The Home Of The Blizzard Part 71

A. D. WATSON, twenty-four years of age, single, was a graduate in Science of Sydney University, New South Wales. A member of the Western Base Party (Queen Mary Land) he acted as Geologist. A. D.

Watson took part in several sledging journeys, accompanying F. Wild in his main eastern trip during the summer of 1912-1913.

E. N. WEBB, twenty-two years of age, single, was an a.s.sociate of Civil Engineering of Canterbury University College, and, for the five months previous to joining the Expedition, carried out magnetic observations under the Carnegie Inst.i.tute of Was.h.i.+ngton, U.S.A. At the Main Base (Adelie Land) E. N. Webb was Chief Magnetician, accompanying the Southern Sledging Party.

L. A. WHETTER, twenty-nine years of age, single. He graduated at Otago University, New Zealand, and joined the Expedition as Surgeon, acting in that capacity at the Main Base (Adelie Land) during 1912.

He accompanied a sledging party which explored to the westward of Winter Quarters.

F. WILD, thirty-eight years of age, single, was Leader of the Western Base Party (Queen Mary Land). He joined the Merchant Service in 1889 and the Navy in 1900, served on an extended sledge journey during the National Antarctic Expedition (Capt. R. F. Scott) of 1901-1904, and was one of the Southern Party of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Expedition from 1907-1909. During the Australasian Expedition he opened up a new tract of country--Queen Mary Land.

I desire to make special mention of the s.h.i.+p's Party who faced the rigorous conditions of Antarctica and the stormy Southern Ocean, during five separate voyages, with a cheerfulness and devotion to duty which will always stand to their lasting credit. In regions of heavy pack-ice and sudden blizzard winds, Captain Davis piloted the s.h.i.+p safely through many situations of extreme danger. In a report to me on the work of the s.h.i.+p he writes an appreciative note:--

"I wish to draw particular attention to the loyal way in which the officers and men of the 'Aurora' supported me. Messrs. Toucher, Fletcher, Blair, Gray, de la Motte, and Gillies, in their respective positions, carried out the duties a.s.signed to them with ability and cheerfulness, often under very trying conditions.

"Mr. Gillies not only looked after the engines but a.s.sisted materially in the deep-sea work by the invention of a new form of sounding driver which was used successfully during the various cruises of the 'Aurora'.

"The Chief Officer was in charge of the stores and equipment of the Expedition on board the vessel, in addition to his ordinary executive duties. Messrs. Toucher, Fletcher and Blair served in this capacity on different voyages.

"Mr. P. Gray, as Second and Navigating Officer, and Mr. C. P. de la Motte, as Third Officer, acted capably and thoroughly throughout the Expedition."

APPENDIX II

Scientific Work

It should be remarked that there is no intention of furnis.h.i.+ng anything more than a suggestion of the general trend of the scientific observations of the Expedition. The brief statement made below indicates the broad lines on which the work was conducted and in some cases the ground which was actually covered. It may thus give the general reader a clue to the nature of the scientific volumes which will serve to record permanently the results ama.s.sed during a period of more than two years.

Terrestrial Magnetism

1. Field Work.

(a) Dip determinations were made at Macquarie Island, on the eastern and southern journeys from the Main Base (Adelie Land) and on a short journey from the Western Base (Queen Mary Land).

(b) Declination by theodolite observations was determined at Macquarie Island and at intervals on all sledging journeys in the Antarctic.

(c) Rough observations of magnetic variation were made daily on the 'Aurora' during her five cruises.

2. Station Work.

(a) Regular magnetograph records were kept at the Main Base (Adelie Land) for a period of eighteen months. A system of term days for quick runs was also followed; Melbourne, Christchurch, and other stations co operating. In connexion with the magnetograph work, Webb conducted regular, absolute observations throughout the year 1912. Bage continued the magnetograph records for a further six months in 1913, observed term days, and took absolute observations.

(b) At the Western Base (Queen Mary Land) Kennedy kept term days in the winter, using a magnetometer and dip-circle.

Biology

1. Station Collections.

(a) At Macquarie Island, Hamilton worked for two years amongst a rich fauna and a scanty but interesting flora. Amongst other discoveries a finch indigenous to Macquarie Island was found.

(b) In Adelie Land, Hunter, a.s.sisted by Laseron, secured a large biological collection, notwithstanding the continuous bad weather.

Dredgings from depths down to fifty fathoms were made during the winter. The eggs of practically all the flying birds known along Antarctic sh.o.r.es were obtained, including those of the silver-grey petrel and the Antarctic petrel, which were not previously known; also a variety of prion, of an unrecorded species, together with its eggs.

(c) At the Western Base (Queen Mary Land) eggs of the Antarctic and other petrels were found, and a large rookery of Emperor penguins was located; the second on record. Harrisson, working under difficulties, succeeded in trapping some interesting fish on the bottom in two hundred and fifty fathoms of water.

2. s.h.i.+p Collections.

(a) A collection made by Mr. E. R. Waite, Curator of the Canterbury Museum, on the first Sub-Antarctic cruise.

(b) A collection made by Professor T. T. Flynn, of Hobart, on the second Sub-Antarctic cruise.

(c) A collection made by Hunter, a.s.sisted by Hamilton, in Antarctic waters during the summer of 1913-1914. This comprised deep-sea dredgings at eleven stations in depths down to one thousand eight hundred fathoms and regular tow-nettings, frequently serial, to depths of two hundred fathoms. Six specimens of the rare Ross seal were secured. A large collection of external and internal parasites was made from birds, seals and fish.

Geology

(a) A geological examination of Macquarie Island was made by Blake.

The older rocks were found to be all igneous. The Island has been overridden in comparatively recent times by an ice-cap travelling from west to east.

(b) Geological collections at the Main Base. In Adelie Land the rocky outcrops are metamorphic sediments and gneisses. In King George V Land there is a formation similar to the Beacon sandstones and dolerites of the Ross Sea, with which carbonaceous shales and coaly strata are a.s.sociated.

(c) Stillwell met with a great range of minerals and rocks in the terminal moraine near Winter Quarters, Adelie Land. Amongst them was red sandstone in abundance, suggesting that the Beacon sandstone formation extends also throughout Adelie Land but is hidden by the ice-cap. A solitary stony meteorite was found by a sledging party lying on the ice of the plateau.

(d) In the collections made by Watson and Hoadley at the Western Base (Queen Mary Land) gneisses and schists were ascertained to be the predominant types.

(e) A collection of erratics was brought up by the deep-sea trawl in the course of dredgings in Antarctic waters.

Glaciology

(a) Observations of the pack-ice, coastal glaciers and shelf-ice from the 'Aurora' during her three Antarctic cruises.

(b) Observations of the niveous and glacial features met with on the sledging journeys from both Antarctic bases.

Meteorology

(a) Two years' observations at Macquarie Island by Ainsworth

(b) Two years' observations in Adelie Land by Madigan.

(c) One year's observations in Queen Mary Land by Moyes.

(d) Observations by the s.h.i.+p on each of her five voyages.

(e) Observations during the many sledging journeys from both Antarctic Bases.

Bacteriology, etc.