. Wilson was amazed at sula, sent Vince to his death, and the toughness of this "by no means nearly killed Hare. Wild, Plumley, robust boy". Hare had fallen ex Vince and two others were groping hausted and lay for 36 hours covered their way down hill, they thought eventually by snow and protected by towards the ship, when suddenly June, 1966 they found themselves on the edge of Finally, Plumley was a member of Lieut. Royd's six-man party which set out in November 1903 south-east other four were the first to reach the across the Barrier. Naturally, they ship with news of the disaster. made no spectacular discoveries but In November of the same year their effort was said by Scott "to Plumley and Blissett went with Lieut. rank very high in our sledging Royds on the latter's third visit to the efforts". They returned to the ship Cape Crozier penguin colony. Each after a terribly monotonous 30 clays man in turn suffered snow-blindness "in an extremely famished state . . . and each in his turn had to lead his blinded comrades. To their delight having accomplished an exceedingly- they found "the one thing everybody fine journey". wished for," an undamaged Emperor penguin's egg. Later in the 1902-3 summer Plum ley was one of Lieut. Barne's party of four which set out on December 20 and probed south-west of Minna Bluff to discover the inlet which is now called Barne Inlet. Three weeks out they "got into a horrible place" from which they were thankful to escape alive and get back to the ship, January 30, 1903. On the return journey they had difficulty in finding a depot and were nearly two days without food. "We had tea," says Plumley, "and after drinking it we ate the tea-leaves." Plumley was a member of the 12- man party supporting Scott's great pioneer southern journey. They set out, ahead of Scott, Wilson and Shac kleton, on October 30, 1902. By Nov ember 13 all had achieved the "farthest South" record before the supporting team turned back in two sections, reaching the ship on Nov ember 22 and 23. F. PLUMLEY The following summer (1903-4) with his "Discovery" ski Plumley was in Dailey's team sup 50 years later. porting Scott's journey into the Wes tern Mountains. At Butter Point, on the far side of McMurdo Sound, A month after "Discovery's" return Plumley was chopping up frozen to England Plumley married, and the pemmican when he cut off the top couple celebrated their golden wed of his thumb. "He is quite cheerful ding in 1954. They had two sons and about it," wrote Scott in his diary, "and has been showing the frozen, three daughters and there are nine detached piece of thumb to everyone grandchildren and 14 great-grand else as an interesting curio." children. Resuming his Navy duties, This "unlucky unit" as Scott called Plumley served on the battleship it sledged as far up the Ferrar Glacier "Dreadnought" and on H.M.S. as the Solitary Rocks with the others, "Venus" on her voyage round the but the whole party had to return to the ship to renew damaged sledge- world. In a message to "Antarctic" runners and Dailey's team was not he writes: "I say with truth and asked to go out again. gratitude that New Zealand was the June, 1966 In the coldest continent are to be found the warmest human relationships

In a very fine article in the January 450 metres above sea level at the top issue of the Herald of the Soviet of a glacier. Regardless of the Academy of Sciences, Dr. M. M. weather and time of day, members Somov, who led the first Soviet I.G.Y. of the Australian expedition always Antarctic Expedition, writes of the take the trouble to meet our planes, bring up fuel using their own trans port, and if the flight stays overnight, CO-OPERATION OF SCIENTISTS hospitably invite the pilot to spend IN THE ANTARCTIC* the night at the base. Such visits often give the hosts much trouble. Dr. Somov provides an admirably The author of this article was once lucid and well balanced account of delayed on that icy dome on account the scientific research operations of of stormy weather. For two days the the eleven countries concerned, with IL-2 transport aircraft, although special reference to the value of the firmly attached with steel cables to co-operation which has been such a an ice anchor, was buffetted about striking feature of Antarctic research by a hurricane force wind. Inside its in recent years. cold fuselage, lacking the minimum Here for example is Dr. Somov's passenger comforts, fourteen men tribute to the Australians at Maw huddled together, including three son: Australian expedition members who had come up to the top of the glacier "Flights of a distance of 1,200 kilometres from Mirny to Molodezh to meet us and help supply fuel, and had become involuntary prisoners. naya Base are undertaken by Soviet The parting on the third day with pilots, and sometimes a landing has to be made at the Australian base of these manly, modest persons was most touching." Mawson, or more exactly about 10 kilometres south of it, at a height of Dr. Somov's article is illustrated by photographs several of which have an apt international flavour. He friendliest country of them all." Dur concludes: ing the First World War he was tor- "The need for mutual aid in the Antarctic occurs often, almost daily. in 1919, he has been a pensioner for In so far as there are no special 47 years. "Not bad going that, is it?" regulations or instructions governing he says. "I regard myself still only such occurrences, problems that a youngster." arise are solved on the spot quickly and effectively because they are After his retirement Plumley was solved as conscience dictates and in employed for 15 years as a black the spirit of comradeship which smith at the Gunwharf. His principal reigns now over the Antarctic con interest was now gardening and at tinent. 76 he won a competition for the best kept allotment. Now aged 91, he lives "Meanwhile the Antarctic remains with one of his daughters in Berk- the paradox of our globe; in the hamsted, Hertfordshire. A stroke most under-developed continent are some 18 months ago left his right practised the most advanced ideas side paralysed and affected his sight in the world regarding friendship between nations. In the coldest con and his hearing but his mind is as tinent are to be found the warmest clear as a bell and he delights to human relationships." recall in conversation his long past * Translation available from Antarctic Division Antarctic days. Library, 128 Feathcrston Street, Wellington. Juno, 1966 THE SEALS AT WHITE ISLAND A HYPOTHESIS ON THEIR ORIGIN by Ian Stirling*

The Weddell seal offers some RESULTS especially good characteristics for the study of individual and seasonal Two hundred and fifty-two Weddell movements. It is large and thus easy seals were tagged. Several hundred to see, unafraid of humans and thus re-sightings were made. Most seal* easy to approach and tag. and large were re-sighted around the air hoi nbers haul out on the ice, making by which they were originally taj it easy to census and check for ta^s'. Some individual seals moved up to This paper gives some preliminary six miles around the old break observations on the movements of from one day to the next. 1„_ Weddell seals from the initiation of straight line distance of these moves a three-year study of the Weddell seal is only about four miles. Other seals in McMurdo Sound. moved the same distance but over several days. These latter individuals ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS were observed on subsequent days at I am grateful to Dr. Bernard Stone intervals along the old breakout. house, Zoology Department, Canter A trip was made to the north-west bury University, Christchurch, for corner of White Island to tag seals criticism and discussion of the manu (point C, Figure 1). Eight seals were script. The Antarctic Division of the seen and six were tagged. The other D.S.I.R., Wellington, and particularly two did not come out of the water. Mr. M. M. Prebble base leader, Scott Two of the seals tagged, both sub- Base, gave excellent co-operation, adults, were found half way along without which much of this work the crack in the ice that follows the could not have been done. The United edge of White Island (point D, Figure States Navy Squadron VX-6 provided 1). One of the seals tagged, an adult transportation to and from McMurdo cow, also carried a U.S.A.R.P. tag. Sound. She was originally lagged at the I am also indebted to Mr. A. J. north-west corner of White Island ; of Antarctic Division, D.S.I.R., (point C) by G. J. Kooyman on Wellington, and Mr. G. J. Kooyman December 16, 1964. She was re-sighted of the University of Arizona for the with another cow and two pups at observations they have made and the same place by A. J. Heine on allowed me to use. December 3, 1965. By observation, the seals at White METHODS Island were much fatter than seals During January and February, 1966, observed at Scott Base, although no Weddell seals were caught and indi quantitative data were collected. vidually tagged so that it was possi ble to follow daily and seasonal DISCUSSION movements of individuals. Almost all Every spring Weddell seals migrate this work was done along the line of south into McMurdo Sound. As the the old ice breakout in McMurdo ice goes out of the Sound during the Sound (between points A and B, summer, the seals go farther south figure 1). The numbers on tags put (Smith, 1965). Individual seals I on by U.S.A.R.P. workers were observed moving during the breakout recorded. From dates and locations were seen at a series of air holes as of original tagging, information is they moved to safer regions of ice. obtained on the return of seals to Theoretically they probably navi McMurdo Sound. gate by the sun while migrating oology Department. Canterbury University. south and stop when they reach an Christchurch. impassible barrier. It seems unlikely June, 1966

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WEDDELL SEALS HAULED OUT ON THE ICE AT McMURDO SOUND. Photo: J. T. Darbv. that seals would continue to swim served on the ice shelf several miles several miles south under the ice from water (Heine, 1960; Littlepage shelf with no orientation. They might and Pearse, 1962). It seems unlikely however be attracted by rays of light that several seals could cross 16 miles shining into the water through holes of ice every year to be present at in the ice. Littlepage (1963) reported White Island, without being observed that as soon as holes were cut in the more often in the process. ice for lowering fish traps, seals There is a crack in the ice along used them for breathing holes. the edge of White Island. There are The fact that individual seals were also cracks along Black Island and observed at intervals around the Brown Island (not open this year). breakout suggests they may move Heine (1960) mentions that dead from one area to another by follow seals have been recorded on the ing air holes. However, it would not beach at Black Island. I observed be recorded if they did swim several three live seals this year along the miles under the ice at one time. cracks by the Dailey Islands. White Island is 16 miles from the On the basis of the previous in nearest open water. Thus two ques formation, it seems possible that at tions are raised: firstly, how did seals some time seals could have migrated get to White Island; and secondly, via a series of air holes along the are they now isolated? cracks from Dailey Islands to Brown Heine (1960) suggested they may Island to Black Island to White swim the total distance under the ice Island. The dead seals on Black nonstop. Littlepage (1963) pointed out it is physiologically improbable Island probably got there by the a seal could swim 16 miles nonstop. same route but for some reason were Seals have occasionally been ob unable to continue or return. Pos- psjiojdxs 3uisq jo jjnssj b sb Ajqissod jib qoiqA\ Aq poqjsui SAijBUJSjre uy Ajddns pooj Jsjjsq b SABq A"bui Asqj •qjBsp sjssSSns puBjsj sjiqM. jb sjbss sqj jo OJ U3ZOJJ JO pSAJBJS pUB JSJUIM 3qj souBJBSddB jbj A"[OAt]BJBduioo sqx Suunp jno jq3nB3 ussq SABq Abui jj •Asiunof sqj (3 juiod) puBjsj 3jiqAA jb sjbss xis jo Suijjbui sjbss jo jsquinu sqj jsujssj dnojS sqj uiojj s[iui j|Bq-suo jnoqB oj pusj pjnoM paAjoAui sspinoujip soi sqj ui jbss HsppsAA jjnpsqns puB sbsjb Suiddnd jbuuou sqj uiojj 'psunq jiBq 'pBsp b puy jsbj ui pip j [SABJJ JBUOIJippB JO ODUBJStp 3qj 'jUSp •33i sqj jo S3Bjjns sqj uo jsjuiav -IS3J jou sjb Asqj JI "uouBindod sq) sqj SAiAjns pjnos jess b jnjjqnop jiuiq abui jsjuim oqi fiuunp ssjoq si JJ -jsjbm sqj oj ujnjsj oj sjqBun gUIlJJBSjq SuiUlBJUIBUI qjlM p3AJOA oq ppiOAV A"sqj 'szojj 3[oq jib sqj pus -UI Ajjnsmip 'siusjjxs sqi" 'juspissj S3i sqj uo jno pspiBq sjbss jj "qjssj sjb A"sqj ji -sabav oa\j psuiBjdxs Jis'qj qjiM soi sqj SuimbuS Aq sjoq sq Abui jsuuuns oqi Suunp puBjsj JIB UB UIBJUIBUJ OJ SABq pjnOA\ SUJSS 3imM 1B sjbds jo jsquinu [jbuis sqx sqj jsjbm sin ui 3|iqyv\ •j3iujba\ sq SSBASJ3 b jo uiojjoq sqj pjnoA\ ji sjsqM jsjba\ sqj ui jusds ui jno [nsq oj ji a\o[ib Ajqissod puB sq pjnoM SUIIJ JSOUI 'PJ03 SUJSJJXS 'u'sdo sfoq b dssjj oj p?3s b joj jsisbs ui jB3q jo sso| sqj jo ssnBssg -ssijjns JI 35{BUI '301 JO UOIJBUIJOJ JSA\OlS -yjip 3JSA3S Jsjuno3us p[noA\ puBjsj ui jmssj jq'Siui siq'x usjuiav sqj 31!MAA 1B jsao 3uij3juia\ sjbs§ Suunp ssBjjns sqj 'jb usqj jsuijba\ •psjspis 3q pjnOA\ SSBA3J3 B qsnS UI JSASJ -uo3 sq jsnui uoijb[osi jo Ajqiqisso'd B3S JB 3JnjBJ3dlii3J JIB UB3UJ SqX sqj pus juspissj'sq A"buj uoijBihdod •J3juia\ sqj Suunp doj'sqj jb uszojj sqj jss33ns 'sdnd ujim usss ussq pUB A\OUS qjIA\ P3J3AO0 'S3SSBA3JD SABq SA\03 pUB 'JB3A l[3B3 J3JBA\JSp d33p SgjB[ JO UOIJBUIJOJ SI JUSUI -un jo puBjJ3AO 3AOUJ Asqj Ajs^qun -3Aoui 33i uiojj Suijmssj Ajijiqissod SI JI 'S3[Oq JIB UA\OU>l J3qjO JO J3JBM jsqjouy "usdo 3|oq b d33M oj djsq u'sd'o uiojj 'ssjiui [BJ3ASS sjb Asqj jq3lUIl|3iqA\JU3UI3AOUI SSI 3uijB3ipui J3BJ 3qX "SJUBPU33S3P JO SJUBjSlUI 'puBjsi 3JIIJM J° Puo JSSM-qjJoii sqj jb |bui3ijo sqj sq Abui puBjsi sjiqyvx'jB SSSpU 3JlJSS3Jd 3JB 3J3qi -JU3Ui3AOUI jusss'jd sjbss sqx "szojj sjoq jixs sqj 33i si psuiBjureui sq jqSpjj ssjoq puB S3i sqj uo jno ps|nBq Asqj Ajqis

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fessor. I quote from the Glasgow T H E V E T E R A N S Herald: "He was a legend in geo graphical circles for his independ ALEXANDER STEVENS ence of judgment and his fighting A Tribute by R. W. Richards qualities in support of it, and he was formidable in debate." After his re tirement he lectured at St. Andrews and also for a semester at John Hop Arncroach, Fife, at the age of 79. kins in U.S.A. So far as I know he was the last Toward the end of his life he gra surviving member in England of the Ross Sea section of Shackleton's dually lost the use of his eyesight. 1914—17 Transantarctic Expedition — I received an air mail flimsy from there are three survivors of the him just a few days before he died Shore Party still in Australia. on which he had scrawled as a blind person would "what a gap". He Stevens was the head of the scien was inclined to break into Gaelic tific work on the Ross Sea side. As when moved, and this referred to a things turned out little was done in serious collision my wife and I had this direction as in May 1915 the sustained — "gap" meaning some shore party found themselves mar thing like "crash" or "prang". ooned at Cape Evans until January 1917, with very meagre facilities for scientific work. During the main LARS CHRISTENSEN sledging season 1915-6 he remained Consul Lars Christcnsen died on alone at the hut at Cape Evans for December 10, 1965, while on a visit several months to maintain the con to New York. He was 81. tinuity of the meteorological records. Born into a Norwegian whaling His only return to polar regions was family, he became himself one of with the geologists Tyrrel and Camp the great men of Antarctic whaling. bell to Spitzbergen in the early twen He will also be remembered as ship ties. owner and explorer. He had a In 1919 he took charge of the De wooden sailing ship built as an Arc partment of Geography at Glasgow tic tourist ship. It was sold to University, and when the chair in Shackleton and as "Endurance" was Geography was established there in crushed in the Weddell Sea ice on 1947 Dr. Stevens was appointed pro- the ill-starred Imperial Trans-Antarc tic Expedition of 1914-16. at a lower level than in areas where During the decade 1926-1936 he seals are more abundant. sent out nine expeditions to catch whales and to claim Antarctic land SUMMARY for Norway. Bouvet Island, Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land thus The technique for studying move became Norwegian-claimed territory. ments of Weddell seals is described. The meeting in 47° E on January Only further detailed study will shed 14, 1930, between Riiser-Larsen (sent out by Lars Christensen) in "Nor- wegia", and Mawson in "Discovery", Island. as the result of which the two Gov LITERATURE CITED ernments agreed on 45° E as the de Heine. A. J.. 1960: Seals at White Island, Ant marcation line between Norwegian arctic. 2 (7): 272-3. and Australian spheres of operation, Littlepage, L. 1963: Diving behaviour of a is one of the key points in the story Weddell seal wintering in McMurdo of Antarctic exploration. Sound, Antarctica, Ecology, 44 (4): 775-7. A wealthy and influential man, Littlepage, J. L., and J. S. Pearse, 1962: Bio logical and oceanographic observations Christensen was a liberal benefactor under an antarctic ice shelf, Science 137: to his home town, Sandefjord. He 689-81. has been described as "an extremely ith, M. S. R., 1965: Seasonal movements of the Weddell seal in McMurdo Sound, balanced, harmonious and peaceful Antarctica. J. Wildl. Mgmt., 29 (3): 464-70. personality, a man of good-will". June, 1966

O. C. BRUSTAD SOUTH AFRICAN AWARD Mr. Olaf Christoffer (Alf) Brustad, Antarctic explorer, Hermitage guide The South African Antarctic Medal and North Canterbury farmer, died for 1966 has been awarded to in Christchurch in May, aged 66. MARTIN DU PREEZ Mr. Brustad was born in Norway. for his outstanding leadership and After rounding off his education in contributions towards the success of that country by being awarded a di the South African Antarctic pro ploma in agriculture he embarked on gramme. Mr. du Precz, who is 40, was a number of adventurous whaling deputy-leader of South Africa's first- expeditions to the Antarctic. He was ever Antarctic expedition in 1960, and a member of Captain C. A. Larsen's leader of the third expedition, in 1962. pioneer whaling voyage to the Ant The previous awards of the gold arctic in 1923. medal by the South African Antarctic Returning from Antarctica after a Association have been to J. J. la whaling mission, he visited The Her Grange and V. von Brunn. mitage and climbed Mount Cook. When his contract with the whal MORE STAMPS ing company ran out he returned to New Zealand in 1924, and was cm- Japan issued a well-designed com ployed as a guide at The Hermitage. memorative stamp on November 20 In 1929 he made another venture for JARE VII. to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd. Five Russian stamps bearing Arc In his latter years at The Hermit tic and Antarctic scenes have also age, Mr. Brustad was appointed chief been issued to mark the 10th anni guide. versary of Soviet participation in the In the 1930s Mr. Brustad married great "assault on the unknown" and settled down on his farm in which began with the International Waiau, North Canterbury, but still Geophysical Year. found time to climb. The most striking, commemorat He took an active part in the ing the first Antarctic atlas, displays itarctic Society, being for many a map of Antarctica, pinpointing the „ ars a member of the committee Russian bases. Others depict the of the Canterbury Branch. He was Soviet Antarctic vessel "Ob" and a respected by his Antarctic comrades Soviet over-snow vehicle. The re for his exuberant personality and ad maining two stamps show Arctic mired for his qualities of good ships. humour and unselfishness. Argentina issued a stamp on Feb He is survived by his wife. ruary 19 to commemorate the simul taneous launching of sounding G. H. ROSS rockets from two different sites 3,000 km apart, Matienzo Base (64° George Henry Ross, who died at 58' S, 60° 64' W) and a Research Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, Centre in Argentina. The design on February 15 at the age of 76, was shows a Centaur rocket beside a a fireman on Shackleton's "Quest" map of the Antarctic sector claimed in 1922. He joined the expedition, by Argentina. after Shackleton's sudden death on In connection with the issue of January 5, at South Georgia, where a number of Shetlanders were em three stamps commemorating the ployed at flensing. launching of the first French satel lites, Dumont d'Urville Base in Ade As we go to press we learn with lie Land had the honour of "first deep regret that two men of the day of sale" for the 25 and 30 franc British Antarctic Survey have lost their lives while dog sledging. stamp on March 2. The Crozet Island station had the first day of sale for the 50 franc stamp, on March 22. June, 1966 Adelie Penguin Rookeries in the Cape Hallett Region H. J. CRANFIELD*

Five previously unrecorded Adelie K. Wise and J. Shoup, of the Bishop penguin rookeries were found near Museum, Honolulu. Cape Hallett in November 1964; one on Svend Foyn Island, one just north Size of the Rookeries of Cape Cotter on Hallett Peninsula, The rookeries were visited in Nov one on Cape Wheatstone, and two ember, shortly after the penguins on the east coast of Coulman Island. had begun incubation. At this stage Previously four Adelie rookeries had in the breeding season the number been reported in the Cape Hallett of nests occupied by non-breeders region; at Possession Island (1), approximates the number deserted Cape Hallett (2), Cape Jones, and by unsuccessful breeders (8). Thus Coulman Island (3, 4). counts or assessments of occupied nests have in the past been used to Though the rookeries at Cape Hal lett (the site of Hallett Station since give an accurate measure of the 1957) and Possession Island have breeding populations. been visited many times, those at Methods of assessing the numbers Cape Jones and Coulman Island had of nests in large Adelie populations not been relocated by recent surveys have varied. Some observers have (5, 6), and their authenticity has measured or estimated the area of been questioned (7). Both these latter rookery and calculated the popula rookeries as well as the five newly tion by using an average density recorded ones were sighted in 1964 derived from another rookery. from U.S. Army helicopters trans Others have measured the area of porting American field parties. rookery and used the density in a There is remarkably little known small portion of it to estimate the of the size of Adelie rookeries in the total population. As the average den Ross Dependency (5, 7). With the sity of nests varies greatly from one exception of the Hallett rookeiy (8), rookery to another and often varies there are no accurate records of the greatly in different areas of a rook size of the rookeries in the vicinity ery as well (8), these methods were of Cape Hallett. considered unsatisfactory. However, through the courtesy of At all the larger rookeries visited, the U.S. Geological Survey, B. P. areas in which penguin colonies were equally scattered could be recog Bishop Museum teams, and a U.S. nised. Within these areas the density Army helicopter unit, I was able to visit six of the nine established of nests within the colonies was Adelie rookeries late in 1964 and found to remain uniform (cf 9). A sample of each of the defined areas assess their size. Unfavourable flying was counted and the fraction it re weather prevented me from visiting presented of the total area was de rookeries on Coulman Island. termined by eye (cf 5). From sum The breeding population of the mation of these data the total popu lation was established. Though more rookeries visited was either count subjective than the other techniques, ed or estimated. The populations of the method is considered to give a those on Coulman Island have been better estimate. estimated from descriptions pro The population estimates and vided by Dr. L. Gressitt and Messrs. rookery sites are shown in the fol * Fisheries Research Division, Wellington. lowing table and map: June, 1966

Number of Breeding Pairs in Rookery First Record November 1964 1. Possession Island Ross 1847 110,000-150,000 (ground estimation) 2. Svend Fovn Island 1964 25,000-30.000 (ground estimates) 3. Cape Hallett Bull 1896 52.430 (1964-65 census) 4. Cape Cotter 1964 40.000 50,000 (ground estimate) 5. Cape Wheatstone 1964 1.517 (actual count) 6. Cape Jones Wilson 1907 839 (actual count) 7. Coulman Island Scott 1905 1,000-2,000 (air estimate)* (Northern Rookery) 8. Coulman Island 4.000 5,000 (air estimate)* (Middle Rookery) 9. Coulman Island 8.000-10,000 (ground estimate) (Southern Rookery) TOTAL: 240.000-300,000 * Bishop Museum personnel estimates, see text.

Environment of the Rookeries may be on thick moraine, a few peri pheral nests are on bare ice. The 'ossession Coulman Island rookeries also ap Island, and Cape Hallett Adelie rook pear to be on moraine-covered ice eries are on ice-free areas of flat below areas of exposed volcanic beach spits or accessible non-glaci cliffs where the ice cliffs of the shelf ated hill slopes. The other six rook are apparently low enough to allow eries are below the eastern cliffs of penguins access. heavily glaciated Hallett and Daniel Peninsulas and Coulman Island. The cliffs of Coulman Island and Hallett Peninsula rise perpendicularly and are frequently swept by avalanches from the surmounting ice cap. In places the cliffs channel the ice fall so that it re-forms at the base in small glacial pediments. On the other hand the ice cap of Daniel Peninsula flows unbroken to the sea in most places, forming a shelf !4 to Vi mile wide with a 20 to 30 ft ice cliff at the seaward edge. The penguin rookeries of Capes Jones, Wheatstone, and Cotter are under high volcanic cliffs which pro tect them from avalanches. At Jones and Wheatstone the capes are higher than the surrounding terrain and consequently the direction of ice flow is away from the tops of their cliffs. At Cape Cotter portions of the cliff just below the summit of Mount Geoffrey Markham divert avalanches to each side of the rookery. Penguins have easy access to these rookeries from the sea, for at each of them cliff-fallen debris has formed Emperor and Adelie Penguin Rookeries of beaches. The Cape Jones rookery is the north Victoria Land coast. scattered among such debris. Those at Capes Wheatstone and Cotter are Five of the six rookeries on the on moraine-covered ice, some 50 ft east coasts of Hallett and Daniel thick at Wheatstone, and 200 ft in Peninsulas and Coulman Island are situated on moraine-covered ice, an many places at Cotter. The latter Adelie nesting habitat previ rookery is extremely densely popu ously recorded by Caughley (10), lated and though the central portions who found that a colony of June, 1966

THE N.Z. BIOLOGICAL HUT AT CAPE ROYDS Shackleton's 1907—09 hut is seen above the left end of the new hut. Erebus in the background. Photo: J. Calvert. the Northern Cape Bird rookery type of breeding area may have con was on stagnant ice with a tributed to the Adelie penguins' sur thin covering of moraine. Adelie pen vival on the Antarctic Continent in guins have also been reported nest times of heavier glaciation. ing on ice near Lazarev Station (11). Many there had deserted their deep REFERENCES 1. Ross, J. C, 1847: A Voyage of Discovery ly melted nests when they were and Research in the Southern and Ant visited early in the season and it arctic Regions during the Years 1839-1843. was assumed that all were unsuc London. cessful in raising chicks (11, 12). The 2. Bull, H. J., 1896: The Cruise of the "Antarctic" to the South Polar Regions. numbers of chicks still surviving in London. January 1965 (C. J. Robertson, pers. 3. Scott, R. F., 1905: The Voyage of the comm.) show that in the Ross Sea, "Discovery". London. at least, apparently inhospitable con 4. Wilson, E. A., 1907: Brit. Nat. Antarct. Exped. Rep., 1901-1904, Natural History, ditions are no handicap to successful 2: 1-121. breeding. 5. Austin, C L. Jnr.. 1957: Bird-Banding, 28: 1-26. Ricker (13) suggested that absence 6. Harrington. H. J., 1959: Notornis, 8: 127- of beaches along the cliffs of Coul 32. 7. Taylor, R. H., 1964: Antarctic. 3: 566-70. man Island and Hallett Peninsula 8. Reid, B. E., 1964: Rec. Dom. Mus. Wel would prevent penguins from breed lington, 5: 11-37. 9. Reid, B. E.. 1962: Notornis, 10: 98-111. ing there. The number of rookeries 10. Caughley, G., 1960: Rec. Dom. Mus. Wel subsequently discovered there and lington, 3: 266-82. their environment show that the 11. Dubrovin. L. I., 1961: Inf. Byull. Sov. Adelie penguin has a wider choice of Antarkt. Eksped., 29: 61-2. 12. Kolovalov, G. V., 1962: Sov. Ant. Exp. Inf. breeding habitat than had been Bull., 35: 156-8. thought. The successful use of this 13. Ricker, J.. 1964: Emu, 64: 21-7. ims June, 1966

ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF

A CONTINENT FOR SCIENCE by Lewis, especially in the chapters on Richard S. Lewis, London. Seeker the ice and the land beneath the and Warburg. 300 pp., ill., maps. ice, the weather, and the complex N.Z. price £2 8s. Od. of disciplines we call upper atmo This handsome volume is a gallant sphere physics, provides any intelli gent person who is prepared to fol attempt to provide the layman with low him closely with the key to an introduction to the scientific much in Antarctic activity today problems which are now the prin which would otherwise be baffling or cipal motivation for the labours of a dozen nations in the Antarctic. even incomprehensible to him. The author, an American journalist Strangely, in the chapter on bio (science writer of the Chicago Sun- logical studies he is content to write Times), would no doubt be the first like any one of a hundred visiting to dismiss the absurd claim on the journalists about the penguins and dust-cover that "A Continent for the seals and their strange habits. Science is the first definitive history Where he could have explained what of the world's last land frontier". In our biologists are still striving to fact, in the first two chapters, which learn, he gives us instead a potted are sketchily historical in nature, history of whaling and a 300-word there are several major historical or story on how he was "savaged by a penguin". Although he was at Mc feographicalIr. Lewis does, mis-statements! and does on What the Murdo he does no., appear to have whole very well, is to approach his heard about the work of our New subject where he conveniently can Zealand biologists in the area. But from a historical angle; to explain -his is only one facet of one unfor and assess the attempt by the early tunate feature of this book: read explorers — the Priestleys, the ing it one would think that 95 per Wrights, the Griffith Taylors —to cent of scientific research in Ant solve the scientific problems which arctica is carried out by Americans. confronted them, which puzzled and Anthony Gow, "a New Zealander", is often amazed them, as they first be given some attention — but he was gan to work in this strange new engaged in an American programme. world, the Antarctic. He then goes Still, Mr. Lewis's book is a valu on to explain how later and better able one. It is a praiseworthy equipped scientists grasped more attempt to help the ordinary man fully the nature of the problems and to realise what the scientists are came to a better understanding of doing in Antarctica and why "the the causes of the phenomena; and biological drive of human beings to finally he discusses the problems expand and control the physical en that still baffle us, and their signi vironment" is so important. ficance. On the whole, Mr. Lewis writes Mr. Lewis deals in successive effectively: many of his points are chapters with the Antarctic ice-cap, very lucidly and convincingly put. the land that lies beneath it, the The book is well if not always rele Gondwanaland hypothesis, the ice vantly illustrated. The numerous ages, Antarctic weather, the upper maps are strangely repetitive and atmosphere and space, the natural lacking in necessary detail. But these history of Antarctica, and the prob are minor drawbacks in a useful, lem of man in the Antarctic. Vast well conceived and well executed and complex subjects like this do book which should be widely read.— not make for easy reading, but Mr. L.B.Q. June, 1966

BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC (Bussing: "Studies of the midwater SEAS II. Antarctic Research Series, fishes of the Peru-Chile Trench"; Dil Vol. 5. American Geophysical Union. lon and Hargis: "Monogenetic tre- National Academy of Sciences — matodes from the Southern Pacific National Research Council, Publ. No. Ocean. 1. Monopisthocotyleids from 1297. George A. Llano (editor). Pp. New Zealand fishes." and "Mono- vii-1-280. 1965. Price: $12. genetic trematodes ... 2. Polyo- What do biologists do in the Ant pisthocotyleids from New Zealand arctic? fishes. . . ."). The two latter papers require special men This book provides some answers. tion since, included in a volume on Antarctic It is a significant contribution to biology, they may be overlooked by locally Antarctic literature and, indeed, to concerned workers. Bussing's report, deal ing with 100 species of fish in 31 families from marine biological literature in gen latitude 3° S to 35° S, contains the first eral for it includes two particularly published record of Astroncsthes boulengcri important reports, the one dealing Gilchrist in New Zealand, based on specimens with parasites of New Zealand fish collected by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute, and discusses many other deep- and the other with deep water fish water species found in the New Zealand off the Pacific coast of South region. This account will become increasingly America. useful as local midwaier collections are ex tended. Four new species arc described and Each of the eight papers making the known ranges of 79 species have been up the volume is based on some extended. phase of the United States Antarctic Dillon and Hargis discuss 43 species of parasitic trematodes from New Zealand fish Research Programme, parts of which and describe 16 new species, making a signi are so extensive that they include ficant addition to an interesting but little studies of the fauna of the whole known fauna in which the only recent studies have been those of Manter (1954) and Robin southern Pacific area. son (1961) in both of which the colleclion It is particularly pleasing to ob of host fishes was very localised. The authors serve an emergence from the purely do not indicate titles or extent of subsequent reports, so it must be added that the third taxonomic and descriptive papers part of this series has now been published which have characterised Antarctic in I he Proceedings of the Helminthologlcal work for so long. There is an inter Society of Washington 32 (2): 220-24, as a descripiion of Diplasiocotylc Johnston! San- esting balance here between a paper dars, 1944, a trematodc inhabiting the Yellow- setting the physical background of eyed Mullet in New Zealand and Australia. McMurdo Sound (Littlepage: Dr. George Llano has contributed "Oceanographic investigations in Mc an informative preface to the whole Murdo Sound, Antarctica") for eco volume and has done a skilful job logical and physiological studies in arranging eight very worthwhile ("Pearce: "Reproductive periodici papers into a cohesion that might ties in several contrasting popula not seem possible in view of the tions of Odontaster validus Koehler, obvious diversity of biological re a common Antarctic asteroid") search in the Antarctic. through analyses of production values of phyloplankton and descrip The Chairman and the Board of tions of the diatoms, dinoflagellates, Associate Editors believes that: "The silicoflagellates and tintinnids mak series will serve as a source of in ing up the microplankton (El-Sayed formation both for the specialist and Mandelli: "Primary production and for the layman versed in the and standing crop of phyloplankton biological and physical sciences" and in the Weddell Sea and Drake Pas I concur with this belief. Those who sage"; Baloch and El-Sayed: "Micro- want to see first-hand results of cur rent Antarctic research, if only as plankton of the Weddell Sea") and a justification for the large sums of paleoecological studies (Hays: "Ra- money involved in logistics, are com diolaria and the late Tertiary and mended to study this book which, Quaternary history of Antarctic of course, is a necessary addition to seas"), concluding with more for the shelves of research workers in mal distributional and systematic Antarctic marine biology. accounts of fishes and fish parasites —E. W. DAWSON. June, 1966

MORTALIDAD EN ANTARTIDA. J. C. M. Beltrami no. 39 pages. New Most tantalising are the first issues York 1965 (In Spanish). of a beautifully produced, well-illus- Dr. Bcltramino has compiled this strated 50-60 page magazine "Polar monograph on mortality in the Ant News", issued by the Japan Polar arctic since the end of the 19th Cen Research Association in which the tury with scrupulous care, ana his only words in English are on the conclusions deserve the close atten back cover, the "bilingual" table of tion of all those concerned with the contents and the odd word in a few organisation and oversight of Ant other places. Included in the 40 illu arctic operations. Deaths are listed strations in number 2 is a corner of with date, place and cause of death, the mess-room at Scott Base, show and with the age, employment, ex ing part of the Library and the por pedition and nationality of the de trait of Queen Elizabeth. ceased, for both summer and winter WORSLEY'S DIARY ing parties and under several other categories. Dr. Beltramino is to be Great interest was taken in the commended for this potentially very sale by Sotheby's in London on useful contribution to our knowledge March 21 of the journals and log of the hazards which have always books of the late Commander Frank threatened those who have tried to A. Worsley, Master of Shackleton's unveil the secrets of Antarctica. "Endurance" in 1914-15 and his navi gator on the subsequent boat-jour ERRATA ney from Elephant Island to South March Issue Georgia, also on the "Quest" in P. 271: Dr. R. W. Wiliett, reviewer 1922-23. cf the volume "Geology and Paleon As Worsley was a New Zealander, tology" is Director of the New Zea born at Akaroa in 1872, it was hoped land Geological Survey. that the log of the epic boat journey, P. 247: Lines 9, 8 and 7 from foot as well as sketches, a map of S. should read: Georgia drawn by Worsley, and 50 "We got 20 fish in the leopard's lantern slides, would come to this stomach and we are having them for country, but a valiant bid by the breakfast tomorrow." Turnbull Library was insufficient to P. 225: Mr. R. Kirk's primary con head off determined opposition and cern was with climate and micro the log remains in England. The climate, not specifically with bio Turnbull did secure an Arctic jour logy. nal ; and some other minor lots went to Australia. ARE WE TOO MODEST? From a 1,000-word review (by "DISCOVERY" DAYS George A. Llano) of SOUTH by Bill As consolation, the Turnbull has ing and Mannering in the latest issue acquired a valuable gift, the diary of Arctic, the journal of the Arctic written on the "Discovery" in 1902 Institute of North America: "... the writers have succeeded by Mr. C. H. Hare, New Zealand in producing 84 pages of text without born and now of Queensland. Hare mention of the names of the many was an observant and thoughtful very personable, highly individualis young man and his diary is a very tic, and very able young New Zealand valuable "mess deck" complement chaps whose activities nave made the New Zealand research programme to the ward-room viewpoint ex the success it has proven to oe. One pressed in the published books by glimpses their spirit among the koda- Scott, Armitage and Bernacchi. The chromes." Turnbull Librarian, Mr. A. G. Bag- SOUTH is described as "an excep tionally good story" and "a very nail, refers to the Diary as "one of effective record of New Zealand's the most significant accessions in its scientific accomplishments in polar field for many years". research". The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a group of New Zealanders, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. You are invited to become a member. The membership fee includes subscription to "Antarctic."

BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: W. J. P. Macdonald, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: Mrs. E. F. Cross, 34 Clissold St., Christchurch 1.

"ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society, £1. Apply to the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand. OUT OF PRINT Volume 1, numbers 1 and 9; Volume 2, numbers 3, 4, 7, 8, 9; Volume 3, numbers 5, 7. are OUT OF PRINT. Some others are in very short supply. Copies of available issues may be obtained from the Secretary of the Society, Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 5/- per copy. Indexes for volumes 1, 2 and 3 are also available: 1 and 2, 2/6 each; 3, 3/-. Copies of our predecessor, the Antarctic News Bulletin, are available at 4/- per copy, except for numbers 9, 11 and 18. The copies of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 are authorised reprints.

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

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