JttfUKTffi ANTARCTIC PENINSULA fjO 0 100 km < A J ( > 9 i g o m t s 1 Comandante Ferraz brazh 2 Henry Arctowski polano 3 Teniente Jubany Argentina 4 Artigas uruouay 5 Teniente Rodolfo Marsh emu Bellingshausen ussr Great Wall cmka 6 Capitan Arturo Prat owe 7 General Bernardo O'Kiggins emu 6 Esperanza aroentine 9 Vice Comodoro Marambio aroentina 10 Palmer usa SOUTH 11 Faraday ux 12 Rothera w SHETLAND 13 Teniente Carvajal chile 14 General San Martin Argentina ISLANDS 100 km NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY MAP COPYRIGHT ANTARCTIC (successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin) Vol. 11 No. 12 Issue 132 Contents ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the Polar Activities New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., 1978. New Zealand 454, 479 Australia 459, 479 ISSN 0003-5327 India 464 Editor: Robin Ormerod Italy 463 South Korea 461 Please address all editorial inquiries, con United Kingdom 467 tributions etc to the Editor, P.O. Box 2110, United States 475 Wellington, New Zealand. Telephone: (04) 791-226 International: + 64-4-791-226 Sub-Antarctic Fax: (04) 791185 Heard Island 480 International + 64-4-791-185 General All administrative inquiries should go to Bulletin "Co-ordinator", P.O. Box 1223, Books and Videos 498 Christchurch. Greenpeace 492 Messner and Fuchs 495 Back and missing issues, P.O. Box 1223, Trans-Antarctic Crossing 482 Christchurch. Women's Expedition 497 Publication date: March 21, 1990 © No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the publishers. Cover: Dr Alan Shepherd of Chemistry Divi sion, DSIR, Wellington measuring mercury from snow samples as part of the New Zealand Ant arctic Research Programme. Photo: Chris Rudge, Antarctic Division, DSIR, Christchurch. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic Heritage Trust First stage of restoration of Borchgrevink's surviving hut at Cape Adare completed Four men have completed preliminary restoration work on one of two huts at Cape Adare in which Borchgrevink and his party of nine spent the first winter on the Antarctic continent in 1899. The programme was one of two being undertaken this season by the Antarctic Heritage Trust; the other completing work on the roof of Scott's hut at Cape Evans began last summer, check up on the structure of Cape Royds and Discovery Huts, locating, appraising and securing relics and "vacuum cleaning" the huts for the first time ever. Led by David Harrowfield of Christchurch supplies for a year, scientific equipment and the party visiting Cape Adare comprised 75 dogs, the Southern Cross departed on Gerry Turner, Deputy Chief Surveyor of the March 1 leaving the winter party under Department of Survey and Land Information Borchgrevink's command. in Auckland and Russell Skerton, a carpenter The party was made up of Louis C. from Christchurch. They were assisted by Bernacchi, 24-year-old Tasmanian Peter Selwyn, recently retired as a senior astronomer and physicist; Sub-Lieutenant technical officer from the Chemistry William Colbeck RNR, a 28-year-old Department, University of Auckland, who cartographer and magnetic observer; Hugh was measuring mercury levels in the air as part Blackwall Evans, 24-year-old Englishman and of an Auckland University research project. assistant zoologist; Nicolai Hanson, a 28-year- The wintering party of Borchgrevink's old Norwegian zoologist; Herluf Kloustad "British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900" M.A., M.D., 32, Norwegian, Medical Officer; sailed south on the Southern Cross which left Anton Fougner, 30, Norwegian, scientific London on August 22, 1898, for Hobart from assistant; Kolbein Ellifsen, 23, Norwegian, where it departed for Cape Adare on cook; and two Lapps (often referred to as December 19,1898, arriving on February 17, Finns), Ole Must, 22 and Persen Savio, 28, 1899. who were responsible for the dogs. (Cape Adare was the site of Carsten With Camp Ridley — Borchgrevink's Egeberg Borchgrevink's second landing in mother's maiden name — complete, Antarctica, the first being as a deckhand and members of the party made a number of part-time scientist on the whaler "Antarctic" survey trips inland and along the coasts of in 1894-95. On that expedition, during which Robertson Bay prior to the winter. The he claimed to be the first ashore on the zoologists collected fish, seals, birds and continent, he collected the first samples of penguins. The winter did not pass without vegetation to be found within the Antarctic incident; the wall of the the hut was scorched Circle. by Colbeck's candle after he fell asleep on the Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and night of July 24, not long after which Hanson English mother in 1864 Borchgrevink, who became ill. On August 31 four members of had been teaching in Australia, then travelled the party were nearly asphyxiated by fumes to London where, with the support of while sleeping and on October 14 Hanson publisher Sir George Newnes he organised died. He is buried at the top of Cape Adare the British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900.) in a grave blasted by dynamite. Having unloaded materials for two huts and On January 28 the Southern Cross 454 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic returned to collect the party and leaving the It was Harrowfield's second trip to the Cape on February 2 she sailed around the Cape. During his first in 1982 he compiled coast to the Ross Sea towards the ice shelf a detailed description of the historic site and calling in at Possession Island where a pole with assistance from Dr Mark Mabin, a glacial and a tin box left by the "Antarctic" in 1895 geomorphologist, and Graeme Wilson, a were found intact. biologist, carried out essential repairs. They Subsequently expedition members landed also located a depot established in 1899 when at Coulman Island and Mount Melbourne Colbeck burned the hut and bolted the name where they noted a good site for a winter plate to the cross of Hanson's grave. camp at Wood Bay. Magnetic observations This season, in mostly fine but often cloudy were made and geological specimens weather the party assisted Skerton when collected before sailing to Mt Terror at the foot required, as he attached an exterior cladding of which they landed again. of sheets of plywood to which Butyclad (a On February 16 Borchgrevink, specially formulated rubber coating) had been accompanied by Colbeck and Savio, sledged glued. The sheets were secured with 16 km over the ice shelf reaching a point hardwood battens and wired down. A new furthest south to that date. Sailing back via hardwood ridge cap, gables and Balau the Franklin Islands, magnetic observations hardwood bargeboards were also fitted. made by Colbeck showed the South Magnetic Inventory Pole to be further North and West than Harrowfield made an inventory of the previously thought. Sailing north west for artefacts and reported on their conservation England, the ship crossed the Antarctic circle status. A number of significant items were on February 28. removed for temporary storage at Scott Base Importance not recognised prior to being returned to New Zealand for The importance of the expedition was not specialist conservation. These included a previously unseen canvas rifle scabbard, a recognised initially. Influential people in woollen blanket and two sledge meters which London were caught up with the preparations were among items excavated from ice in the of Scott's forthcoming expedition. stores hut. Of particular interest was a field Borchgrevink lectured in England and canteen of cutlery and utensils in which an Scotland, was made a Fellow of the Royal enamel plate was found to be in near perfect Geographic Society and visited the United condition. States in 1902. The Norwegians made him Turner, also with assistance as required, a Knight of St. Olaf and subsequently a Knight undertook an extensive survey of the site from Daneborg. Only in 1930 was he awarded the which a plan will be drawn. The sites of Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographic artefacts were plotted in relation to the Society. buildings and topography. An additional David Harrowfield and his party flew from survey of beach ridges was made for Dr Mark Christchurch to Hobart on December 17. Mabin of the University of Townsville who is Materials for the expedition had been continuing work on Antarctic beaches initiated despatched from Lyttelton by sea to by Dr Bob Kirk of Canterbury University in Melbourne some weeks before and were 1966. Sunshots, various positions and fixes loaded onto the USCGS Polar Star which the were also made. party boarded in Hobart on December 22. Members of the party visited Hanson's During the evening of December 31 they grave three times and made frequent sightings made a brief aerial reconnaisance of the ice of Wilson's storm petrels, one of which cave used by Scott's Northern Party in 1911 appeared to be nesting in the area. Botanical but were unable to land because of the observations were made and sightings of condition of the sea ice. Later they were banded skuas, floating pollutants, whales, offloaded from the vessel at Cape Adare in petrels and leopard seals were recorded for two hours, using the helicopters. other sdentists. 455 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 By the time the party was tranferred to the the crew of the yacht Riquita in 1988 — had Polar Star in one and a half hours by visited the Cape since early 1982. helicopter early in the morning of February After a six day science cruise they were 4, David Harrowfield in his two visits to Cape offloaded onto the icewharf at McMurdo Adare had achieved the longest stay in the Station on the morning of Saturday 10. After area of anyone since Scott's Northern Party visiting Discovery Hut at Hut Point, Skerton, in 1911.