CHAPTER XXII
THE WESTERN BASE -
LINKING UP WITH KAISER WILHELM II LAND
by Dr. S. E. Jones
On our return from the Western Depot
journey towards the end of October 1912, we found preparations completed
for the long western trip, towards Gaussberg in Kaiser Wilhelm II Land,
which was discovered by the German Antarctic Expedition of 1902. The departure
was delayed for several days, but came at last on November 7, Moyes bidding
us adieu and wishing us good luck.
The party consisted of Dovers (surveyor), Hoadley (geologist), and myself
(surgeon). We were hauling one sledge with rations for nine weeks. Our course,
which was almost due south lay over the glacier shelf practically parallel
to the sea-cliffs. The surface was good, and we covered eleven miles by
nightfall, reaching a point some two or three miles from the rising land
slopes. As the high land was approached closer, the surface of the glacier-shelf,
which farther north was practically level, became undulating and broken
by pressure-ridges and crevasses. These, however, offered no obstacle to
sledging.
Proceeding in the morning and finding that an ascent of the slopes ahead
was rendered impracticable by wide patches of ice, we turned more to the
west and steered for Junction Corner. Upon our arrival
there, it was discovered that several bergs lay frozen within the floe close
to where the seaward wall of the glacier-shelf joined that of the land ice-sheet.
Some of these bergs were old and rotten, but one seemed to have broken away
quite recently.
From the same place we could see several black points ahead; our course
was altered towards them, almost due westward, about halt a mile from the
sea-cliffs. They proved to be rocks, six in number, forming a moraine. As
it was then half-past five, we camped in order that Hoadley might examine
them. There had been a halo visible all day, with mock suns in the evening.
In the morning a high wind was blowing. Everything went well for a little
over a mile, when we found ourselves running across a steep slope. The wind
having increased and being abeam, the sledge was driven to leeward when
on a smooth surface, and when amongst soft sastrugi, which occurred in patches,
was capsized. Accordingly camp was pitched.
The next day being less boisterous, a start was made at 9 A.M. There was
still a strong beam wind, however, which carried the sledge downhill, with
the result that for one forward step two had to be taken to the right. We
were more fortunate in the afternoon and reached the depot laid on the earlier
journey at 5.30 A.M. From this position we had a fine view of the Helen
Glacier running out of a bay which opened up ahead.
Having picked up the depot next morning, we were disappointed to find that
we should have to commence relay work. There were then two sledges with
rations for thirteen weeks; the total weight amounting to one thousand two
hundred pounds. By making an even division between the two sledges the work
was rendered easy but slow. When we camped at 6 P.M., five and a half miles
had been covered. The surface was good, but a strong beam wind hindered
us while approaching the head of Depot Bay. The ice-cap to the west appeared
to be very broken, and it seemed inevitable that we should have to ascend
to a considerable altitude towards the south-west to find a good travelling
surface.
In the morning we were delayed by heavy wind, but left camp at ten o'clock
after spending an hour digging out the sledges and tent. At lunch time the
sun became quite obscured and each of us had many falls stumbling over the
invisible sastrugi. At five o'clock the weather became so thick that camp
was pitched. Hoadley complained of snow-blindness and all were suffering
with cracked lips; there was consequently a big demand for hazeline cream
in the evening.
On Wednesday November 13, we started early, and, finding a good firm track
over a gently rising plateau, made fair progress. At three o'clock a gale
sprang up suddenly; and fortunately the sledges were only a quarter of a
mile apart as we were relaying them in stages up the rising plateau. The
tent was pitched hurriedly, though with difficulty, on account of the high
wind and drift. The distance for the day was four miles one thousand five
hundred yards, the last mile and a half being downhill into a valley at
the head of the bay. The morainic boulders visible from the camp at the
depot were now obscured behind a point to the west of Depot Bay.
The next sixty hours were spent in sleeping-bags, a heavy snowstorm making
it impossible to move. Owing to the comparatively high temperature, 20 degrees
to 26 degrees F., the snow melted readily on the lee side of the tent, and,
the water running through, things became uncomfortably wet inside. At midday
of the 16th, however, we were able to go out, and, after spending two and
a half hours digging out the tent and sledges, we made a start, travelling
two and three-quarter miles on a south-westerly course.
During the morning of the 17th a slight descent was negotiated, but in the
afternoon came the ascent of the slopes on the western side of Depot Bay.
The ice-cap here was very badly crevassed, and spiked boots had to be worn
in hauling the sledges up the steep neve slopes. In the latter part of the
afternoon a course was made more to the west, and about the same time the
south-east wind freshened and we travelled for a couple of hours through
thick drift. The night's camp was situated approximately at the eastern
edge of the Helen Glacier. The portion of the ice-cap which contributes
to the glacier below is marked off from the general icy surface on either
side by a series of falls and cascades. These appeared quite impassable
near sea-level, but we hoped to find a smooth passage at an altitude of
about one thousand feet.
A start was made at 7 A.M. The surface consisted of ice and neve and was
badly broken by pressure-mounds, ten to twenty feet high, and by numerous
crevasses old and recent; many with sunken or fallen bridges. While crossing
a narrow crevasse, about forty feet of the bridge collapsed lengthwise under
the leading man, letting him fall to the full extent of his harness rope.
Hoadley and myself had passed over the same spot, unsuspecting and unroped,
a few minutes previously, while looking for a safe track. We were now nearing
the approximate western edge of the Helen Glacier, and the broken condition
of the ice evidently indicated considerable movement. Later in the morning
a more southerly course was kept over an improving surface.
At midday Dovers took observations of the sun and found the latitude to
be 66 degrees 47' S. Owing to the heat of the sun the fat in the pemmican
had been melting in the food-bags, so after lunch the provisions were repacked
and the pemmican was put in the centre of the large tanks. In the afternoon
we hoisted the sail, and by evening had done four miles. From our camp the
eye could range across the Helen Glacier eastward to the shelf-ice of ``The
Grottoes.'' Far away in the north-west was a wide expanse of open water,
while a multitude of bergs lay scattered along the coast to the west of
the Helen Glacier.
The next day was gloriously bright, with a breeze just strong enough to
make hauling pleasant. Erecting a sail, we made an attempt to haul both
sledges, but found that they were too heavy. It was soon discovered that
a considerable detour would have to be made to cross the broken ice on the
western edge of the Helen Glacier. By keeping to the saddles and valleys
as much as possible and working to the south, we were able to avoid the
rougher country, but at 4 P.M. we arrived at what at first appeared an impasse.
At this point three great crevassed ridges united to form the ice-falls
on the western side of the glacier. The point of confluence was the only
place that appeared to offer any hope of a passage, and, as we did not want
to retrace our steps, we decided to attempt it. The whole surface was a
network of huge crevasses, some open, the majority from fifty to one hundred
feet or more in width. After many devious turns, a patch of snow between
two large abysses was reached. As the ice in front seemed even more broken
than that behind, camp was pitched. After tea a search was made for a way
out, and it was found that by travelling along a narrow, knife-edge ridge
of ice and neve, with an open crevasse on each side, a good surface could
be reached within a mile of the camp. This ridge had a gradient of one in
ten, and, unfortunately, also sloped down towards one of the open crevasses.
During the next four days a heavy blizzard raged. There was a tremendous
snowfall accompanied by a gale of wind, and, after the second day, the snow
was piled four feet high round the tent, completely burying the sledges
and by its pressure greatly reducing the space inside the tent. On the 23rd,
the fourth day, we dug out the floor, lowering the level of the tent about
two feet, and this made things more comfortable. While digging, a crack
in the ice was disclosed running across the floor, and from this came a
considerable draught. By midday the weather had improved sufficiently to
allow us to move.
The sledge and tent were excavated from beneath a great mass of soft snow;
the new level of the snow's surface being four to five feet above that on
which the camp had been made four days earlier. The wind having fallen,
we went ahead with the sledges. While crossing the ridge of ice which led
into the valley below, one man hauled the sledges while the other two prevented
them from sliding sideways downhill into the open crevasse. That afternoon
we noticed very fine iridescent colouring in cirro-cumulus clouds as they
crossed the sun.
The next day gave us a pleasant surprise, there being a strong breeze dead
aft, while the travelling surface ahead looked distinctly favourable. Sail
was hoisted and the two sledges were coupled together. The course for a
short distance was downhill, and we had to run to keep up with the sledges.
The slopes on the far side of the valley we had entered on the previous
afternoon were not so formidable as they had looked, for by lunch time six
and a half miles had been covered. The surface was good, with occasional
long undulations. After lunch a turn to the north was made for a short distance
in order to come in touch with the coastline. Then the march west was resumed
by travelling parallel to the shore at a distance of five to ten miles.
At halting-time the extreme western edge of Helen Glacier was passed, and
below lay young floe-ice, studded with numerous bergs.
In the morning, Dovers called attention to what appeared to be an ice-covered
island lying to the north-north-west, thirty to forty miles away. We watched
this carefully during the day, but found its form to be constant. Through
binoculars, icy patches and bluff points at the eastern and western ends
were distinguishable.**
** This was examined in detail from the `Aurora' in January 1913 and found
to be an island, which was named Drygalski Island, for it is evidently the
ice-covered ``high-land'' observed by Professor Drygalski (German Expedition,
1902) from his balloon.--ED.
As soon as camp was struck the march was resumed direct for what every one
thought was a rocky outcrop, though nearer approach proved it to be merely
the shady face of an open crevasse. The same course was maintained and the
ridge of ice that runs down to the western point of Depot Bay was soon close
at hand. From its crest we could see a group of about a dozen rocky islands,
the most distant being five miles off the coast. All were surrounded by
floe. Descending steeply from the ridge into a valley which ran out to the
sea-cliffs, we pitched camp for lunch.
The meal completed, Hoadley and I descended to the edge of the glacier in
order to see if there were a passable route to the sea-ice. Crossing wide
areas of badly crevassed ice and neve during a descent of nine hundred feet,
we reached the sea-front about one and a half miles from the camp. Below
us there was a chaos of bergs and smaller debris, resulting from the disintegration
of the land-ice, which were frozen into the floe and connected to one another
by huge ramparts of snow. Following a path downward with great difficulty,
we approached a small berg which was discovered to be rapidly thawing under
the action of the heat absorbed by a pile of stones and mud. The trickling
of the falling water made a pleasant relief in the otherwise
intense silence. As it seemed impossible to haul sledges through this jumble
of ice and snow, Hoadley suggested that he should walk across the floe and
make a brief geological examination of at least the largest islet. I therefore
returned to the camp and helped Dovers take observations for longitude and
magnetic variation.
Hoadley returned at 9 P.M. and reported that he had seen an immense rookery
of Emperor penguins near the largest islet, besides Adelie penguins, silver-grey,
Wilson and Antarctic petrels and skua gulls. He also said that he thought
it possible to take a sledge, lightly laden, through the drifts below the
brink of the glacier.
Accordingly in the morning the eleven-foot sledge was packed with necessaries
for a week's stay, although we intended to remain only for a day in order
to take photographs and search for specimens. Erecting a depot flag to mark
the big sledge, we broke camp at midday and soon reached the sea-front.
Our track then wound among the snow-drifts until it emerged from the broken
ice which was observed to border the land ice-sheet for miles. The travelling
became unexpectedly good for a time over highly polished, green sea-ice,
and thence on to snow, amid a field of numerous small bergs. Many of these
showed a marked degree of ablation, and, in places, blocks of ice perched
on eminences had weathered into most grotesque forms. There were numerous
streams of thaw-water running from mud-covered bergs. Perspiring in the
heat, we more than once stopped to slake our thirst.
Approaching the largest rock--Haswell Island, as it was called later-- we
saw more distinctly the immense numbers of Emperor penguins covering several
acres of floe. The birds extended in rows even on to the
lower slopes of several bergs. The sound of their cries coming across the
ice reminded one of the noise from a distant sports' ground during a well-contested
game. We camped at 5 P.M. on a snow-drift at the southern end of the island.
A large rookery of Adelie penguins on a long, low rock, about a mile distant,
soon made itself evident.
Although the stay was intended to occupy only about twenty-four hours, we
were compelled to remain five days on the island on account of a snowstorm
which continued for practically the whole of the time. This did not prevent
us from leaving the tent and wandering about; Hoadley keen on the geology
and Dovers surveying whenever the light was good enough. The temperature
of the rock was well above freezing-point where it was exposed, and snow
melted almost as soon as it fell. Our sleeping-bags and gear soon became
very wet, but we rejoiced in one compensation, and that was a change in
diet. It was agreed that five Adelie penguins or ten Cape pigeons' eggs
made a good tasty entree to the monotonous ration.
The camp was situated on the largest of a group of about twelve small islets,
lying within five or six miles of the coast, on the lower slopes of which
several outcrops of rock could be observed. Haswell Island was found to
be roughly diamond-shaped; three-quarters of a mile in length, the same
in width, and about three hundred feet on the highest point. It was surrounded
by one season's floe, raised in pressure-ridges on the eastern side. On
the northern, southern, and especially the eastern face, the rock was steep;
on the western aspect, there was a more gentle slope down to the floe, the
rock being almost concealed by big snow-drifts. There were signs of previous
glaciation in the form of erratics and many examples of polishing and grooving.
The rock was very rotten, and in many places, especially about the penguin
rookeries, there were collections of soil. Two deep gorges cut through the
island from north-west to south-east, in both of which there were small
ponds of fresh water.
The most marked feature was the wonderful abundance of bird life, for almost
all the birds frequenting the shores of the continent were found nesting
there. Adelie penguins were in greatest numbers. Besides the large rookery
on one of the smaller islets, there were numerous rookeries of fifty to
one hundred birds each on Haswell Island. In most cases the penguins made
their nests on the rock itself, but, failing this, had actually settled
on snow-drifts, where they presented a peculiar sight, as the heat of their
bodies having caused them to sink in the snow, their heads alone were visible
above the surface. One bird was observed carrying an egg on the dorsal surface
of his feet as the Emperor penguins do. Feathers were scattered broadcast
around each rookery. These result from the numerous fights which occur and
are also partly derived from the bare patch of skin at the lower part of
the abdomen which provides the necessary heat for incubation when the bird
is sitting. Most of the birds had two eggs in a well-advanced stage of incubation,
and it was a difficult task to find a sufficient number fresh enough for
culinary purposes. Attached to each rookery was a pair of skua gulls, who
swooped down and quickly flew off with any eggs left for a moment untended.
The Emperor penguins had their rookery on the floe, about a mile from the
island. The birds covered four to five acres, but there were undoubted signs
that a much larger area had been occupied. We estimated the numbers to be
seven thousand five hundred, the great majority being young birds. These
were well grown, most of them standing as high as the shoulders of the adults.
They were all very fat, covered by a grey down, slightly darker on the dorsal
than on the ventral surface, with dark tails and a black, straight beak.
The eyes were surrounded by a ring of grey plumage, and this again by a
black band which extended over the skull to the root of the beak. Thus the
markings on the young do not correspond with those of the adults. A few
of the larger chicks had commenced to moult, the change of plumage being
observed on the flippers.
Daily we watched large numbers of adults departing from and returning to
the rookery. The direction in which they travelled was north, towards open
water, estimated to be twenty miles distant. Although more than once the
adults' return to the rookery was carefully noted, we never saw the young
birds being fed, old birds as they entered the rookery quietly going to
sleep.
Hoadley, on his first visit to the island, had seen Antarctic petrels flying
about, and a search revealed a large rookery of these on the eastern side.
The nesting-place of this species of petrel had never before been discovered,
and so we were all elated at the great find. About three hundred birds were
found sitting in the gullies and clefts, as close together as they
could crowd. They made no attempt to form nests, merely laying their eggs
on the shallow dirt. Each bird had one egg about the same size as that of
a domestic fowl. Incubation was far advanced, and some difficulty was experienced
in blowing the specimens with a blow-pipe improvised from a quill. Neither
the Antarctic nor any other petrels offered any resistance when disturbed
on their nests, except by the expectoration of large quantities of a pink
or green, oily fluid.
The Cape pigeons had just commenced laying when we arrived at the island.
On the first day only two eggs were found, but, on the fourth day after
our arrival, forty were collected. These birds make a small shallow nest
with chips of stone.
The silver-grey or Southern Fulmar petrels were present in large numbers,
especially about the steep north-eastern side of the island. Though they
were mated, laying had scarcely commenced, as we found only two eggs. They
made small grottoes in the snow-drifts, and many pairs were seen billing
and cooing in such shelters.
The small Wilson petrels were found living in communities under slabs of
rock, and Hoadley one afternoon thought he heard some young birds crying.
Skua gulls were present in considerable force, notably near the penguin
rookeries. They were breeding at the time, laying their eggs on the soil
near the summit of the island. The neighbourhood of a nest was always betrayed
by the behaviour of these birds who, when we intruded on them, came swooping
down as if to attack us.
Although many snow petrels were seen flying about, we found only one with
an egg. The nests were located in independent rocky niches but never in
rookeries.
Vegetable life existed in the form of algae, in the pools, lichens on oversell
rocks and mosses which grew luxuriantly, chiefly in the Adelie penguin rookeries.
Weddell seals were plentiful about the island near the tide-cracks; two
of them with calves.
Though the continuous bad weather made photography impossible, Hoadley was
able to make a thorough geological examination of the locality. On December
2 the clouds cleared sufficiently for photography, and after securing some
snapshots we prepared to move on the next day. Dovers built a small cairn
on the summit of the island and took angles to the outlying rocks.
On the 3rd we packed our specimens and left for the mainland at 9.30 A.M.,
arriving at the land ice-cliffs at 2 P.M. The snow surface was soft, even
slushy in places, and the heat amongst the bergs along the coast of the
mainland was very oppressive. After we had dug out the second sledge and
re-arranged the loads, the hour was too late for sledging, so Dovers took
another observation in order to obtain the rate of the half-chronometer
watch. While on the island, we had examined the coast to the west with glasses
and concluded that the only way to get westward was to ascend to a considerable
altitude on the ice-cap, which, as far as the eye could reach, descended
to the sea-level in long cascades and falls. We had expected to place a
depot somewhere near Haswell Island, but such procedure was now deemed inadvisable
in view of its distance from what would probably be our direct return route.
A start was made next day against an opposing wind, the sledges being relayed
up a steep hillside. Later on, however, a turn was made more to the west,
and it was then possible to haul both sledges at the same time. The surface
was soft, so that after every halt the runners had to be cleared. The distance
for the day was five and a half miles, and the night's camp was at an altitude
of about one thousand five hundred feet, located just above the broken coastal
ice.
During December 5 and 6 a snowstorm raged and confined us to our tent. The
high temperature caused the falling snow to melt as it touched the tent,
and, when the temperature fell, the cloth became thickly coated with ice.
On the 7th the march was resumed, by skirting a small valley at an approximate
altitude of two thousand feet. The ice-cap ahead descended in abrupt falls
to the floe. Having a fair wind and a smooth surface, we made good headway.
In the afternoon we ran into a plexus of crevasses, and the surface was
traversed by high ridges. The snowbridges in many cases were weak and several
gave way while the sledge was crossing them. A chasm about fifty feet deep
and one hundred feet long was passed, evidently portion of a crevasse, one
side of which had been raised. Later in the afternoon the surface became
impassable and a detour to the south was rendered necessary. This difficulty
arose near the head of the valley, in which situation the ice-cap fell in
a series of precipitous terraces for about one thousand feet.
At midday on the 8th we were compelled to continue the detour over a badly
crevassed surface, ascending most of the time. On that night, camp was pitched
again amongst crevasses. The sledge-meter showed only two miles one thousand
one hundred yards for the afternoon, relaying having been necessary.
The sledges slipped along in the morning with a fresh breeze in their favour.
The sky was covered with rapidly scudding, cirro-cumulus clouds which, by
midday, quite obscured the sun, making surrounding objects and even the
snow at our feet indistinguishable. After continuing for four and a half
miles, we were forced to camp. In the afternoon a heavy snowstorm commenced
and persisted throughout the following day.
Though snow was still falling on the morning of the 11th, camp was broken
at 10 A.M., and we moved off rapidly with a strong wind. During the morning
the surface was gently undulating, but it mounted in a gradual ascent until
nightfall. In the latter part of the afternoon the sun was clouded over,
and steering had to be done by the aid of the wind. To the north we had
a fine view of Drygalski's ``High Land'' (Drygalski Island), perceiving
a distinct seaward ice-cliff of considerable height.
As there were no prominences on the ice-cap that could be used for surveying
marks, Dovers had considerable difficulty in keeping a reckoning of our
course. The trouble was overcome by building snow-mounds and taking back-angles
to them with the prismatic compass. At this juncture we were about ten miles
from the shore and could see open water some thirty miles to the north.
Frozen fast within the floe were great numbers of bergs.
We started off early on December 12 with the aid of a fair breeze over a
good surface, so that both sledges were easily hauled along together. The
course was almost due west, parallel to the coast. Open water came within
a few miles of the ice-cliffs, and, farther north, a heavy belt of pack
was observed. When the sun sank lower, the bergs on the northern horizon
were refracted up to such a degree that they appeared to be hanging from
the sky.
The aid rendered by the sail under the influence of a fair breeze was well
shown on the following day. In four hours, on a good surface, both sledges
were transported seven miles. When we moved off, the wind was blowing at
ten to fifteen miles an hour. By 10 A.M. the sky became overcast and the
wind freshened. Camp was pitched for lunch at 11 A.M., as we hoped that
the weather would clear again later, but the wind increased and snow began
to fall heavily in the afternoon, so we did not stir. The storm continued
throughout the following day and it was impossible to march until the 15th.
Continuing the ascent on the 16th out of a valley we had crossed on the
previous day, we halted on the top of a ridge within view of German ``territory''--a
small, dark object bearing due west, evidently bare rock and presumably
Gaussberg. The course was altered accordingly towards this object and everything
went smoothly for ten miles. Then followed an area where the ice fell steeply
in waves to the sea, crossed by crevasses which averaged fifty feet in width.
The snow-bridges were deeply concave, and the lower side of each chasm was
raised into a ridge five to ten feet high. Making fast the alpine rope on
to the sledges, one of us went ahead to test the bridge, and then the sledges,
one at a time, were rushed down into the trough and up on the other side.
After crossing ten or more crevasses in this fashion, we were forced to
camp by the approach of a rapidly moving fog driven before a strong westerly
wind. While camp was being prepared, it was discovered that a tin of kerosene
on the front sledge had been punctured causing the loss of a gallon of fuel.
Fortunately, we were well within our allowance, so the accident was not
serious. Soon after tea our attention was drawn to a pattering on the tent
like rain, caused by a fall of sago snow.
In the morning the weather was clearer, and we saw that it was impossible
to reach Gaussberg by a direct route. The ice ahead was cleft and split
in all directions, and, in places, vertical faces stood up to a height of
one hundred feet. The floe was littered with hundreds of bergs, and in several
localities there were black spots which resembled small rocks, but it was
impossible to approach close enough to be certain. Retracing the way out
of the broken ice, we steered in a south-westerly direction, just above
the line of serac and crevassed ice. The coast here trended to the south-west,
forming the eastern side of Drygalski's Posadowsky Bay. The going was heavy,
the surface being covered by a layer of frost-crystals deposited during
the night. A fog came up again early in the afternoon and had quite surrounded
us at camping time. During the day there were fine clouds of ice-crystals
in the air, and at 8 P.M. a fog-bow was seen in the east.
Turning out in the morning we saw Gaussberg peeping over a ridge to the
west, but were still prevented from steering directly towards it by the
broken surface. When we had advanced ten miles, a heavy fog brought us to
a halt at 5 P.M.
On Friday the 20th, in spite of a sticky surface, thirteen miles was covered
on a west-south-west course. The ice-cap continued to be undulating but
free of crevasses. The altitude was between two thousand five hundred and
three thousand feet.
In the morning, after travelling two miles, we came in sight of Gaussberg
again and steered directly towards it. The surface was good with a downward
grade. At five and a quarter miles a depot was made of the small sledge
and most of the food, in expectation of a clear run to the mountain. Not
far ahead, however, were two broken- backed ridges intersecting the course,
and a detour had to be made to the south to cross them higher up.
Midsummer's day, December 22, was spent in the tent, a move being impossible
on account of the high wind. In the afternoon we walked ahead a short distance
and reconnoitred six or seven crumpled ridges. Though the barometer had
been falling ominously for twenty-four hours, the bad weather did not continue.
Gaussberg was reached in the afternoon, after our track had passed through
seventeen miles of dangerous country. For the first few miles the surface
consisted of a series of steep, buckled ice-ridges; later, it was snow-covered,
but at times literally cut into a network of crevasses.
The only approach to Gaussberg from the plateau is from the south. To the
east and west there are magnificent ice-falls, the debris from which litters
the floe for miles around.
December 24 and Christmas Day were devoted to examining the mountain. Dovers
made a long series of observations for longitude, latitude and magnetic
variation, while Hoadley examined the rocks and took
photographs.
On the southern side, the ice-cap abuts
against this extinct volcano at an elevation of about four hundred feet
above sea-level; the summit of the mountain rises another eight hundred
feet. On the north, the rock descends to the floe. Gaussberg is pyramidal
in shape, falling steeply, from a ridge at the summit. The sides are covered
with a loose rubble of volcanic fragments, square yards of which commence
to slide at the slightest disturbance. This renders climbing difficult and
accounts for the large numbers of isolated blocks fringing the base.
At the summit two cairns were found, the bamboo poles which had previously
marked them having blown over. Further examination revealed many other bamboos
which had been used as marks, but no other record of the visit of the German
expedition, ten years before, was met. Bird life was not plentiful, being
limited to a few skuas, Wilson petrels and snow petrels; the latter nesting
under slabs of rock. There were large quantities of moss where thaw-water
had been running.
The ice and snow near the mountain showed evidences of marked thawing, and
we had difficulty in finding a favourable spot for our camp.
Christmas Day was gloriously fine, with just sufficient wind to counteract
the heat of the sun. At midday the Christmas ``hamper'' was opened, and
it was not long before the only sign of the plum-pudding was the tin. In
the afternoon we ascended the mountain and left a record in a cairn at the
top. By the route followed, Gaussberg was two hundred and fifteen miles
from ``The Grottoes'' but relay work had made the actual distance covered
three hundred miles.
We had been away from home seven weeks, and, though there was sufficient
food for an outward journey of another week, there was no indication that
the country would change. Further, from the summit of Gaussberg one could
see almost as far as could be marched in a week. Accordingly it was decided
to commence our return on the 26th, making a course almost due east, thus
cutting out numerous detours which had to be taken on the outward journey.
We left the mountain on December 26, pursuing a course to the south of our
outward track so as to avoid some crevassed ridges. Ascending steadily against
a continuous headwind, we picked up the second sledge at midday on the 28th.
Next day all the gear was transferred to one sledge and a course made direct
to the Helen Glacier; the other sledge being abandoned.
On December 31, after a day's blizzard,
the surface was found to be covered with sastrugi of soft snow eighteen
inches to two feet in depth. In crossing a wide crevasse, the sledge became
bogged in the soft snow of a drift which had a deceptive appearance of solidity.
It took us ten minutes to extricate ourselves, and, after this, crevasses
were negotiated at a run.
A violent blizzard raged during the following day--the first of the New
Year 1913. This proved to be a blessing, for it made the surface more crisp
and firm. In the morning the sun was obscured and nothing was visible but
the snow at our feet, so that steering was very difficult. In the afternoon
the sun broke through, a strong westerly wind sprang up and we moved along
at a good pace, covering more than thirteen miles before camping.
On January 3 the track bordered on the edge of the plateau, the surface
being almost level, rising gently towards the south.
After a violent blizzard of three days' duration, which confined us in the
tent, we continued on the same course for four days, averaging about eleven
miles each day. The surface was good, but a strong south-easter blew practically
all the time and reduced our speed considerably.
At 10 A.M. on January 9, a fog-bank was observed in the east. This rapidly
approached, and in fifteen minutes was quite close. There was now a splendid
display of rings and arcs, caused apparently by minute ice-crystals which
filled the air without obscuring the sun or sky. First an arc of prismatic
colours appeared in the east, and in a few seconds the sky seemed literally
to be covered with other arcs. At first they seemed to be scattered indiscriminately,
but after a short time several arcs joined and we could discern a symmetrical
arrangement. The sun was surrounded by a ring, the lower portion of which
was broken by an inverted arc; two other arcs were visible on either side.
A large ring appeared encircling the zenith, intersecting the first and
passing through the sun. Two pairs of arcs were also seen, one pair in each
ring. Excepting the arcs and ring about the zenith, which was grayish-white
against the blue sky, the arcs showed prismatic colouring. The display lasted
ten minutes and ended with the disappearance of the ice-crystals.
The diagram shows the
arrangement of the arcs:
S = Sun. Z = Zenith. At A, B, C, mock suns could be seen.
From our camp on the night of January
10, broken country could be seen ahead. To the north, open water was visible,
and to the north-east the Shackleton Shelf, so that we were nearing home
at last. Here, a heavy snowstorm delayed us for two and a half days, and
it was not till the afternoon of January 13 that we were able to move ahead.
The next day was dull, the sun being quite obscured; and the only check
upon the steering was the south-easterly wind. At midday the thermometer
registered 35 degrees F. in the shade, and the surface became quite sticky.
After tea we walked ahead for a couple of hundred yards to the summit of
a ridge where the full extent of the Helen Glacier was laid before us. It
was evident that our position was some miles north of the true course, but,
considering the absence of steering marks and the constant overcast weather,
we considered ourselves lucky in being so close to it.
The bad weather continued and snow fell during the following day. On the
16th the light was better, and we pushed into a strong wind which freshened
to the force of a moderate gale before we had travelled two miles. Approaching
a steep ascent we were compelled to camp. The morning brought an improvement,
and the crossing of the Helen Glacier was commenced a mile or two above
the outward course.
At midday on January 18, over treacherous ice, in the face of strong winds,
we were making good headway towards Junction Corner. Almost daily for a
fortnight a Wilson petrel had visited us, the only form of life seen on
the return journey.
On the 19th we were not able to move until 8.80 P.M., when the wind, which
had been blowing with the force of a gale, subsided. During the afternoon
a magnificent view of the Helen Glacier was obtained, and in the west we
could see Haswell Island and Drygalski Island.
Continuing on the same course, throughout the following day, we picked up
the hut with the binoculars at 5 P.M. There now came a quick descent to
Junction Corner.
On the lower levels there was clear evidence of thawing having occurred.
The firm surface of snow which had been present on the outward journey was
now converted into rough ice, over which we walked painfully in finnesko.
Neve and ice surfaces were covered with sharp spicules, and the sides and
bridges of crevasses were unmistakably thawed.
Leaving Junction Corner at 6 A.M., we steered a course for the hut, running
parallel to the edge of the glacier. At 3 P.M. the mast was sighted, and,
later, the hut itself. When within half a mile of ``The Grottoes'' we saw
three figures on the floe and guessed that the eastern party had returned.
In a few minutes greetings were heartily exchanged and they had welcomed
us home.
Instructions had been given that the Western Base should be in readiness
to embark on the `Aurora' not later than January 30, 1913.
When Wild's party had arrived, preparations for departure were immediately
made. Geological and biological collections were packed, stores were sorted
out and cases containing personal gear were sledged to the edge of the glacier.
Harrisson contrived a winch for sounding and fishing. Fourteen-gauge copper
wire was wound on it and, through a crack in the sea-ice a quarter of a
mile from the glacier, bottom was reached in two hundred and sixty fathoms.
As the water was too deep for dredging, Harrisson manufactured cage-traps
and secured some fish, a squid, and other specimens.
At this time there was abundant evidence of life. Skua gulls frequently
flew about the hut, as well as Cape pigeons, Antarctic, snow, Wilson, giant
and silver-grey petrels. Out on the sea-ice, there were Adelie and Emperor
penguins; the latter moulting. Hundreds of seals were seen with glasses
on the edge of the floe, ten miles to the north.
On the whole, January was a very fine month. Some of the days seemed really
hot; the shade temperature on one occasion reaching 37 degrees F., and,
in several instances, 33 degrees F. It was quite a common thing for a man
to work outside in loose, light garments; in fact, with nothing more than
a singlet on the upper part of the body.
On January 26, while Kennedy took observations, Wild and the others went
for a walk towards the open water. The surface was very rough and broken
by leads, along which Weddell seals lay in great numbers. Three miles of
ice were found to have drifted out, reducing the northern expanse to seven
miles.
In view of the possibility of the `Aurora' not relieving them, the party
went through their food-supplies, finding that these were sufficient for
another year, with the exception of meat. With regard to coal, two tons
of briquettes remained, which, augmented by good stock of seal-blubber,
would provide sufficient fuel.
Laying in a store of seals' flesh and blubber now became the principal work,
and every fine day saw a party out with a sledge. Unfortunately, the nearest
crack on the sea-ice was nearly two miles away, so that the return journey,
with a heavily laden sledge, was long and tedious. Two holes were dug in
the glacier near the hut, one for blubber and the other for meat.
On January 31 six miles of sea-ice still remained, and, if the ship had
arrived to time, a good deal of sledging would have been required to transport
all the gear aboard.
In February, the weather altered for the worse, and there was not a single
fine day until the 20th. A strong east-southeast wind with falling snow
prevailed. As the days were shortening rapidly, all were beginning to feel
anxious about the `Aurora'.
Wild erected a flagstaff on the highest ice-pinnacle near ``The Grottoes''
and flew a large flag on it whenever the wind moderated. On the 16th, a
lamp-screen and reflector were fitted at the mast-head and each night a
hurricane lamp was placed there, which could be seen eight miles with the
naked eye.
On the 20th Dovers and Wild made a large signboard, taking it out to a prominent
point on the glacier, three and a half miles to the north. It was lashed
to a bamboo pole with a flag flying on it. The open water was then only
three miles distant.
Wild writes:
``The 22nd February was the anniversary
of the day the `Aurora' left us, but the weather was very different.
A heavy blizzard was raging, the wind's velocity ranging up to eighty
miles per hour. As it was Saturday, we kept the usual routine, scrubbing
out and cleaning up the hut. We could not help speculating as to whether
we should have to do it for another whole year. But every one had great
faith in `good old Davis,' and nobody was at all downhearted.
``When we `turned out' on Sunday there was still a strong wind and drift,
but this died away to a light breeze before breakfast was over, and
the sun came out. I had a look round with the glasses and saw that the
ice had broken away beyond a limit of one and a half miles. As there
was a sledge, which Harrisson had been using for sounding, within a
few yards of the water's edge, Jones and I went off to bring it in.
We had gone less than half a mile when we saw what at first appeared
to be a penguin, standing on some pack-ice in the distance, but which
we soon saw was the mast-head of the `Aurora'.
``It was evident that she could not be alongside for some time, so Jones
went back to the hut to tell the others to bring down a load of gear,
and I went on to meet the ship. Before the `Aurora' had reached the
fast ice, all the party were down with two sledge loads, having covered
the mile and a half in record time.
``We were all anxious, of course, for news, and the first we received
was the sad account of the deaths of Ninnis and Mertz; then of the wonderful
march made by Dr. Mawson.
``Before closing, I should like to pay a tribute to the good-fellowship,
unfailing industry, enthusiasm and unswerving loyalty which characterized
my comrades. During the whole of the Expedition, whether carrying out
monotonous routine work at the Base or under the trying conditions of
sledging, all duties were performed with never-failing good temper and
perseverance.
``Should it ever be my lot to venture on a like expedition I hope to
have some, if not all, of the same party with me. But whether we meet
again or not, I shall always think of every man of them with the greatest
affection and respect.''
CHAPTER XXIII
- A SECOND WINTER
