bplist00'_WebSubresources_WebMainResource "& _WebResourceResponse_WebResourceData^WebResourceURL_WebResourceMIMETypeObplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Thu, 16 Feb 2006 06:05:34 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:42 GMTU34646_timeout=15, max=100_"3a2bf-8756-376f6780"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd #/135inw  -;FKZejw&+/ERWZv{oOV _1http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/scripts/ebind.js_application/x-javascript Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Tue, 26 Jul 2005 02:07:35 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:43 GMTS158_timeout=15, max=98_"39b80-9e-fedf47c0"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd".024kpy  !/=HM\gly #(,BOTWsx|oO _4http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/scripts/exitweb1.js Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Tue, 26 Jul 2005 02:07:35 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:44 GMTT2384_timeout=15, max=97_"39b84-950-fedf47c0"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd #/135pu~  &4BMRalq~*/3IV[^zoO P_8http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/scripts/exitwebbook1.js Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Tue, 26 Jul 2005 02:07:35 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:44 GMTS153_timeout=15, max=96_"39b82-99-fedf47c0"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd".024kpy  !/=HM\gly #(,BOTWsx|oO _4http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/scripts/exitweb2.js Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Thu, 16 Feb 2006 06:06:03 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:44 GMTT1016_timeout=15, max=95_"39b7b-3f8-3929e8c0"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd #/135pu~  &4BMRalq~*/3IV[^zoO_8http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/scripts/exitwebbook2.js !Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Tue, 26 Jul 2005 00:05:41 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:57:44 GMTS381_timeout=15, max=94_"10a83-17d-4aec7f40"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd #/135glu (38GRWd.;@C_dh|oO}GIF89a@ٟƬҳ!,@ $dihlp,tmNl7Ȣ=h1 ȡCZuKNB y4 `= y npE/I%ZF}}# "KM F1 '" R/ #Tt"EE 1 "NwK }RP ֫/   Ɖ{6  <(-@-MhȱǏ C;_/http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/images/cnt.gifYimage/gif#$%!Obplist00 Y$archiverX$versionT$topX$objects_NSKeyedArchiver _WebResourceResponse )/078?ISZNS.objectsWNS.keys@ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQR VServer]Last-Modified]Accept-RangesZConnectionTDate^Content-LengthZKeep-AliveTEtag\Content-Type_2Apache/2.0.54 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.54 OpenSSL/0.9.7g_Tue, 26 Jul 2005 00:05:42 GMTUbytes_Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:58:07 GMTS407_timeout=15, max=100_"10aab-197-4afbc180"12effg6_NSMutableDictionary\NSDictionary12ijj6_NSHTTPURLResponseInternal12lmmn6_NSHTTPURLResponse]NSURLResponse$)2DILbd #/135hmv )49HSXe0=BEafj~oOGIF89aP쳳!,P $dihlp,tmxNM@X !:QtD AQDe @ty 5[Z  BZ _  T  aW4P\"uXa cQSXa6TA ċh æ$ղϜ@| |W r#Wڶ(0j W ˻OP/ZAv v4xb[  Aurora Australis


back		Aurora Australis
 Table of contents  View Thumbnail Images     
Transcript
 

View image | View single page

1908-09

AURORA AUSTRALIS

PUBLISHED AT THE
WINTER QUARTERS
OF THE BRITISH
ANTARCTIC EXPED
ITION, 1907, DURING
THE WINTER MON
THS OF APRIL, MAY,
JUNE, JULY, 1908.
ILLUSTRATED WITH
LITHOGRAPHS AND
ETCHINGS; BY
GEORGE MARSTON

PRINTED AT THE SIGN OF
'THE PENGUINS'; BY JOYCE
AND WILD.
LATITUDE 77º.. 32' SOUTH
LONGITUDE 166º.. 12'EAST
ANTARCTICA
(All rights reserved)


90 copies only privately printed

DEDICATED
TO
MISS DAWSON-LAMBTON.
AND
MISS ELIZABETH DAWSON-LAMBTON.
WHO HAVE EVER SHOWN THE DEEPEST
INTEREST IN ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION,
AND OUR WELFARE.

PREFACE

Some six years ago it fell to my lot to edit and print
the first Antarctic publication; it is my fortune now to
edit another.
There are essential differences between the two
efforts, for The South Polar Times was typewritten and
only one copy could be issued, whereas Aurora Australis
is actually printed, and therefore allows of a larger
edition. Again; the labours of the Editor are light, for
the bulk of the work falls on the shoulders of the
Printers and Artist.
If it had not been for the great generosity of the
firm of Sir J. Causton & Sons, Ltd., we would never
have had this opportunity of making such a memento
of the winter months, for the above firm not only pre-
sented us with an entire printing and lithographic out-
fit including the necessary paper, but also allowed our
Printers and Artist to obtain instruction at their works.
Now; seven years is the usual time to serve as ap-
prentice to the printing and lithographic trades, and as
only three weeks could be spared by the producers of
this little book to learn the business, any shortcomings
will be leniently viewed both by the small public in this
colony and by our friends at home to whom we trust
these pages will be of interest.

I take this opportunity to specially thank not only
the heads of the firm that made this book possible, but
also the managers of the various departments and the
foremen, who did everything in their power to help
our people.
During the sunless months which are now our
portion; months lit only by vagrant moon and elusive
aurora; we have found in this work an interest and a
relaxation, and hope eventually it will prove the same
to our friends in the distant Northland.
E. H. SHACKLETON.

ADDITIONAL PREFACE.

Since writing the preface for this book I have
again looked over its pages, and though I can see but
little not up to usual standard in bookmaking, the
printers are not satisfied that it is everything that it
ought to be. But the reader will understand better
the difficulty of producing such a book quite up to
the mark when he is told that, owing to the low tem-
perature in the hut, the only way to keep the printing
ink in a fit state to use was to have a candle burning
under the inking plate; and so, if some pages are
printed more lightly than others it is due to the diffi-
culty of regulating the heat, and consequently the
thinning or thickening of the ink. Again the print-
ing office was only six feet by seven and had to
accomodate a large sewing machine and bunks for two
men, so the lack of room was a disadvantage; but I
feel sure that those who see this book will not be
captious critics. The printing was entirely done by
Joyce and Wild, the lithography and etchings by

ADDITIONAL PREFACE.

Marston, and the covers made of provision cases were
manufactured by Day. It is therefore to these four
that the carrying out of the Aurora Australis is due;
most of us have contributed an article of some sort,
and I as Editor feel an interest in the work, as it was
a pleasure to see it progressing; and I trust that all
who have a copy will think kindly of the first attempt
to print a book and illustrate it in the depth of an
Antarctic Winter.
E. H. SHACKLETON.

CONTENTS.

The Ascent of Mount Erebus - T. W. EDGEWORTH DAVID.
Midwinter Night - NEMO.
Trials of a Messman - A MESSMAN.
A Pony Watch - PUTTY.
Southward Bound - LAPSUS LINGUA.
An Interview with an Emperor - A. F. M.
Erebus - NEMO.
An Ancient Manuscript - SHELLBACK.
Life under Difficulties - JAMES MURRAY.
Bathybia - DOUGLAS MAWSON.

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

EREBUS was discovered by Sir James Clarke
Ross on January 28th, 1841, and was so
named by him after the leading ship of his
famous expedition. Rising rapidly from sea level it
rears itself aloft, from near the western side of Ross
Island, to an altitude of over 13, 000 feet.
If Ross Island be likened to a castle, flanking that
wall at the world's end, The Great Ice Barrier, Erebus
is the castle keep. Its flanks and foothills clothed with
spotless snow, patched with the pale blue of glacier
ice, its active crater crowned with a spreading smoke
cloud, and overlooking the vast white plain of the Bar-
rier to the East and South, the dark waters of Ross Sea
and McMurdo Sound to the North and West, and still
further West, the snowy summits of the extinct volca-
noes of Victoria Land, Erebus not only commands a
view of incomparable grandeur and interest, but is in
itself one of the fairest and most majestic sights that
Earth can show.

AURORA AUSTRALIS.

Erebus, as seen from our winter quarters, showed dis-
tinctly the traces of the three craters, observed from a
distance by the British National Antarctic Expedition
of 1901 - 04. From sea level up to about 5, 500 feet,
the lower slopes ascend in a gentle but gradually steep-
ening curve to the base of the first crater. They are
largely covered with snow and glacier ice down to the
shore, where the ice either breaks off to form a cliff,
or, as at Glacier Tongue, spreads out seawards in the
form of a narrow blue pier five miles in length: near
Cape Royds, however, there are long smooth ridges of
brown glacial gravels and moraines mostly bare of snow.
These are interspersed with masses of black vol-
canic rock, and extend to an altitude of about 1, 000 ft.
Above this, and up to about 5, 000 feet above the sea,
all is snow and ice, except for an occasional outcrop of
dark lava, or a black parasitic cone, sharply silhouetted
against the light background of snow or sky.
At a level of about 6, 000 feet, and just north of
the second, or main crater, rises a huge black fang of
rock, the relic of the oldest and lowest crater. Immed-
iately south of this the principal cone sweeps upwards
in that graceful double curve, concave below, convex
above, so characteristic of volcanoes.
Rugged buttresses of dark volcanic rock, with

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

steep snow slopes between, jut out at intervals, and
support the rim of this second crater, which reaches an
altitude of fully 11, 400 feet. From the north edge of
this crater the ground seemed to ascend, at first grad-
ually, then somewhat abruptly to the third crater, now
active, further south. It is above this last crater that
there continually floats a huge steam cloud. At the
time of Ross' Expedition this cloud was reddened with
the glow of molten lava, and some thought they saw
lava streams descending from the crater. The Nation-
al Antarctic Expedition had also once or twice wit-
nessed a similar glow, and although, during the few
weeks we had been at Cape Royds we had not observed
a similar phenomenon, we had at times seen the great
steam cloud shoot up suddenly, in the space of a min-
ute or so, to a height of fully 2, 000 feet above the
mountain top. This sudden uprush was obviously the
result of a vast steam explosion in the interior of the
volcano, and proved that it still possessed considerable
activity.
Although several expeditions had been in its neigh-
bourhood, Erebus had never been ascended. For us,
living under its shadow, the longing to climb it, and
penetrate the mysteries beyond the veil soon became
irresistibly strong. But there were difficulties in the

AURORA AUSTRALIS

way. In the first place, the only party who had as-
cended the foothills of Erebus had found their path
barred by heavily crevassed ice. That party consisted
of E. E. Joyce, F. Wild, and A. Pillbeam, of the Nat-
ional Antarctic Expedition of 1901 - 04. Starting
from Cape Barne, in January 1904, they worked their
way inland towards Erebus, for about a mile, and esti-
mated that they climbed to about 3, 000 feet above sea
level. Joyce and Wild informed us that in this direc-
tion the ice, owing to crevasses, was practically impass-
able for sledges. Then too, the winter was fast app-
roaching, bringing with it blizzards, and temperatures
likely to be specially low at high altitudes on Mount
Erebus.
After careful consideration, Lieutenant Shackleton de-
cided a reconnaissance in the direction of Erebus might
be made, and that, if the risk did not appear to be too
great, an attempt might be made to reach the summit
of the mountain. He fixed the date for starting for
the following morning, March 5th, and selected the
first part of the route to be followed. After this every
i one bustled and hustled, and our winter quarters liter-
ally rang with the clang of preparation. Provisions,
cooking utensils with primus lamps, cooking pots and
snow melters and paraffin oil, deer skin sleeping bags,

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

tents and poles, ice axes, alpine rope, ski-boots, finneskoes
and sennegraes, and crampons were all got ready in hot
haste. The crampons had to be specially made for the
occasion. They are stout leather soles, each furnished
with seven iron spikes, and provided with loops, so that
they can be strapped on to the finneskoes, to prevent the
wearer slipping on hard snow or ice. It was past mid-
night before the last spike was riveted.
On March 5th, after breakfast at 6 a. m., the
packing of the 11 ft. sledge was completed; its total
weight, with its load, being about five hundredweights.
The sledging party, arrayed in their antarctic cos-
tumes, including Burbery suits, then got into their
sledging harness, and were photographed by Lieutenant
Shackleton. The sledgers, six in number, were divid-
ed into parties of three each. The party for the ascent
consisted of Dr. A. F. Mackay, D. Mawson, and Pro-
fessor David, and was provisioned for eleven days.
The supporting party was formed of Lieut. J. B.
Adams, Dr. E. S. Marshall and Sir Phillip Brockle-
hurst, and was provisioned for six days. The arrange-
ment was that the supporting party were to assist the
main party, until the ground became impracticable for
a sledge. The former were then to return to winter,
quarters, unless they saw that it was practicable for

AURORA AUSTRALIS

them to continue the ascent with the main party, with-
out lessening the latter's chances of reaching the sum-
mit.
A start was made at a quarter to nine a. m. All
hands accompanied the sledging party across the rocky
ridge at the back of our hut, and along the slopes of
Backdoor Bay to the Blue Lake, half a mile distant.
There we bade farewell to our comrades.
We steered first straight up a snow slope, then
skirted closely some rocky ridges and moraines, in
order to avoid crevassed glaciers.
About a mile out, and 400 feet above sea level, a
glacial moraine barred our path, and we had to port-
age the sledge over it by slipping our ice-axes under
the load between the runners and the 'bearers' of the
sledge, and lifting it bodily over the obstruction. On
the further side of the moraine was a sloping surface
of ice and neve, on which the sledge soon capsized,
but was quickly righted. Light snow was falling, and
there was a slight wind.
Pulling the sledge proved fairly heavy work in
places; at one spot, on the steep slope of a small glac-
ier, we were struggling for some time, mostly on our
hands and knees, in our efforts to drag the sledge up
the surface of smooth blue ice thinly coated with loose

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

snow. This difficulty surmounted, we made the ac-
quaintence of some obstructive 'sastrugi', which impe-
ded our progress not a little. Occasionally we came
to blows, but these were dealt accidentally by a long
armed finneskoe-shod cramponless sledger, who whirled
his arms like a windmill in his desperate efforts to keep
his balance after slipping. On such occasions the sil-
ence of our march was broken by a few words, more
crisp than courteous, from the smitten one, and then
once more nothing was to be heard but the soft pad of
the finneskoes, the scrunch of the ski-boots, and the
gentle sawing sound of the sledge-runners on the hard
snow.
Soon after six p. m. we reached a small nunatak
of black rock, 2, 750 feet above sea level, and about
seven miles distant from our winter quarters, and deci-
ded to camp there for the night. Our little green
tents were quickly set up on their bamboo poles, and
their skirts were speedily loaded with snow shovelled
on them in place of pegs, to hold them down against
the wind. The two primus lamps were soon singing
merrily, snow was melted down, and in a few minutes
we were each furnished, for the first time in our lives,
with brimming bowls of hot 'hoosh', that is, pemmican
boiled up with snow water, with chips of plasmon bis-

AURORA AUSTRALIS

cuit, or some emergency rations, or both, added. We
had all developed a sledging appetite, and found the
 'hoosh' delicious. By mistake, as he subsequently as-
serted, a knowing one put three times the maximum
allowance of pemmican into the 'hoosh' of the three
dwellers in one of the tents. He declared that this
amount contained the irreducible minimum of food
fuel needed to keep the lamp of life alight within us,
so we ate earnestly that we might live; one of us, how-
ever, utterly failed to consume his treble ration, but
the knowing one, after finishing the whole of his own
allowance, came to the assistance of his distressed tent-
fellow, and finished all his 'hoosh' for him, down to
the fatty end. A man after such a meal, in any but
a polar climate, would have seen in his sleep 'more
devils than vast hell can hold, ' but it speaks volumes
for the climate, as well as for the strength of the quin-
tuple-whacker's digestion, that on this occasion he
slept soundly till dawn, and that too, with a volume
of Paradise Lost in his pocket, without once seeing a
vision of the swart hero of Milton's epic.
The following morning the temperature was
-10º Fahr., and when we untoggled our sleeping
bags, miniature showers of ice-crystals, formed from
the freezing of the moisture of our breath on the rein-

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

deer hair, fell on our faces. After a hearty breakfast
of 'hoosh', plasmon biscuits, chocolate and tea, we
struck the tents, repacked the sledges, and started again
on our journey. The gradient increased now, as we
toiled upwards, to i in 5, and we found it very hard
work dragging the heavy sledge, especially as numer-
ous large 'sastrugi' ran obliquely to our course. Fre-
quently these 'sastrugi' caused our sledge to capsize,
and several times it had not only to be righted, but re-
packed. Though the temperature at 3 p. m. was - 8º
Fahr., we found the pulling such warm work that we
perspired freely.
Late in the evening we reached a spot a little
over half a mile distant from the base of the second, or
main cone, and camped this night at an altitude of
about 5, 630 feet. We had only travelled about three
miles during the day, but had ascended over 2, 800 feet
above our previous camp.
Some of us when we turned into our sleeping
bags after tea, found our socks firmly frozen to our ski-
boots, and sock and boot had to be taken off in one
piece: the temperature that night was - 28º Fahr..
We were camped on a zone of less steep slope
than that up which we had just travelled; this zone
was continuous to the north east with the lowest and

AURORA AUSTRALIS

oldest crater of Erebus, and no doubt, marked the pos-
ition of its old rim, partly buried at this spot under the
material produced by later eruptions. We noticed at
this second camp, and for over a mile before reaching
it, small black fragments of very fresh volcanic slag
lying on the surface of what appeared to be this year's
snow. Here the fragments were as big as a cricket
ball, and about a mile nearer to Erebus an occasional
piece might be seen as large as a football: these were
obviously volcanic bombs, and are evidence that Ere-
bus has probably been producing a little lava within
its crater either this year, or at all events only a very
short time ago.
On the following morning Lieutenant Adams de-
cided that the supporting party might accompany the
main party in the final attempt to reach the summit.
We accordingly made a depot of our sledge and of
part of the provisions, as well as of the tent poles, floor
cloths of the tents, and part of the cooking utensils,
and marked the spot with a black flag on a bamboo
pole. We each had to carry a weight of about forty
pounds, consisting chiefly of sleeping bags, two tents,
and rations for three days. Dr Marshall having photo-
graphed us, we filed off in a procession more bizarre
than beautiful. Some of us with our sleeping bags

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

hanging straight down our backs, with the foot of the
bag curled upwards and outwards, resembled the scor-
pion men of the Assyrian sculptures: others marched
with their household gods done up in the form of
huge sausages; yet another presented Sindbad, with
the place of the ' Old Man of the Sea' taken by a huge
brown bag, stuffed with all our cooking utensils; this
bag had a knack of suddenly slipping off his shoulders,
and bow-stringing him around his neck.
There were not enough crampons for the whole
party, and when we arrived at the steep hard snow
slopes of the main cone, many were the slips, and nau-
tical and naughty the expletives. At one of these
snow slopes Mackay, who was in the van, and was
cutting steps in the hard snow with his ice axe, slipped
suddenly and glissaded with his heavy load for about a
hundred feet, when fortunately his downward career
was checked by a projecting ledge of snow. It was
hard going, but borne up by 'hoosh', hope, and choc-
olate, we succeeded in reaching in the evening a small
recess in a rocky arete, 8, 750 feet above sea level.
When we turned into our sleeping bags, directly
after tea at 8-30 p. m., the temperature was - 20º
Fahr.; the sunset had been clear and glorious, but an
ominous cloud was creeping down upon us from the

AURORA AUSTRALIS

top of Erebus. Between nine and ten p. m., it began
to blow hard, and when we awoke the following morn-
ing, we found a strong blizzard rushing over us from
the south east. It increased in fury as the day wore
on, and swept with terrible force down the rocky rav-
ine where we were camped. So dense was the whirl-
ing snow, and so loud the roaring of the wind, that
although our two parties were only about ten yards
apart we could neither see nor hear each other. Nei-
ther of the two tents were set up, as we had no poles
with us, but they were just doubled over the top ends
of our sleeping bags, so as to protect their closely tog-
gled slits from the drifting snow. Nevertheless a great
deal of fine snow found its way into the bags.
  In the afternoon Brocklehurst emerged from the
three-man sleeping-bag, and instantly a fierce gust
whirled away his wolf-skin mit; he dashed after it, and
the force of the wind swept him some way down the
ravine. Adams, who had left the bag at the same
time as Brocklehurst, saw the latter vanish suddenly,
and in endeavouring to return to the bag to fetch
Marshall to help him to find Brocklehurst, was blown
down by the force of the wind. Meanwhile Marshall,
the only remaining occupant of the bag, had much ado
to keep himself from being blown, sleeping-bag and

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

all, down the ravine. Adams had just succeeded in
reaching the sleeping bag, on his hands and knees,
when Brocklehurst appeared, also on his hands and
knees, having just succeeded by desperate efforts in
pulling himself back, over the rocks: it was a close
call. He was all but completely gone, so biting was
the cold, before he reached the haven of the sleeping-
bag. He and Adams crawled in, and then, as the bag
had been much twisted up, and drifted with snow
while Marshall had been holding it down, Adams and
Marshall got out to try and straighten it up; a moment
later the violent wind doubled the bag right over,
and they had become so benumbed by the cold that they
were unable to turn it over again. Providentially, just
when they too were beginning to feel gone with the
cold, the wind blew the bag right way up again, and
opened it for them; they lost no time in slipping in.
There was nothing for it, while the blizzard last-
ed, but to lie low in our sleeping-bags. At intervals
we munched a plasmon biscuit, or a piece of bovril
chocolate. We had nothing to drink all that day and
the following night, as of course, under the circum-
stances, it was impossible to keep a primus alight in
order to thaw the snow for water. We got some sleep
that night, in spite of the raging of the storm.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

When we awoke at 4 a. m. the following morning,
we found that the blizzard was over, for which we
were devoutly thankful. The primus was soon got
going under the shelter of a rock, and we all turn-
ed out at 4-30 a. m.. After a good breakfast we re-
packed our loads, and started again about 5-30 a. m..
The angle of ascent was now steeper than ever,
being 30º, that is a rise of 1 in 1 1/2|. As the hard snow
slopes were mostly much too steep to climb, without
resorting to the tedious expedient of cutting steps
with an ice-axe, we kept as much as possible to the
rocky aretes. Occasionally, however, the arete would
terminate upwards in a large snow slope, and in such
cases we cut steps across the neve to any arete which
seemed to persist for some length in an upward direc-
tion. Often this second arete would end upwards in a
neve field, and then we had to cut steps as before.
Burdened as we were with our forty pound loads,
and more or less stiff after thirty continuous hours in
our sleeping-bags, and beginning besides to find respir-
ation more difficult as the altitude increased, we felt
exhausted, while we were still 800 feet below the rim
of the main crater. Accordingly we halted at noon,
thawed some snow with the primus, and were soon
revelling in cups of delicious tea, hot and strong, which

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

at once reinvigorated us. Once more we tackled the
ascent. When close to the top Mackay, who had be-
come separated from the rest of the party, started cut-
ting steps with his ice-axe up a long and very steep
neve slope. The task was almost impossible for one so
heavily loaded as he was, but nevertheless, he won his
way unaided to the summit.
By this time we had reached the rim of the main
crater. Often, while toiling up its slopes, we had
tried to picture to ourselves the probable scenery at the
summit, and had imagined an even plain of neve, or
glacier ice, filling the extinct crater to the brim, and
sloping up gradually to the active cone at its southern
end: but we now found ourselves on the very brink of
a massive precipice of black rock, forming the inner
edge of the vast crater. This wall of dark lava is
mostly vertical, while in places it overhangs: it is from
80 to 100 feet in height. The base of this cliff was
separated from the snow plain beyond by a deep ditch,
like a huge dry moat. The ditch was evidently not a
'bergschrund', but was due chiefly to the action of the
blizzards. These winds blowing fiercely from the
south-east, and striking against the great inner wall of
the old crater, give rise to a powerful back eddy at the
base of the cliff, and it is this eddy which has scooped

AURORA AUSTRALIS

out the deep trench in the hard snow; the trench was
from thirty to forty feet deep, and was bounded by
more or less vertical sides.
Beyond the wall and trench was an extensive
snowfield, with the active cone and crater at its south
end, the latter emitting great volumes of steam; but
what surprised us most were the extraordinary struct-
ures which rose every here and there above the surface
of this snowfield. These were in the form of mounds
and pinnacles of the most varied and fantastic appear-
ance. Some resembled bee-hives, others were like
huge ventilating cowls, others like isolated turrets, or
bits of battlemented walls; others again in shape resem-
bled various animals. We were wholly unable at first
sight, to divine the origin of these remarkable objects,
and the need for rest and refreshment cut short con-
templation for the time. We hurried along the ram-
part of the old crater wall, in search of a suitable
camping ground. It was at this time that our figures,
thrown up against the skyline, were seen through a
telescope by Armytage from our winter quarters at
Cape Royds, over twelve miles distant. We selected
for our camp, a little rocky gully on the north-west
slope of the main cone, and fifty feet below the rim of
the old crater. Here we had the satisfaction of being

THE ASCENT OF EREBUS

able to ease our shoulders at last from their burdens.
While some cooked the meal, Dr. Marshall ex-
amined Brocklehurst's feet, as the latter stated that for
some time past he had lost all feeling in them. We
were all surprised and shocked, when his ski-boots and
socks were taken off, to see that both his big toes
were black, and had evidently been 'gone' for several
hours, and that four more toes, though less severely
affected, were also frost-bitten. It must have required
great pluck and determination on his part to have
climbed almost continuously for nine hours, up the
steep and difficult track we had followed, with his feet
so badly frost-bitten. Doctors Marshall and Mackay
at once set to work with a will to restore circulation
in the feet, by warming and charing them. Their
efforts were, under the circumstances, eminently suc-
cessful, but it was clear that recovery from so severe a
frost-bite would be slow and tedious. Brocklehurst's
feet having been thoroughly warmed were put into
dry socks, and finneskoes stuffed with sennegraes; and
then we all had lunch at about 3-30 p. m..
Leaving Brocklehurst safely tucked up in the three
man sleeping bag, the remaining five of us started off
to explore the floor of the old crater. Ascending to
the crater rim we climbed along it, until we came to a

AURORA AUSTRALIS

spot where there was a practicable breach in the crater
wall, and where a narrow tongue of snow bridged the
neve trench at its base. As soon as we arrived on the
hard snow on the far side, Mackay joined us all up
with the alpine rope, and with him in the lead we ad-
vanced cautiously over the snow plain, keeping a sharp
lookout for crevasses. We steered for one of the re-
markable mounds which had so interested us at a dis-
tance; when we reached the nearest of them, and cur-
sorily examined it, we were as far as ever from under-
standing how it had formed: we noticed some curious
hollows, like large drains partly roofed in, running to-
wards the mound, and at the time we supposed these
to be ordinary crevasses. Pushing on slowly we reach-
ed eventually a small parasitic cone, about 1, 000 feet
above the level of our camp, and over a mile distant.
Here peeped from under the snow brown masses
of earthy looking material, which we found to consist
of lumps of lava, large felspar crystals, from one to
three inches in length, and fragments of pumice; both
felspar and pumice were, in many cases, coated with
sulphur. We now started to return to our camp; we
were no longer roped together, as we had not met
with any definite crevasses on our way up. We di-
rected our steps towards one of the ice mounds, which

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

resembled a lion couchant. To our surprise the lion
appeared now to be blowing smoke out of his mouth.
The origin of the mounds was no longer a myst-
ery; they were the outward and visible signs of fumar-
oles. In ordinary climates, a fumarole, or volcanic
vapour well, may be detected by the thin cloud of
steam above it, like breath exhaled on a frosty day,
and usually one can at once feel the warmth, by pass-
ing one's hand into the vapour column; but, in the ri-
gour of the Antarctic climate, the fumaroles of Erebus
have their vapour turned into ice as soon as it reaches
the surface of the snow plain. Thus ice mounds,
somewhat similar in shape to the sinter mounds formed
by the geysers of New Zealand, of Iceland, and of
Yellowstone Park, are built up around the orifices of
the fumaroles of Erebus. When exploring one of these
fumaroles, Mackay fell suddenly up to his thighs into
one of its concealed conduits; he saved himself how-
ever, from falling in deeper still, with his ice axe.
Marshall had a nearly similar experience at about the
same time. Eventually we all arrived safely at our
camp soon after 6 p. m., and found Brocklehurst pro-
gressing as well as could be expected.
As we sat on the rocks at tea, we had a glorious
view to the west. While the foothills of Erebus flush-

AURORA AUSTRALIS

ed rosy red in the sunset, a vast rolling sea of cumulus
cloud covered all the land from Cape Bird to Cape
Royds. McMurdo Sound, now rapidly freezing over,
showed warm ochreous tints, where the floe ice had
formed, with dark purplish gray streaks marking the
leads of open water between. Faraway the Western
Mountains glowed with the purest tints of greenish
purple and amethyst. That night we had nothing but
hard rock rubble under our sleeping-bags, and quite
anticipated another blizzard; nevertheless, 'weariness
can snore upon the flint, ' and thus we slept soundly
couched on Kenyte lava.
The following morning had two surprises for us;
first, when we arose at 4 a. m. there was no sign of a
blizzard, and next, while we were preparing breakfast,
some one exclaimed, " Look at the great shadow of
Erebus, " and a truly wonderful sight it was. All the
land below the base of the main cone, and for forty
miles to the west of it, across McMurdo Sound, was a
rolling sea of dense cumulus cloud. Projected oblique-
ly on this, as on a vast magic lantern screen, was the
huge bulk of the giant volcano. The sun had just
risen, and flung the shadow of Erebus right across the
Sound, and against the foothills of the Western Mount-
ains. Every detail of the profile of Erebus, as outlined

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

on the clouds, could be readily recognized. There to
the right was the great black fang, the relic of the first
crater; far above and beyond that was to be seen the
rim of the main crater, near our camp; then further to
the left, and still higher, rose the active crater with its
canopy of steam faithfully portrayed on the cloud
screen. Still further to the left the dark shadow dip-
ped rapidly down into the shining fields of cloud be-
low. All within the shadow of Erebus was a soft
bluish grey; all without was warm, bright and golden.
Words fail to describe a scene of such transcendent
majesty and beauty.
After breakfast while Marshall was attending to
Brocklehurst's feet, the hypsometer which had become
frozen on the way up, was thawed out with the heat
of the primus, and a boiling point determination was
made. This when reduced, and combined with the
mean of our aneroid levels, made the altitude of the old
crater rim, just above our camp, 11, 400 feet. The
highest point reached by us on the preceding evening,
according to our aneroid, was about 1, 000 feet above
the preceding level, and thus was 12, 400 feet above
the sea.
At 6 a. m. we left our camp, and made all speed
to reach the crater summit. As soon as we had crossed

AURORA AUSTRALIS

the snow trench, at the foot of the cliff, we roped our-
selves together in the same order as before, and stood
over towards a conspicuous fumarole. This was the
one which bore some resemblance to a lion; it was
about 20 feet in height; Mawson photographed this
from here, and also took a view of the active crater,
about one and a half miles distant. There was consid-
erable difficulty in taking photographs on Erebus, ow-
ing to the focal plane of the camera having become
frozen. Near the furthest point reached by us on the
preceding afternoon, we observed that there were sev-
eral patches of ice of a lemon-yellow colour, the yellow
being due to sulphur. We next ascended several rath-
er steep slopes, formed of alternating beds of hard snow
and vast quantities of large and perfect felspar crystals,
mixed with pumice; all these beds dipped away from
the active crater. A little further on we reached the
foot of the recent cone of the active crater; here we
unroped, as there was no possibility of any crevasses
ahead of us.
Our progress was now painfully slow, as the alti-
tude and cold combined to make respiration difficult.
The cone was built up chiefly of blocks of pum-
ice, from a few inches up to three feet in diameter.
Externally these were grey, or often yellow, owing to

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

incrustations of sulphur, but internally they were of a
resinous brown colour. A shout of joy and surprise
broke from the leading files, when a little after 10 a.
m., the edge of the active crater was at last reached.
We had travelled only about two and a half miles
from our camp, and had ascended just 2, 000 feet, and
yet this had taken us, with a few short halts, just four
hours.
The scene that now suddenly burst upon us was
magnificent and awe-inspiring. We stood on the
verge of a vast abyss, and at first could neither see to
the bottom, nor across it, on account of the huge mass
of steam filling the crater, and soaring aloft in a col-
umn 500 to 1, 000 feet high. After a continuous loud
hissing sound, lasting for some minutes, there would
come from below a big dull boom, and immediately
afterwards a great globular mass of steam would rush
upwards to swell the volume of the snow-white cloud
which ever sways over the crater. These phenomena
recurred at intervals of a few minutes during the whole
of our stay at the crater. Meanwhile the whole of
the air around us was extremely redolent of burning
sulphur.
Presently a gentle northerly breeze fanned away
the steam cloud and at once the whole crater stood

AURORA AUSTRALIS

revealed to us in all its vast extent and depth.
Mawson's measurements made the depth 900 feet,
and the greatest width about half a mile. There were
evidently at least three well-like openings at the bot-
tom of the caldron, and it was from these that the
steam explosions proceeded. Near the south-west por-
tion of the crater, there was an immense rift in the rim
perhaps 300 to 400 feet deep. The crater wall oppo-
site to the one at the top of which we were standing,
presented features of special interest. Beds of dark
pumiceous lava, or pumice alternated with white zones
of snow; there was no direct evidence that the snow
was interbedded with the lava, though it is possible
that such may have been the case. From the top of
one of the thickest of the lava, or pumice beds, just
where it touched a belt of snow, there rose scores of
small steam jets, all in a row; they were too numerous
and too close together to have been each an independ-
ant fumarole. The appearance was rather suggestive
of the snow being converted into steam by the heat of
the layer of rock immediately below it. While at
the crater's edge we made a boiling point determin-
ation with the hypsometer, but the result was not so
satisfactory as that made earlier in the morning at our
camp. As the result of averaging aneroid levels, to-

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

gether with the hypsometer determination at our camp
at the top of the old crater, calculations made by us |
show that the summit of Erebus is probably about
13, 370 feet above sea-level.
As soon as our measurements had been made, and
some photographs had been taken by Mawson, we
hurried back towards our camp, as it was imperatively
necessary to get Brocklehurst down to the base of the
main cone that day, and this meant a descent in all, of
nearly 8, 000 feet. On the way back a traverse was
made of the main crater, and levels taken for con-
structing a geological section; we also collected num-
erous specimens of the unique felspar crystals, and of
the pumice and sulphur.
On arrival in camp we had a hasty meal, and
having hurriedly packed up, shouldered our burdens
once more, and started down the steep mountain slope.
Brocklehurst insisted on carrying his heavy load, in
spite of his frost-bitten feet. We followed a course a
little to the west of the one we took when ascending.
The rock was rubbly and kept slipping under our feet,
so that falls were frequent. After descending a few
hundreds of feet, we found that the rubbly spur of
rock, down which we were floundering, ended abrupt-
ly in a long and steep neve slope.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Three courses were now open to us; either to re-
trace our steps to the point above us, where our rocky
spur had deviated from the main arete; or to cut steps
across the neve slope to this arete; or to glissade down
some 500 to 600 feet to the rocky ledge below. Nat-
urally, in our then tired state, we preferred to move in
the path of least resistance offered by the glissade; ac-
cordingly we all dumped our burdens, and rearranged
such as needed to be altered, so that they might all
well and truly roll. We were now very thirsty, and
some of us quenched our thirst, satisfactorily for the
time, by gathering a little snow, squeezing it into a
ball in the palm of one's hand, and then placing it on
the surface of a piece of rock. Although the shade
temperature was then considerably below zero, Fahr.,
the black rock had absorbed so much heat from the
direct rays of the sun, that the snowball, when placed
on it, commenced to melt almost immediately, and the
thaw water started to trickle over the surface of the
rock. The chill having been taken off the snowball
in this way, the remainder could be safely transferred
to one's mouth, and yielded a refreshing drink.
Our loads having now been modelled into the
shape of sausages, we launched them down the slope,
and watched them intently, as, like animated things,

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

they bumped and bounded over the wavy ridges of the
neve slope. Brocklehurst's load, consisting largely of
all our cooking utensils, done up in a large bag, if not
the most erratic, was certainly the noisiest, and recall-
ed, on a small scale, Kipling's Bolivar, 'clanging like a
smithy shop after every roll'. The battered remains
of the aluminium vessels fetched up with a final big
bang against the rocks below. Mackay now led the
glissade, and firmly grasping his ice-axe, slid to the
bottom in less than a minute; we all followed suit.
As we gathered speed on our downward course,
and the chisel edge of the ice-axe bit deeper into the
hard neve, it sprayed our faces and necks with a min-
iature shower of ice. The temperature was low, and
whenever the steel of the ice-axe touched one's bare
skin, it seemed to burn it like a hot iron. We all
reached the bottom of the slope safely, and fired with
the success of our first glissade, and finding an almost
endless succession of snow slopes below us, we let our-
selves go again and again, in a series of wild rushes to-
wards the foot of the main cone. Here and there we
bumped heavily against the opposing edges of hard
'sastrugi', or tore our nether garments on projecting
points of sharp rock. Unfortunately it was not only
clothes and cookers which suffered in our wild career:

AURORA AUSTRALIS

a valuable aneroid was lost, and one of the hypsometer
thermometers broken. It seemed as though we should
never reach the bottom of the cone, but at last the
slope flattened out to the gently inclined terrace, where
our depot lay; altogether we had dropped down 5, 000
feet in level by glissading.
Adams and Marshall were the first to reach the
depot, the rest of the party, with the exception of
Brocklehurst, having made a detour to their left, in
consequence of having to pursue some lost luggage in
that direction. At the depot, the blizzard of Sunday
the 8th, had made sad havoc of our gear; the sledge
had been overturned, and some of our belongings
blown right away, while the remainder had been scat-
tered to some distance, and were now partly or wholly
covered by drift snow. After setting up the tent,
Adams and Marshall returned over half a mile to re-
join Brocklehurst. Meanwhile a slight blizzard had
sprung up, which completely blotted out the depot
from view; fortunately the wind soon died down, and
Adams, Marshall, and Brocklehurst were able to regain
the camp. Tea was soon brewed with the help of the
primus. The remainder of the party arrived at the
depot at about 10 p. m..
It was suggested that, as a blizzard seemed to be

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

impending, we had better abandon our gear, and push
on for winter quarters that night, but as it was some-
what dark, and we had already had a very hard day,
having been going since 4 a. m., we decided to rest
there that night, and to make an early start the next
morning; so we camped that night at our depot, and
at 3 a. m. Adams stirred us out, and made ready the
breakfast. After breakfast there was much ado about
hunting after missing articles, which had been flung
about by the blizzard. The quarter-plate camera was
found by Marshall in a small snow drift, some little dis-

tance from our sledge. At last most of our belongings
were recovered, the sledge packed, and we resumed
our march at 5-30 a. m..
We now found the 'sastrugi', which were from
four to five feet in height, and oblique to our course,
very troublesome. We put rope brakes on the sledge-
runners, and while two of us pulled in front, and two
steadied the sledge, two pulled back behind; but the
sledge either refused to move, or suddenly took charge,
and kept overrunning those who were dragging it, and
capsizes occurred every few minutes.
Marshall devised the best means of making pro-
gress: he let the sledge take charge, then, before it had
got up much speed, he jumped on behind, and steered

AURORA AUSTRALIS

it with his legs, as it bumped and jolted over the ' sas-
trugi'; but frequently the muscular ex-captain of the
Bartholemew's Hospital Rugby Union Football Team,
found that not all his thirteen stone weight could save
him from being bucked right over the sledge, and
flung on the neve on the other side. Fortunately no
bones were broken, and we reached the nunatak at our
first camp, six miles distant from Winter Quarters at
Cape Royds, at about 7-30 a. m..
By this time there was every symptom of the app-
roach of a blizzard, and already the snow was begin-
ning to drift before a gusty south-easterly wind. This
threatened soon to cut us off from all view of our win-
ter quarters. We were beginning to feel dog tired:
one of our tents had a large hole burnt in it, the oil
supply was almost done, one of our primus stoves had
been put out of action, as the result of our glissade; so
we didn't relish the prospect, under the circumstances,
of weathering another blizzard in our tents. We
decided therefore to make a dash for Cape Royds.
In the uncertain grey light of a windy sky, the
'sastrugi' did not show up in relief, and literally at
about every twenty yards some member of the party
stumbled, and fell sprawling over the snow.
At last we were gladdened by the sight of the

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS.

shining ice surface of the Blue Lake, only half a mile
from our winter quarters. Now that the haven was
at hand, and the strain and stress over, (for it had
proved a pretty severe strain for most of us, ) we sud-
denly felt our limbs grow heavy and leaden, just as
they sometimes seem to in a nightmare, when one im-
agines oneself pursued by wild beasts.
When close to the hut, we formed in line, and
saw Lieutenant Shackleton and the rest of our com-
rades rush out to meet us; he hailed us with the cry,
"Did you get to the top"? At first there was no res-
ponse, presumably because each one of us was waiting
for the other to speak, and what's everybody's business
is, of course, nobody's business. Then Adams sung
out "Yes", and they all gave us a hearty cheer.
Many were the hand-shakings, and warm the
welcome. How cosy and luxurious were our winter
quarters after the wind-swept slopes of Erebus! and
how delightful it was to pour our travellers' tales into
the ears of willing listeners! These tales probably lost
nothing in the telling, from the fact that the doctor
administered to each of us, just as an antidote to col-
lapse, of course, a small dose of champagne. Fearing
that our listeners might suffer from collapse through
excess of strain upon their credulity, the doctor pre-

AURORA AUSTRALIS

scribed for all of them a similar treatment.
Never shall we forget the delicious hot porridge
and milk which our good friend " Bobs" produced for
us, at a moment's notice, as if by magic, and the prime
boiled ham and sweet home-made bread and the fresh
butter which followed. The way we made those vic-
tuals vanish must have astounded all but the old hands
among our comrades; they had evidently been there
before. After the meal came more talk and more con-
gratulations, which filled the cup of our happiness to
overflowing. Then followed rest, and the long sound
sleep that comes to weary travellers.
The rest of the story is soon told. After some
delay, on account of unfavourable weather, a party
consisting of Adams, Armytage, David, Joyce, Wild
and Marshall, started with a 7 ft. sledge, tent, and
provisions, to fetch in the 11 ft. sledge, left near the
nunatak at our first camp. After a fairly heavy pull
over the soft new fallen snow, in cloudy weather, with
the temperature at mid-day -20º, and the wind blow-
ing from the south-east, we just managed to sight the
nunatak, recovered the 11 ft. sledge, placed the 7 ft.
sledge on top of it, and pulled them both back togeth-
er as far as the Blue Lake. The following morning
two of the Manchurian ponies were harnessed to the

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS

sledges, and dragged them up the rocky ridge which
bounds the Blue Lake on the west, and then took
them on to our winter quarters. Our specimens col-
lected on Erebus all arrived safely.
The scientific results of the ascent of Erebus will,
it is hoped, prove of considerable interest. Probably
there is no more important spot in the world for study-
ing the movements of the upper atmosphere. The
place for scientific results is not here, but rather in the
contemplated meteorological, geological, and mineral-
ogical memoirs of this expedition.
On looking back at our trip to Erebus, one cannot
but be impressed with the wonder of the sights and
scenes that had unfolded themselves to us during our
brief journey. The glorious sunsets, the magic of the
sunrise seen from our camp above the clouds, when the
great shadow of Erebus swept across McMurdo Sound,
and touched the far-off Western Mountains, the weird
shapes of the green and white ice mounds built around
the fumaroles of the old crater, its pavement of spark-
ling felspar crystals interspersed with snow and pumice;
the hissing and booming caldron of the modern crater,
with its long lines of steam jets, and its snow-white
pillar of steam, will never fade from the memory.
One cannot but be impressed with the fact that

AURORA AUSTRALIS

throughout the whole of our trip, we were singularly
favoured. In the first place the route followed proved
eminently satisfactory, for while it gave us good snow
surfaces for our sledge, it kept us entirely free from
any dangerously crevassed ice. Next the blizzard,
though very trying while it lasted, on account of its
violence and low temperature, commencing at -30º
Fahr., proved a blessing in disguise, for it lasted just
long enough to considerably raise the temperature, as
well as to check the high-level south-westerly wind,
and so produced a calm. Thus the task of reaching
the summit of Erebus at the beginning of winter, was
made much easier for us than it would otherwise have
been.
Providentially the journey to the top of Erebus
and back has been accomplished without any very ser-
ious accident, for which we are devoutly thankful.
These notes cannot be concluded without an ex-
pression of our hearty gratitude to our comrades who
welcomed us back at our winter quarters, and who
contributed so much by their generous help and sym-
pathy, to the success of our ascent.
T. W. EDGEWORTH DAVID.

MIDWINTER NIGHT.
The acetylene splutters and flickers,
The night comes into its own.
Outside Ambrose and Terror
Are snarling over a bone.
And this is the tale the watchman,
Awake in the dead of night,
Tells of the fourteen sleepers
Whose snoring gives him the blight.
The revels of Eros and Bacchus
Are mingled in some of their dreams,
For the songs they gustily gurgle
Are allied to bibulous themes.
And subjects re barmaids and bottles,
Whisky and barrels of beer,
Are mixed with amorous pleadings
That sound decidedly queer.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Darling you really love me?
Stutters one dreaming swain;
The watchman whispers "Never, "
And the dreamer writhes in pain.
From the corner cabin a mutter,
The listener kens not what;
It sounds like " yon pale moon",
Or some other poetic rot.
Murder is done in another's dream
And falls from shuddering heights;
Erebus rises to dance on the sea
And the dreamer flees south in tights.
Another sails north on the broken ice
Just dressed in Nature's clothes,
Whilst seals and penguins grin in delight
And the frost plays hell with his toes.
And some see tailors they knew of yore,
Stalk in with their mile-long bills;
And everyone when morning broke
Made a rush for calomel pills.
VERITAS.

TRIALS OF A MESSMAN

RISE and shine! Rise and shine! All hands
lash up and stow hammocks! Show a leg
there, you're the man of the moment;
followed by a few remarks on my personal appearance
and habits, as I try to lie and seem to be asleep, and
I awake to the realisation that I am "Messman. "
Until a few weeks ago I didn't even know what
the name meant, except that he was not a man who
was expected to make messes, and that unpleasant per-
sonal remarks were made to him if he did. Now,
however, I have learnt by experience that he is expect-
ed to do everything and to do it all at the same time.
Finding it impossible to impress on the night-watch-
man the fact that, having a delicate constitution, I
ought not to be expected to turn out with the temp-
erature at 20º Fahr., I gave him my candid opinion of
his powers of stoking, and said I was pretty sure that
in a future sphere, he was likely to give dissatisfaction.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Having turned out and donned a fair supply of
clothes, I reported myself to my chief, and was told in
very concise terms to go to a warmer clime; it after-
wards turned out that he expected me to do my duty
as messman first, and I laid the table for breakfast.
A meal in the Antarctic is a very different affair
from one at home, and a description will come better
from the messman than from anyone else, for as the
saying is, "The onlooker sees most of the game, " and
as far as my experience goes, the messman at a meal is
very much in the position of a spectator.
At a quarter to nine he gives the order, "Boats
crew, " and four men proceed to unsling and let down
the table, which between meals is kept slung above
our heads, occupying much the same position in our
imaginations as the sword did in that of Damocles. I
have not liked to walk underneath it since the supports
gave way, and landed the majority of the tin-ware on
the heads of one or two members of the party.
The table in itself is a curiosity; it is built rather
ingeniously of the lids of cases, and in one place a
legend informs the diner that the table contains a
theodolite, some ranging poles and other surveying
apparatus, while another legend remarks that it is only
"To be opened on Christmas Day, " etc..

TRIALS OF A MESSMAN

Laying the table is an art in itself. The tastes of
all members have to be catered for, and that means
that it is necessary to have two or three different kinds
of jam, marmalade, honey and golden syrup, dripping
and butter. I have seen men spreading chutney on
their bread, and putting honey in their porridge, and
from the way it has disappeared, I have reason to
believe that they take Worcestershire sauce with their
fruit.
At nine o'clock I serve the porridge, distributing
it about equally between the inside and outside of the
bowls, and at five or ten minutes past, the company
condescend to turn out of bed, and the first thing they
do is to find fault with the laying of the table.
On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion I forgot
the pepper. Now the menu for the morning was
porridge, fruit and preserves; what use anyone could
find for pepper in that breakfast, I do not know, but
within ten seconds of their arrival at the table, every
other man had asked for it, and told his neighbour
what he thought of me for not putting it on the table.
If it happens to be a fruit day, i. e. a day when for
second course fruit takes the place of meat, the next
order given is, "Bowls up and lick spoons, " there being
only about fifteen of each article on the Continent, and

AURORA AUSTRALIS

the bowls and spoons which have been used for por-
ridge, are cleaned in this alfresco way and used for
fruit.
For about a quarter of an hour everybody is too
busily engaged to be captious, but about the time tea
or coffee are being passed round, they begin to find
their tongues, and I sit down to my breakfast, which
is stone-cold, beneath a fire of criticisms as to my fit-
ness, or rather my lack of fitness for the post.
After breakfast I wash the crockery and tinnery,
being allowed a pint of water and a couple of lumps of
soda to do it with. Volunteers have been known to
assist in getting the grease off the plates and in drying
them, and it is possible to get through the work in
about an hour.
It is a sight for the gods to see a well-known
F. R. S, drying a wet plate with a wetter cloth, and
looking ruefully at the islands of grease remaining,
after he has spent five minutes hard work on it. I
suppose that nowhere else in the world is it a common
sight to see two geologists and a meteorologist washing
up dishes as if they had been used to nothing else.
The above programme is repeated three times in
the day, with slight variations at lunch, tea, and din-
ner, and is in itself, in my opinion, sufficient work to

TRIALS OF A MESSMAN

last three men and a boy for a week.
The messman also enjoys quite a number of other
privileges. He is allowed to go out into the cold, and
obtain enough ice to fill both the boiler from which
we ourselves drink, and the eighteen gallon melting
pot which provides the fresh water for the Cavalry
Commissariat Department, and he may do this as often
as he likes. He is allowed to fetch bags of coal and
strips of frozen blubber for the fire, while on Sundays
as a great treat, he may dig out the frozen mutton
from the snowdrift on the roof.
With everything apparently united to afford him
plenty of employment and make him happy, yet,
strange to say, he has his moments of despondency.
No other occupation could cause a man to have such
a low opinion of his own powers.
To a casual observer stoning raisins appears to be
easy enough, and until my first day as messman I had
been a very casual observer, and when the autocrat at
the head of the Food Department gave me some rais-
ins after lunch, and told me to stone them, I looked
forward to a restful interlude in what had so far been
a strenuous day. I washed my hands until they were
of a colour which I thought could not show on the
raisins, even if it did come off, took a tin of raisins and

AURORA AUSTRALIS

a basin, settled myself in a comfortable position and
started.
At the end of half an hour there were seven
whole raisins and forty-nine pieces in the basin, stones
scattered all over the hut and myself, raisin in my hair
and in everything else within reach, and about two
hundred raisins inside various members of the Exped-
ition. There was raisin in everything at dinner from
the soup to the tea, and I meet raisin stones in my bed,
on all my clothes and in all my books.
Last but not least I retired from the fray, with
my respect for all people who make cakes and pud-
dings greatly enhanced. In the words of a prominent
scientist on the Expedition, "To a man of my refined
and sensitive nature, it is singularly repulsive to be
beaten by a fruit. "
Another duty new to me is making tea, and it is
by no means a light one. The capacity of this Expe-
dition for tea is simply marvellous; some of the mem-
bers take it in a bath, and among the many things I
have learnt is that some Scotchmen take more tea
than 'whuskie', (though that may be because they can
get no 'whuskie', ) and that they are more particular
about it than even Australians. It is either too hot
or too cold, boiled too much or not boiled at all, too

TRIALS OF A MESSMAN

sweet or not sweet enough, and whether it is good,
bad, or indifferent, there is never enough of it. Like
most other messmen, I have decided now to make it
to suit myself, and have ceased to pay any attention to
criticism.
I should not like to finish without expressing my
gratitude for one thing. To a lover of human nature
it is very gratifying to see artists, geologists, biolo-
gists, meteorologists and other 'ologists' and 'ists' fight-
ing in vast numbers and with earnest purpose, for the
privilege of sweeping out the hut after dinner, and
relieving the messman of this exercise. I have not
liked to thank them to their faces, but thought they
might blush unseen when they saw in print my appre-
ciation of their eagerness.
MESSMAN.

A PONY WATCH.
AFTER watching the man painting the lamp
post with a brush fixed on a breast drill,
for some time in silence, I say to the boy
with green hair, 'I believe I could do it better myself. '
The brush catches me a blow in the ribs, and the man
rushes at me with a chopper in one hand and a ham-
mer in the other, when realising that I can fly I take
huge leaps without any effort, a most delightful
sensation.
To my horror I find that though the leaps are
high yet they do not carry me far; and on the fourth
or fifth the man is waiting for me with the hammer.
I give myself up for lost, and come down receiving a
fearful blow on the head. A voice says, "Come on,
this is your pony watch and it has gone two. "
By the dim light of the oil lamp, I see standing
by the side of my bunk, a figure clothed in oilskins
streaming water. Joyce is sitting on his bunk growl-
ing out in a voice hoarse with sleep, "Now then

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Chucks, you've been called twice". The first time
must have been the paint-brush in the ribs.
I realise that I have to stand my two hours
watch in the stables, so struggling out of my blankets,
I grope sleepily for the socks I have been sleeping on,
in the vain hope of drying them; stepping on the spot
where a box should be, I land with a bump on the
deck.
Down "Oyster Alley" I am thrown by a roll of
the ship, ' Sorry', I say to the bunk into which I am
thrown, before I notice it is empty. Clutching every-
where I return to where my clothes should be, only
to find that the box has returned, and I stub my toe
against it. I don't say 'sorry, ' but make a grab at my
trousers and gingerly push one leg into their damp
cold recesses. I wish I had not taken them off, but
before I can settle in my mind which would have
been the better plan, I am thrown violently against a
moving box, and together we roll and slide until the
deck is fairly level; then as Joyce runs up the ladder
with practised steps, I struggle into the rest of my
clothes and follow as best I can.
The watch we are relieving come along mutter-
ing, "Rough night, pony still down, " and literally
dive below. I am deafened by the roaring wind,

A PONY WATCH.

blinded by the driving spray, but struggle past the
black motionless figure of the helmsman, and get safely
under the shelter of the deck house. We seem to be
sliding into a gigantic bowl of water, I shudder, but
continue to fight my way stableward.
Watching for what I think to be a favourable
moment I release my frantic hold of the motor car
stays and dash forward; I am caught by a sea which
fills my boots but does not upset me, then as I walk
confidently past the galley, the lee rail is buried under
water; I am more than ever convinced that it is a
rough night and long for daylight.
A wild struggle through the stable entrance, and
I am greeted by a pained silence from Joyce. The
ship is fairly level but the ponies have obviously had a
bad time; one is down and all efforts to raise it having
been useless, we wait for daylight to decide its fate.
We stare ahead listening to the gale screaming over-
head, and feel the ship giving sudden plunges as the
cable strains at her bows.
The timbers of the stable groan and creak, and
we doubt their ability to carry the weight of boats
and gear resting on them. Gaining confidence we
seat ourselves on a sack of wet bran and fall to talking
fitfully, the lamp splutters, goes out, and is lit with

AURORA AUSTRALIS

difficulty; the ponies snort, stamp, kick and keep us
anxious.
Crash! a sea aboard and the sack on which we
are sitting is swept from under us, we are rolled into
the smother of sea, mixed up with trusses of hay,
sacks of oats, food-boxes etc.. The ponies on the
weather side kick frantically, one has his fore legs
over the bar; Joyce is up and pushing him back be-
fore I can extricate myself from the tangle, when I do
I only hold on to a rope and render what assistance
I can.
This is followed by a succession of seas aboard,
and we heap curses on the helmsman for letting us
fall off our course. Occasionaly we are swept off our
feet, and can only hold on and do little to soothe the
ponies. They suffer continually and we pity them,
hoping for finer weather. The mats are slipping from
under their feet, we replace them with difficulty and
repeat the performance at intervals.
Another period of comparative, calm follows; I
volunteer to raid the galley and make some cocoa.
Here there is a scene of wild confusion; the floor is
flooded, littered with coal, and slippery with grease;
after many mishaps, "Scottie" coming along gives
valuable assistance.

A PONY WATCH

Crash! a huge sea strikes us, and the ship literally
staggers with the weight of it; water pours through the
door, roof, and every available crevice; the fire is smoth-
ered and the galley fills with steam; another rush of
water and I am carried through the door into the scup-
pers, clinging to everything within reach, then as the I
water pours off, "Scottie, " soaked but quite unconcern-
ed, says he is afraid that there is some sea water in the
cocoa, but I abandon the idea of cocoa and rush for
the stables.
Joyce is having a rough time, the bulwarks are
stove in and we are now constantly awash. The rest
of the watch consists of fierce inrushes of water, which
terrify the ponies and send every loose article, regard-
less of weight, swinging about the confined space.
The grey dawn at length appearing, we begin to have
faith in the coming day.
At four o'clock I go aft, report to the officer on
watch, then dive into the fearsome depths of 'Oyster
Alley; ' rouse the watch, and when they are up, tumble
into my blankets with a sigh of relief; despite a wild
medley of scientific snores, sleeping on until "Rouse
and shine, rouse and shine, " from Wild brings me out
to a welcome breakfast, and I learn with regret that
the pony has been shot; and so another day begins.
PUTTY.

SOUTHWARD BOUND.

The Nimrod sailed for the Southern Seas,
On her voyage of venture bent;
She left the Heads with a westerly breeze
As the Flagship's cheers grew faint.
She was taken in tow by the "Koonya",
With seven score fathoms of wire,
And for twelve long days and nights she strove
With a southerly buster's ire.
Watch by watch for two hours at a stretch
To the pony stalls we clung,
With the water knee-deep on the for'ard hatch,
And the decks a'swimming with dung.
"Doctor" was down on the third night out,
And eight hours later was dead;
For the efforts of man in a gale were 'nowt, '
So his end was an ounce of lead.
We slept in our sodden bunks by night,
Abaft the after hold;
And wished for the day to bring in the light
And the tale that was yet to be told.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

On the fifteenth day we sighted the ice;
So the "Koonya" cast us free;
With ten of Boyle's sheep aboard in a trice,
And another ten lost in the sea.
With all sail set and a following breeze
Toward that distant land we sped;
And crept through a field of a thousand bergs
Which guarded a virgin bed.
To the Great Ice Barrier's edge we come
And search on that lonely shore,
For the spot we should make our winter home,
Which was known to be there of yore.
Not a sign was there of the Bight we sought,
But ten miles south sailed we
Of a place that was marked by a skipper named Scott,
In a ship called "Discovery".
So east we turned to the land of our King,
For there we would plant our flag;
But the heavy ice pack on our starboard tack
Prevented us landing our swag.

SOUTHWARD BOUND.

Then westward toward the setting sun
Along the Barrier's edge.
As a last resource, to land our force
On a place from which we could sledge.
In a solitary hut on a lonely isle
Beneath a smoke capped height,
Hemmed in by the ice that grips us awhile
We wait in the long dark night.
When the sun returns from his tropical home,
And smiles on these desolate quarters,
May the ice hold fast till sledging is past,
Then 'What Ho'! for our wives and daughters.
LAPSUS LINGUAE.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR

IT was a perfect Antarctic winter night.
A- and I were trudging merrily along
over the sea-ice, under the cliffs to the
north of Erebus, for in such weather it seemed a crime
to remain indoors.
The moon shone full, dimming the stars and
paling the sky in the zenith, though round the horizon
its colour deepened into a rich ultramarine. On our
right towered the mighty volcano, swelling up at first
in long glittering snow slopes, which formed a noble
pedestal to the beetling rocky spurs which buttressed.
the summit cone and ice-cap.
From the active crater jetted a delicate pure
white stream of curling vapour, clear-cut against the
sky, like a cameo tracery. It was a scene in whites
and blues, only relieved by the rich brown of the
rocks.
But such whites and blues! They were livid,
ethereal, electric. Artists speak, I believe, of a dead

AURORA AUSTRALIS.

white, but such an adjective could never be applied to
the whites of the Antarctic snows by moonlight.
It would be a platitude to compare the whole to
a vista of fairyland, and perhaps an anticlimax to say
that it was like some lovely transformation scene,
viewed by the wrapt gaze of childhood.
One thing is certain, that the whole effect seem-
ed almost supernatural, and it did not require an im-
pressionable mind to be uplifted by it to a height
almost more than mortal.
So we swung along; it seemed as if fatigue were
one of those earthly ills left far behind us in prosaic
temperate climes.
The creaking snow, blown down and packed
hard by the southerly blizzard from the slopes above
us, made the most perfect going. The ever-changing
views of the broken ice-cliffs and mountain slopes
drew us on. We felt as if we could have gone on for
a week.
Yet it was strange, and almost uncanny to think
that in all the miles and miles of land over which our
eyes ranged there was not one living, breathing creat-
ure, - no, not one!
The Adelie penguins, those cheery summer visit-
ors, had gone far north with the sun, ten degrees

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR

below the horizon. The seals were away out on the
edge of the sea ice, and that was farther away, at any
rate, than we could see.
True, the Emperors, most majestic of living birds,
are said to conduct their royal accouchements in this
region in July, that is, the depth of our winter, and it
was June as yet.
But we were going in the direction of the Emper-
ors' rookery at Cape Crozier, and in this wonderland
anything might happen.
Trudge, trudge, trudge we went, saying very little.
It was no time for conversation. Those who don't
know what a polar climate is like, might think we
felt cold, but no such discomfort dashed our elated
spirits.
This goodly portion of the Earth's fair surface
was ours. No polluting foot save ours defaced its
virgin solitudes. We might fare where we list; none
could say us nay.
No "TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. " here -
No "PRIVATE GROUNDS, NO THOROUGHFARE"
No uniformed park-ranger, or corduroyed game-
keeper could bar our way, with horrid threats, and

AURORA AUSTRALIS

perhaps still more horrid action.
But stay!- What form is that emerging from
the shade of yonder ice-berg? It strides towards us
with swinging gait, recalling to my mind unpleasant
memories of my bird-nesting days.
I cannot control a strange flutter of apprehension
in the slack of my trousers, a sort of prophetic sensa-
tion of tenderness behind.
That is strangely like a knotted cudgel carried,
with ill-concealed menace, under the left arm. "No
Gamekeepers" did I say? It must be a gamekeeper.
But he is upon us! All doubt is banished. He
is the most enormous Emperor Penguin I have ever
met. Full six feet high, and broad quite out of pro-
portion, his appearance is so extraordinary that I must
describe it minutely.
The large, angry eyes, glaring from beneath a
close-fitting cap, drawn down over the ears, flank a
prodigious black bill, a foot long and curved like a
scythe-blade. He wears a black velveteen coat with
long skirts, and underneath this a white moleskin
waistcoat with brass buttons, and baggy trousers of
the same colour. The delicate creamy tinge which I
have observed on the throats of common emperors is
developed into a gorgeous red and gold collar or stock.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR

Under his arm, or flipper, he carries a heavy truncheon,
fashioned from the backbone of a seal. As he stood
before us, all this could be taken in at a glance.
I have had many a painful interview with game-
keepers, and people of that kidney, but this one would
take all my diplomacy to meet. But a bland smile;
and a voluble tongue might pull us through.
"If you please game-keeper, park-officer, I mean, "
I began: -
But he interrupted me in a harsh voice, and with
an accent strongly reminiscent of the land of cakes: -
"Noo then, you twa, " he cried, "what the deevil
are ye daein here? Ye ken vara weel this is private
property. Let me see what ye hae got in your
pockets. "
When I had first seen him I had instinctively

plunged my hands into these receptacles, with the
idea of dropping anything of a compromising nature
into the nearest ditch. But my fingers came in con-
tact with something of a different nature.
I seldom go for a long walk without that vade-
mecum, universal panacea, and open sesame, a pocket-
flask.
I grasped it, and my courage revived. If "wi'
usquebaugh" I could face the deevil, why not an

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Emperor Penguin. I was in case to justle a constable.
Our enemy, however was in an aggressive mood.
We hesitated at the idea of turning out our pockets
to this truculent fowl, so he without more ado, passed
his stick over my clothes. It struck my flask with a
full sound. At once his worst suspicions were re-
doubled.
" Come away, noo, oot wi' it, " he cried. "Yon's
an egg, ye young rascal, if I'm no vera much mis-
taken. "
" Indeed it is not, " I replied, with new found
confidence. "That's my pocket flask, by the way
have a dram, will you?" For I thought this was the
psychical moment for the introduction of this deli-
cate, but at the same time not disagreeable subject.
" Na, na, laddie, " he said, "no sae fast as a' that.
I'll jeest take your names and addresses and what's
your business here. "
Now there are many ways of revealing one's iden-
tity and asserting one's position on an occasion like
this, but there is none so dignified, not to say majestic,
as the display of a clean visiting-card. A lightning
thought struck me, and plunging my hand into my
breast pocket, I produced the required piece of paste-
board, with an austere flourish and a general air of

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR>

hauteur. True, it was curled up at the corners, and
rather soiled with tobacco ash, and, in place of my
own august cognomen, it bore that of an enterprising
washerwoman, who had sent it on board at our last
port of call. '
But it fixed our friend the enemy. He scratched
his head, looked at it upside down then backside fore-
most, and finally pulled off his cap, stuck the card in
the lining and replaced the cap on his head.
" Weel Gentlemen, " he said, " I'll jeest show ye
aff the estate if ye'll tell me whaur ye come frae, and
what's yer beesiness?"
" Well! come now my man, " I replied, "have a
dram, and I'm sure we're very sorry to have caused
you any trouble. "
With that I again brought forth the flask. He
took a long gurgling swig, coughed and threw back
his head, shutting his eyes and smacking his bill in a
way half human, half galline.
" Man, yon's the richt stuff, " he murmured, hand-
ing it back. " It's gey scarce aboot here. "
" And pray, " I went on, thinking it well to avoid
an answer to his last question. " Whose estate do we
happen to have trespassed upon? I was not aware
that there were any private grounds in this district. "

AURORA AUSTRALIS

" Oo jeest Mr Forsteri, Aptenodytes Forsteri, a
cousin o' the M. P., I'm surprised ye didna ken, man!
Its a vera auld family. "
"No doubt" I replied, " but you see we are
strangers here. But does all the ground about here
belong to Mr Forsteri?"
" Oo aye, sir, ye'll see the march burn ahint ye
there, by the laich side o' yon big scaur? The Maister's
vera parteeklar about this time o' year. Ye see a' the
gentry will be comin' for the nestin' in June, and if
he was tae see ye here then I dinna ken what he
would say. "
" But we're very inoffensive people, you know.
We're geologists, we just go about collecting stones
for our own amusement. "
" Wha-at, gatherin' stanes, are ye? Ye're surely
no nestin' tae? Ye canna possibly dae it about here.
The maister wouldna hear o' it!
I should explain that the penguin builds his nest
of stones only, so I hastened to explain.
"Oh! no no, " I said, "we merely collect the
stones to take home, and show to people who are interested in them".
" Besides, " said A- in a tone of deep melancho-
ly, " we've no hens with us. "

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR>

"Aye, aye, " he replied, nodding his head thought-
fully, "ye'll be frae yin o' they expedeetions, are ye
no?"
"Yes, " I said boldly, seeing that the cat must
come out of the bag. "We are from the British
Antarctic Expedition of 1907. "
"Mphm! are ye though? Ye're queer folk,
man! I often wonder what brings ye here. I mind
the last yin that was here, somewhere about seven
years syne. "
"A pack o' them cam' ower tae the rookery,
after the maist o' us was ganc. We thought they
were sea-leopards at first, and some o' the weans was
gey scared. "
"But as far as I ken, they ta'en naething but a
wheen auld rotten eggs. What in a' the world they
were gaun tae dae wi' them is a pairfect meestery
tae me. "
"The Maister was no at hame at the time, but
he was awfu' vexed when he heard tell o' it. He
said he would ha'e the law o' them if they ever came
again. "
"Well! I hope we will get on better with you, "
I said. " We'll try not to annoy you in any way. "
I wondered at the time if he would object to

AURORA AUSTRALIS

being stewed, for we were all growing rather tired of
Adelies.
All this time we had been walking slowly back
towards the hut. I kept hoping that our new ac-
quaintance would leave us, for I dreaded what might
happen if we met any of our dogs.
The sight of this majestic bird, pursued by half
a dozen yelping curs, tobogganning along on his
stomach, and tearing all his brass buttons off on the
ice, would have been most painful to me.
But my mind was soon relieved. Our friend
stopped and looked round him, squawked thought-
fully, and, extending a flipper to me he said: -
"Weel! here we are at the march. I'll jeest
say good-bye tae ye. "
"I would advise ye no tae come ower here again
till the Maister's gane. "
"It's no that I care much mysel', but he's vera
parteeklar. "
We shook hands with him, and started away for
home.
"Quite a civil bird, " I said to A-.
"Yes, " he replied, "and I thought, rather intelli-
gent. " But his voice 'far, far away did seem. '
I pinched myself surreptitiously, glanced at my

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR

companion and then over my shoulder. Not a sign
of our late acquaintance was to be seen, and there was
hardly an ice-hummock about that could have con-
cealed him.
Was it all a dream then?
At any rate, we have obeyed his orders.
A. F. M.

EREBUS
Keeper of the Southern Gateway, grim, rugged, gloomy
and grand;
Warden of these wastes uncharted, as the years sweep
on, you stand.
At your head the swinging smoke-cloud; at your feet
the grinding floes;
Racked and seared by the inner fires, gripped close by
the outer snows.
Proud, unconquered and unyielding, whilst the untold
aeons passed,
Inviolate through the ages, your ramparts spurning
the blast,
Till men impelled by a strong desire, broke through
your icy bars;
Fierce was the fight to gain that height where your
stern peak dares the stars.
You called your vassals to aid you, and the leaping
blizzard rose,
Driving in furious eddies, blinding, stifling, cruel
snows.
The grasp of the numbing frost clutched hard at their
hands and faces,
And the weird gloom made darker still dim seen
perilous places.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

They, weary, wayworn, and sleepless, through the long
withering night,
Grimly clung to your iron sides till with laggard Dawn
came the light:
Both heart and brain upheld them, till the long-drawn
strain was o'er,
Victors then on your crown they stood and gazed at
the Western Shore;
The distant glory of that land in broad splendour lay
unrolled,
With icefield, cape, and mountain height, flame rose
in a sea of gold.
Oh! Herald of returning Suns to the waiting lands
below;
Beacon to their home-seeking feet, far across the
Southern snow.
In the Northland in the years to be, pale Winter's first
white sign
Will turn again their thoughts to thee, and the glamour
that is thine.
NEMO.

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

NOW it is written in the 21 st chapter of the
2nd book of the chronicles of the Great
King, how that he did in the first year of
his reign, and six moons after the Good Queen his
Mother had been taken to her fathers, send forth the
ship which was called Discovery;
And did say unto the captain, who was a captain
of one of the King's own ships, even a fighting ship;
Go thou unto the uttermost ends of the Earth,
to that place where no man has yet trod, and which
the wise men of the land do call Antarctica, and spy
it out, and come back to me with tidings thereof.
And also it is written that the captain whose
name was called Scott, did go with his ship and a
goodly company of officers and men, and did diligent-
ly seek for that land until he found it.
And all the great works they did accomplish,
and the trials and tribulations which did beset them,
are they not also inscribed therein, and it is not of

AURORA AUSTRALIS

these things I would speak unto you.
Now it came to pass that one of the officers of
the ship, who was possessed of a spirit which did
make him restless, so that he soon did weary of abid-
ing in one place;
And who had wandered over nearly the whole
face of the Earth, both on land and on the sea, in
small ships and in great, did commune with himself
in this wise.
Lo! this many years have I been like unto an
outcast, and have spent my substance in travel; now
will I take unto myself a wife, and abide henceforth
in the land of my fathers.
But! Behold! the spirit which did possess him
was not yet dead, but only scotched, which is to say
being interpreted, spiflicated, and at the end of the
third year it did again awaken, and began to bestir it-
self forthwith, saying unto the man whose name was
Shackleton;
Lo! much of the land which ye went forth to
spy out in the ship Discovery is yet undiscovered, and
has not therefore been added to the dominions of the
Great King.
Now I say unto ye, great shall be the benefit to
the people of thy country, when the way to this land

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

has been opened up, and the ships of the King shall
he able to travel in safety thereto, and trade with the
peoples who dwell therein.
Also, do not the wise men say unto us, that in
that land there is set up a great pole of value, which
all the nations of the Earth do strive to possess.
Go thou therefore, dwell in this land, travel over
the face of the same, tear out its secrets, and should it
also be that thy hand shall uproot the great pole
which the wise men do call the South Pole; then do I
say unto thee that it shall not be forgotten of thee in
the years which are to come.
And it came to pass that these words did sink
deep into the heart of him who was called Shackleton,
so that he did say unto the wife of his bosom;
Behold! though it grieveth me sore to leave thee,
yet am I about to gather together my goods and my
chattels, and sell them for monies, so that I may buy
me a ship, and with men whom I shall myself choose,
go again to that land of ice and snow, and of burning
mountains;
And there sojourn until I come to the place
where is set up that pole which the wise men call the
South Pole, and with that and many other things of
value in my ship, will I return to the land of my

AURORA AUSTRALIS.

fathers, and great will be the joy of the Great King
and of his people.
And because that his wife did see that his
heart was set on this thing, she sayeth unto him;
My Lord, not because I would see thee gone
from me, but because I would fain see thee accomplish
this thing for which thy soul yearneth, I say unto
thee; go and sell thy house and thy cattle and all that
is thine and take also the gold and silver that is in my
privy purse and do with it what thou wilt.
Thus was made light the heart of the man
Shackleton, but many were to be his sorrows;
For when he had gathered in all the monies for
which he had sold his lands and all his goods, he did
yet require many talents of gold wherewith to furnish
his ship, which was not yet bought.
Then in his trouble did he say, Lo! are there not
many men in the country of the Great King who pos-
sess many thousands of talents of gold and of silver,
now will I betake myself unto them, and they will
gladly give me of their shekels.
Nevertheless it was not so, for one who owned
many million pieces of gold did say unto him,
Nay, for I know naught of the land of which ye
speak, nor of the pole of value which ye say is set up

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

therein.
And it came to pass that though many of the
rich men gave unto him of their gold, yet had he still
need of many more shekels before he could say, Now
can I buy and furnish me a ship for my journey.
 And the heart of Shackleton was heavy, and
was sunk even unto his shoes, when there arose a great
and mighty man who did build ships for the Great
King;
And who wrought cunningly in iron, with which
he made the ships so strong that they could not be
broken, and he did speak in this wise saying;
My son, though my house in which I do dwell,
lieth a long journey to the north of the chief city of
the Great King, even the city of London, yet hath it
come to my ears of the work which ye would per-
form, and it seemeth good in mine eyes.
It hath also been told unto me that because thy
purse is not too heavy, thy way is not clear before
thee.
Behold! I have here great stores of gold and of
silver, and because thy design hath found favour with
me, take of my wealth sufficient for thy needs.
Then indeed was Shackleton a happy man, and
he straightway cast about him for a ship which should

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

be strong enough for his needs.
And a certain man rose up and spake unto him
saying, Behold! I have a ship which is so strongly
built that no tempest can do it any hurt, neither can
it be crushed by ice.
Give unto me six thousand pieces of gold, and I
will deliver the ship unto thee, with all things in good
order and ready for thee to start on thy journey.
And because he was in great haste, Shackleton
bought the ship which he had not seen, for it was in a
far country, but when it had been delivered unto him,
he found that many shekels were needed to make the
ship fit to go forth,
Now it will of a surety be seen by all men of
understanding, that no man could of himself do every-
thing in this great work; so Shackleton took unto
himself a portion of one of the great houses in the
city, in the street which is called Regent;
And there did he work for many days assisted by
his steward, a man who had had much dealings with
food and with raiment, and all such things as would
be needed.
Now this house was occupied at the lower part
by people who sell food and drink, and above by some
who did anoint the hair of those inhabitants of the ]

AURORA AUSTRALIS

city who could afford to pay a certain sum of money,
so that it would grow strong and it might not be said
to them as to the prophet of old, Go up thou bald-
head.
And it came to pass that Shackleton, having
got together his ship and men to work the ship, and
his steward to gather stores of food and raiment, did
look round for men tried and trusted whom he might
take with him to dwell in that distant land of snow
and of darkness.
First did he choose one who was skilled in the
arts of reading signs and portents in the clouds and in
the stars, and of steering his way on land, or on the
waters by means of a wondrous piece of metal marked
with divers figures.
Then took he one who had studied at the scats
of learning and had knowledge of all kinds of sickness,
and who could join together bones which were broken
asunder.
And because that they had been in the ship
Discovery, and knew of the land and the people and
the beasts that dwelt therein, he did take two from
the ships of the Great King.
Also one cunning in the art of making pictures in
many colours and pleasing to the eye.

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

And another who was of few years but of great
wisdom, in that he could by looking at a stone or a
handful of earth, tell whether the land round about
had been peopled by man, beast, or creeping things,
and could say also if gold, silver, or precious stones
might be found, and in how great quantity.
Then was there one who had contrived a chariot
of fearsome design, which would travel over the land
without horses, even up steep hills and over rocky
places, and could also make great noises and noisome
stenches to frighten the wild beasts.
Also did he take one greatly skilled in skinning
and preserving birds and beasts, and in the art of mak-
ing dishes to tickle the palate, which he had learned
and practised in many lands.
Also chose he one, who though yet a youth was
large of muscle and had gained honour at the seats of
wisdom, by reason of his knowledge in the art of
fisticuffs.
 Now! Behold! when all things were made
ready, there came unto Shackleton a messenger from
the palace of the King, yea, even from the Great
King himself, saying nnto [unto] him;
Lo! The King, may he live for ever, hath heard
from his Councillors of the noble work which thou

AURORA AUSTRALIS

wouldest do, and he would have thee take thy ship
Nimrod to the city of Cowes, and there abide for a
space till he may come to thee.
Straightway therefore, did Shackleton bestir
himself, and with all haste betook his ship and his
company to the city aforesaid.
And in due time, amid the clang of mock battle
and the flaring of trumpets, came on board the Great
King, and also did he bring with him the Queen, and
the Royal Princes and Princesses his children.
And after that he had surveyed the ship, the
King did bestow upon Shackleton a mark of honour,
and the Queen did with her own hand graciously
entrust unto him a banner of the country, and spake
kind words to him and his company, so that their
hearts did swell within them.
Now it was even so that the ship Nimrod, al-
though made so strong, did not possess great speed;
Shackleton did therefore bid the captain whom he
had chosen, to take the ship to that portion of the
dominions of the Great King which is called New
Zealand, and did also send in the ship two men who
were to dwell with him in the strange land.
One of these was of the number of wise men,
who did know all things about the fish that swim in

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

the sea, and the beasts and creeping things which do
abound therein;
And the other was also a healer of the sick and a
mender of sundered bones.
And Shackleton and the rest of the company did
abide yet a few days more with their own people, and
then departed in large and swift ships to the land of
New Zealand.
Now it is well known of all men that many
thousands of miles south of the rising of the sun, there
lieth a vast continent which is also part of the domin-
ions of the Great King, and is called Australia.
And it is also known that ships which go to the
country of New Zealand, do often call at the ports of
this land on their journey thither.
And it came to pass that the ship in which was
Shackleton did stop at some of these ports and there
abide a space.
And when the people of the country did learn he
was there, even in their own cities, then were they re-
joiced and made exceeding glad, for the knowledge of
the work he would perform had spread unto every
country.
Then did the great men of the land and the
wise men, gather together, and commune amongst

AURORA AUSTRALIS

themselves, saying;
Behold! the task which Shackleton hath set him-
self to perform is great, and the good which shall
come from it, will it not also be unto us, as unto the
country of the Great King.
Let us therefore of our plenty, give unto him five
 thousand pieces of gold and thus give him a leg up,
which being interpreted is to say, help him over the
stile. And they all with one consent did exclaim,
Yea! let it be even so.
Now amongst the wise men of the land was
one whose fame was noised abroad over the whole
earth, for he had travelled from his youth up in every
country in pursuit of knowledge and the furtherance
thereof, and whose name was called after that of one of
the mightiest kings of old time, even David.
And though his years were not few and his hair
was whitened unto the likeness of hoar frost, yet was
his blood still full of fire and did flow swiftly through
his veins;
And his body was lusty and strong as that of a
young man, for could he not with one biff, which is
to say, sallikatowzer, of his clenched hand, totally
flummax, or in the modern tongue, put to sleep, a
fullgrown and stalwart man.

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

And he approached Shackleton, saying, Many
things have I heard of this land to which thou art
journeying, and fain would I see with my own eyes
the mountains of fire which are reared up amidst the
snow and ice, and all the wonders of this strange
country.
Let me therefore bid farewell to my wife and to
my children, and come with thee; and Shackleton
bade him be of good cheer and come.
Also from this land of Australia took he two
more; one of whom was a man learned in many arts
and sciences, and who did bid fair to become known
amongst the wise men; he was also of great length of
limb and appetite.
The other was dark of hair, and short of stature,
and had fought in the armies of the Great King; also
was he a mighty hunter.
In the fulness of time came Shackleton and all
his people to New Zealand, where his ship Nimrod
did await him, and for the space of fourteen days did
he abide there.
And the people of the country, both great and
lowly, did make him welcome, and did give him and
his people many blowouts, which is to say being in-
terpreted, banquets.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

And so that they also might assist him in his
labours, did they give unto him one thousand pieces
of gold, and did lend unto him a great ship built
of iron, to help his ship Nimrod through the water.
And it came to pass that on the first day of the
year, that all was in readiness, and Shackleton with all
his people went into the ship;
And after the High Priest had blessed the ship
and the company, they did sail away, and all the
inhabitants of the country did come to bid them
farewell;
Many thousands of them going on the sea in
ships, to see that they went the right way, and had in
very truth departed, and the noise of their shouting
reached up to the heavens.
Now on the second day there arose a mighty
tempest of wind and sea, so that many of the people
on the ship were sore afraid, and did yearn for the
land.
And it came to pass that the storm did rage for
seven days and seven nights without abating, and the
waters did rush with great fury over the ship Nimrod
and the ship that was with them.
And many of the timbers of the ship were broken
by the strength of the waters, and the horses and the

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

dogs which were on the ship were in sore distress.
But behold! on the eighth day there came a calm
and the waters were stilled, and the winds did cease
their raging.
And the wise men did again begin to take sus-
tenance, which they had not done for many days,
by reason of their interiors being disturbed by the
tossing of the ship.
Yet were they not healed, for when the sun had
set, another storm arose, so that many and oft were
their journeyings from Oyster Alley where they did
live, to that side of the ship which the sailors call the
lee.
Now after many days of sore travail and dan-
ger, for oft times the ship was threatened by mighty
islands of floating ice;
They did come to that great high wall of ice
which is there set up, and which is called the Great
Ice Barrier.
And there did they diligently search for a certain
haven in which to place the ship, and in which the
ship Discovery had rested beforetime, but lo! it was
not.
Then turned they the ship towards the rising of
the sun, and would have gone to that land which has

AURORA AUSTRALIS

been called King Edward VII Land, in honour of the
Great King;
But they could not, for their way was barred by
mountains and plains of ice, which were broken up
and scattered abroad over the whole face of the waters,
in such quantity that no ship fashioned by the hand
of man could force its way through, or withstand the
pressure thereof.
Many of the great leviathans of the deep did
they see, like unto the one which the traveller Jonah
of old time did explore, and also vast numbers of the
fierce beasts of the sea that do abound in this strange
country.
And it came to pass that after many more
troublous and weary days they came to that mountain
of fire and smoke which is called Erebus.
And near unto the foot of this burning mountain
did they build them a house, and for the space of
nineteen days they did lustily labour until they had
taken out of the ship sufficient food and raiment and
all their goods and chattels, their horses and dogs, and
everything that was needed;
Then did the ship Nimrod return to the land of
sunshine, where women and men do dwell, leaving
Shackleton and his people to sojourn and to labour

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

in the land of darkness.
And the rest of the acts of Shackleton and his
people, and the dangers and tribulations that did beset
them, will ye find in the next book of these chronicles,
which are not yet completed.
WAND ERER.

LIFE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
It is not intended in these notes, as the title
might lead one to expect, to make any
reference to the difficulties which we ex-
perience in camping during the long polar night in
this latitude of somewhere between 77º and 78º south.
Attention is invited rather to some of our very humble
fellow-creatures, animals quite microscopic in size,
which are able to live under conditions which seem
to us extremely unfavourable.
Some of these deserve our interest as being, in
the absence of Penguins and Skuas, the only land
animals at present living in this region, perhaps the
only living things besides ourselves on the whole
Antarctic Continent.
The instances of Life under Difficulties are all
selected from the class of the Rotifers. The animals
of this class, though so small, are comparatively very
highly organised and sensitive, yet they share with
the simplest animals, (the Protozoa) the power of

I
AURORA AUSTRALIS.
surviving all kinds of climatic rigours, heat, cold,
drought, etc..
Larger animals may protect themselves from heat
and cold in various ways, or they may migrate to
avoid them. Emperor Penguins and other animals
which winter in polar regions, keep up their heat by
means of thick layers of fat and warm coats of fur or
feathers. No such protection can serve our microsco-
pic animals. A thin-skinned creature, measuring
when contracted no more than one hundredth part of
an inch in diameter, can hardly have a coating which
will keep out cold and heat, and we can only suppose
that they are able to live although they do become
very hot and very cold when subjected to these con-
ditions.
Too SMALL To HURT.
A heavy swell is rolling in from the Atlantic and
breaking on the rocks of a rugged little western sea-
port. On the cement wall of the pier the waves are
rushing and climbing high up, till they are thrown

LIFE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
back shattered into clouds of spray. Amid all this
turmoil what of the little fragile creatures which are
known to swarm everywhere in the water of the sea?
Do they retire to calmer depths? If not, how will
they fare as the water which is their home is shattered
into dust? Surely they must be crushed to death, and
perish in multitudes! Let us see!
A net is repeatedly thrown into the foaming
crests of the waves as they tumble back, and a large
quantity of spray allowed to strain through it. When
the contents of the net are transferred to a little clean
sea-water, and a drop of this is examined under a
microscope, a busy and interesting scene meets the
eye.
The water is alive with beautiful little cone-
shaped animals of crystal transparency, with a ruby
red eye in the middle of the large head. They swim
powerfully by means of rapidly vibrating cilia on two
projections at the sides of the head.
The animals are Rotifers, Synchaeta by name, one
of the comparatively few kinds which live in the sea.
They dart about in every direction, pursuing some
invisible prey: the scene is like a fair. But what of
the numbers of maimed and dead which one would
expect to find after their stormy experience of a few

AURORA AUSTRALIS

minutes ago? They do not exist. The water is pul-
sating with vigorous life, and the rotifers appear
quite unconscious that anything unusual is toward.
These delicate animals must escape destruction
by reason of their small size. When they have a drop
of water to swim in they have a world. However
small the drop of spray in which they may be enclos-
ed, it will be covered by the elastic surface film, which
will save the animals from jars. They are too small
to hurt.
If, then, they cannot be hurt under these condi-
tions, the conditions are not unfavourable, to Synchae-
ta. They only seem so to us, since those breakers
would kill us, and would destroy a strong ship. It is
even so in all the other instances: conditions which
would be quickly fatal to us do not really present any
difficulty to animals which have become adapted to
them.
ENDURANCE OF DROUGHT.
The leech-like creeping rotifers of the order
Bdelloida supply the most remarkable instances of the

LIFE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
capability to resist drought, as well as heat and cold.
They are essentially aquatic animals, and can only re-
main active so long as they are surrounded by water.
Yet many of them live in situations which are liable
to become dry; streams and ponds go dry in summer,
and moss, among which most of the kinds live, only
receives occasional moisture from rain and dew and
snow. If the rotifers could not cope with this diffi-
culty they would perish in great numbers in dry wea-
ther, as rotifers of other orders do. If dried too
quickly they are actually destroyed.
If dried more slowly, as when mixed up with
grains of mud or sand, or when sheltered in the axils
of moss leaves, they appear to have warning of the
approaching crisis. They contract into little balls
and the skin exudes a kind of varnish which dries and
seems then to be quite impervious to air. In this
condition they may remain for an indefinite time,
and may be blown about as dust by the wind, and
thus distributed to all regions of the earth.
Thus the sand of the desert, and the polar snows
may receive these living dust particles, which may
last have pursued an active existence in the woods or
moors of temperate regions; and in either case, if they
happen on moist places they may in a few hours

LIFE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
Artificially some of these Bdelloids have been
raised to very high temperatures. The actual figures
given by Davis and others are not here available, but
the temperature to which they were raised was cer-
tainly higher than anything to which they would be
subjected under natural conditions anywhere on the
surface of the earth, and many were revived after this
treatment.
ENDURANCE OF COLD.
The Rotifers which are able to endure cold should
interest us especially in our present circumstances, as
they are at the moment under observation in the lakes
around us at Cape Royds, and we have some personal
experience of the cold which they have to undergo.
Bdelloid Rotifers abound in the lakes of Cape
Royds, and there are several species. The conditions
to which they are submitted are extremely severe.
They are frozen into the ice very early in the autumn,
and must remain frozen solid for at least the greater
part of the year. With the ice of the smaller lakes
and the margins of the larger lakes they must take the

AURORA AUSTRALIS

lowest temperatures that occur in the district. We
know by observation that they survive after experien-
cing a temperature of -30º Fahr.. They were found
living in the Blue Lake under 15 feet of ice, there be-
ing some reason to believe that at this depth melting
may only occur at intervals of years.
It has been generally assumed that animal life
ceases at the temperature at which water freezes, and
this is in the main true of animals which swim in wa-
ter, but whether the death is due to cold or to me-
chanical Causes is not known.
Those who have worked at the microscopic life
of the Arctic Region know that it must survive ex-
treme cold somehow. The Arctic Region has a gen-
ial summer climate of some months duration, with
abundant water and a vegetation of higher plants.
The winter might be passed by resting eggs, and a
new generation produced each summer. Professor
Richters revived Water Bears from Spitsbergen some
years after they were collected, but it could not be
known whether the adult animals would have surviv-
ed the winter of their native land.
At Cape Royds there is no doubt that the adult
animals survive through the winter: Some of the
species lay eggs, but the eggs are not plentiful. One

LIFE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
species (Adineta Grandis) produces living young, be-
ing an exception in this respect in the genus. The
life both of parent and young may apparently be arr-
ested at any stage. Animals bearing from one to sev-
en young may be seen, some well developed, some at
a very early stage. This species is further remarkable
as living in water so saline as to be a sort of brine.
Whether the same species which endure great
cold can also endure great heat, can only be settled by
experiment. All the species found at Cape Royds
have been brought quickly from -30º Fahr. to +60º
Fahr., and have then been found actively feeding.
Some of the rotifers found at Cape Royds are
supposed to be species widely distributed over the
world. Others are peculiar, and unknown as yet any-
where else, and one is of a very peculiar form.
Portraits of some of these Cape Royds natives
are shown on the plate, highly magnified.
From the instances given above of kinds which
can resist heat and drought, it will appear that the
Bdelloid Rotifer is one of the hardiest creatures in the
world. It promises now to shed much light on the
limits of temperature at which life is possible on the
earth.
J. MURRAY.

BATHYBIA.
faint stirring seemed to be going on about,
which gradually made itself felt on my yet
somnolent senses. Rising time was evi-
dently drawing nigh. The uncertainty shortly came
to an end when, in harsh tones, the familiar call sound-
ed; 'Lash up and stow, lash up and stow; 8-30 and
time all hands were up. '
This announcement, coming as it did from a pair
of lungs boasting of an early training in St. Paul's
Cathedral, and matured in the Navy, was calculated
to effectually wake the profoundest slumberer, but
did not prevent me turning over for a final doze.
It hardly seemed any time, however, before we
were exerting our best efforts dragging the sledges
onwards towards the southern goal. The drudgery of
the journey over the great 'sastrugi' ruffled plateau of
Victoria Land had now become felt by all.
Everlastingly our eyes wandered over the horizon
in search of new objects, but as yet nothing greeted

AURORA AUSTRALIS

our gaze more than had been the bane of our march
these last 250 miles, since leaving Mt. Lister behind.
Why we had ever come to choose our present
route to the South-S. S. W. over the Victoria Land
Plateau-seemed impossible of explanation. It was
generally believed, however, that the strength of the
meteorological element had prevailed in this decision,
as it was decidedly a chance to get abundance of high
level data.
Some of the more outspoken, irritated by the
monotony of the journey, now expressed themselves
in no measured terms regarding the alteration of the
original plans. More especially had discontent arisen
because of the fact that this had entailed the substitu-
tion of man power to the extent of the combined
strength of the expedition in place of the ponies.
Today the march proved more interesting, as
scarcely had we got properly under way, before the
Commander drew our attention to a peculiar appear-
ance in the sky, somewhat to the west of our course.
It was like nothing he had had experience of in this
latitude during his previous exploration with Captain
Scott along the Great Ice Barrier.
Resembling open water, it suggested possibilities
we had never till now entertained. As the day wore

BATHYBIA.
on, the more real did this phenomenon appear, so
that every one was fired with a new enthusiasm. The
sledges no longer seemed to offer any resistance, so
that we pressed onwards at a brisk pace for two days.
The S. W. middle current wind, so prevalent to
the north, had now cut out, and the warmer south-
seeking anti-trade came down to the plateau level,
helping us onward. Some miles ahead a fog bank
hanging low upon the land obscured the horizon.
On the morning of the third day, we felt a crisis
was close at hand, as the sky in front contrasted strong-
ly with the uniform ice blink we were now leaving
behind. The temperatures perceptibly rose as we
came up to the fog bank. The tiny particles of ice
floating in the air and producing the fog, were now so
much more abundant that it was impossible for us t(r)
see more than about 100 yards ahead. The increased
temperature was due, evidently, to liberation of latent
heat set free by separation of the fog particles.
Camp had been pitched and the 'hoosh' served,
when the hungry Scotchman was interrupted in his
occupation of devouring any remaining tit-bits, by a
shout from without. Enquiring heads appeared from
the tents, and amongst the turmoil that ensued could
be heard cries of, -'The Bottomless Pit-'Gehenna. '-

AURORA AUSTRALIS

A moment later our astonished gaze was greedily de-
vouring the situation. The mist had temporarily
rolled back, revealing a steep slope commencing short-
ly in front of us. The gradient increased rapidly
until lost to sight in the mist, a couple of thousand
feet below.
We appeared to be standing on the ruin of a huge
volcanoe of unprecedented proportions. The wall on
which we stood extended far to the North and South.
Even as we watched, the cloud bank rolled yet further
back, and a more extended view unfolded to our rapt
gaze. The steep gradient, already noted, ended below
in a yet steeper slope, almost wall like, whilst dimly,
in the depths below, snowless undulating plains were
visible.
What a mighty wall guarded the secrets of the
abyss. What grandeur beyond anything to be expect-
ed. Our very souls were elevated and burned with a
desire to penetrate the depths before us: yet how im-
possible this seemed. How could mortal man scale
such a wall as barred our progress.
Whilst our thoughts ran thus, a better view being
obtained to the South, we descried a steeply dipping
slope leading from the plateau down to the depths
below. This was developed in the form of a semi-

BATHYBIA.
done against the face of the wall and appeared to be
of volcanic origin. This volcanic slope was certainly
quite scaleable, and we unanimously decided to at-
tempt a descent by it. Many hours afterwards, camp
was pitched on the plateau hard by the cone, and all
were oblivious of the sounds of revelry occasioned by
the snorers.
The following day the fog again enveloped the
landscape, and the time was spent making the necess-
ary preparations for the continuance of our journey
with packs in place of sledges. The depth of the
abyss before us was very great, but difficult at the time
for us to judge. Afterwards it proved to be about
30, 000 feet, or some 22, 000 below sea level.
When at last the mist rose and we were able to
proceed, advance proved rapid for the first 12, 000 feet
as we could glissade for long stretches at a time; at
this level, the temperature having steadily risen dur-
ing the descent, the ice cap began to dwindle and a
lobed front was met extending amongst great accum-
ulations of morainic material stacked in the form of
terraces along the mountain side. Thaw water, dev-
eloped in pools investing the erratic boulders distrib-
uted over the ice, trickled away to unite and form
crystal clear stream, soon lost in crevasses, whither

AURORA AUSTRALIS

they plunged to swell the muddy waters of sub-glacial
channels.
Camp was pitched at this stage and we indulged
in the usual hoosh. The air felt quite warm and moist,
so much so that instead of immediately crawling into
our sleeping-bags, some time was spent in surveying
the new scene before us.
At intervals spouting streams leapt from the glac-
ier faces, and ploughing deep furrows in the morainic
terraces at our feet, continued their downward courses
as mountain torrents, till, almost lost in the distance
below, they appeared as silver streaks threading their
way by winding courses across the undulating plains of
Bathybia, as we had unanimously designated this region.
Loud booming sounds proceeded upwards period-
ically from the depths below, occasioned by the precip-
itation of small avalanches breaking away from the ice-
cap above.
Our biologist was busy examining lichens which
coloured the boulders bright hues. There was abund-
ant evidence of low forms of plant and animal life though
curiously restricted in range.
Affairs had assumed such an interesting pitch, that
we lost no time in getting under way on the following
day. Novelties appeared on every hand, until we were

BATHYBIA.
in a condition to accept unmoved any new discoveries
however radical.
When at last the steep slopes had been negotiated
and the undulating plain reached, a much fuller insight
into the conditions prevailing in Bathybia had been
gleaned. The summer temperature averaged about 70º
Fahr., and was evenly toned by abundance of water
vapour and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The
air was distinctly oppressive on account of its density
and moisture, but even this passed unheeded in the
general excitement. The plant life had rapidly increased
in abundance as lower altitudes were reached. These
were chiefly algae fungi, though representatives of the
mosses, liverworts, and ferns were not wanting. On
the plains, a dominant red colour pervaded the veget-
ation, owing to prolific growth of red alga?
The existence of red coloured plants was of course
to be expected, existing as they did in sunlight from
which a large proportion of the blue end of the spect-
rum had been eliminated in its passage through so great
a thickness of atmosphere. Finally, the vegetation had
already become very rank, and the odours distinctive of
some species were not at all pleasant.
However much the plant life interested us, it did
not claim our attention so much as less pretentious

AURORA AUSTRALIS

examples of the animal kingdom. Small crawling
spider-like beasts had been noted close below the glacier
zone; since then larger forms had made their appear-
ance, some of which looked distinctly formidable.
The biologist had an encounter with one of these
large bodied, short-legged animals, and was generally
regarded as lucky in securing the specimen without
harm to himself. It measured a foot in length and
was armed with vicious looking mandibles. Though
not identical with anything we had ever seen before, it
much resembled a giant Tick, and was pronounced as
belonging to the mite family. The existence of these
great ticks constituted a distinct element of danger, and
precautions were taken to guard against possible injury
from that quarter.
With this object in view, we were careful always
in future to keep our ice axes within reach.

Our first camp on the plains was never to be for-
gotten: most of the time intended for sleep was spent in
ridding ourselves of an almost microscopic species of
mite, which infested our camping ground and invaded
our persons. We learnt that a camp in comfort could
be expected here only after taking the precaution to
previously burn off the vegetation from the site. In
this way obnoxious creatures were removed.

BATHYBIA.
Already our progress was much impeded by the
luxuriance of the vegetation, and as this state of affairs
did not show signs of improving, we decided to attempt
navigation on a river which lay about three leagues to
the north, and appeared to be the main drainage line of
this portion of Bathybia.
Some time elapsed before this new method of pro-
cedure could be put to the test. Raft building was
not without its troubles, as we were unacquainted with
the materials available and consequently their floating
qualities had to be determined. At length a structure
was completed which rode lightly on the water, and
was regarded by the sea-farers amongst us as distinctly
promising. In its construction we employed the dead
trunks of huge fungi of a variety capable of resisting
water-log. Large sheets of fungus several inches in
thickness, found growing over the ground in moist
localities, furnished an excellent decking, whilst a spyro-
gyra like alga was found to answer splendidly as a cord
for binding the structure.
Whilst these preparations were in progress, several
incidents of special interest occurred. One of these
came near proving fatal to one who had gained much
in favour by rendering signal service as a mountaineer
during our descent. Provisions had become alarmingly

AURORA AUSTRALIS

scarce, and a section of the company decided that
members of the scientific staff were much more likely
to excel as connoisseurs in the matter of food stuffs,
than prove experts in ship-building. As the labour of
examining the natural products at hand did not present
an arduous aspect, the scientist above referred to came
manfully? forward, and offered his services in this
domain,
Instructions were issued to the effect that explor-
ations should not be conducted far from camp, and the
route proposed to be taken should be clearly defined
before setting out. The investigator had been absent
on his quest for over two hours, and the commander
becoming anxious set out in search of the wanderer.
The search party had gone hardly a couple of
hundred yards into the jungle when they stumbled
upon the prone body of the missing man. A giant
Tick was investigating the carcase and apparently just
about to commence operations on its prize. The ob-
noxious creature was forthwith despatched, and the
body of the martyr reverently taken back to camp.
He still breathed heavily, but no wounds could be
found on the body. A dread feeling seized us for,
though living things had no terror for us, yet the
intangible found us weak.

BATHYBIA.
For long the doctor diligently attended, in the
uncertainty of the stroke, administering small doses of
alcohol from our limited medical store. At last, after
twelve hours, success crowned his efforts and the patient
regained consciousness. Even now his senses seemed to
have lapsed, and in his delirious ramblings, amongst
inarticulate expressions, could be heard, "Yon's the
reght stuff, man, aye it is!" Later on he seemed to
come to himself again as he weakly asked for tea.
Indeed so frequent became his cravings for this bever-
age, that one of us was told off especially to keep up
the supply. It was not till the evening of the second
day that the matter was cleared up.
All but the night watch had retired, when the
supposed invalid suddenly stepped briskly from his
bed, and made towards the food bags with a determin-
ation boding ill for our now inconsiderable stores. On
this occasion the night watchman proved the value of
the institution by quickly alarming the sleepers and
averting what might have been a serious catastrophe.
Explanations ensued, and we discovered that the
miraculously healed patient had merely had the good
fortune, as he described it, to discover a succulent alga
giving abundance of intoxicating liquid. No further
explanation was required, as his subsequent behaviour

AURORA AUSTRALIS

was obvious to everyone.
Whilst this drama was being enacted, more valu-
able discoveries were made by others. The senior geol-
ogist, in company with a body-guard, had studiously
applied his tasting faculties over a wide range of vege-
table products, narrowly averting serious consequences
in the case of several apparently poisonous substances.
As a result of his investigations, three varieties were
finally selected as good for human sustenance. One of
these was a mushroom type of fungus, the others sweet
tasting algae.
Some of the algae contained abundance of oil and
made perfect kindling. With this material, spluttering
torches could be made on a moment's notice.
We now had abundance of carbohydrate food, but
did not feel disposed to try the culinary qualities of the
monster ticks.
Today, an unusual disturbance took place in the
atmospheric conditions, so that instead of the general
calmness which usually existed in this region, we ex-
perienced a succession of cold blasts descending the
valley walls. This change reminded us again of the
conditions under which we existed here in Bathybia; a
land where the sun shone red in the morning, pink at
noon, and red in the evening. Our eyes accomodated

BATHYBIA.
themselves surprisingly rapidly to these new circum-
stances; possibly owing to previous exercise in the dull
pink illumination of modern drawing-rooms. In the
jungle the light was exceedingly dim and our exploits
had to be conducted with great caution. Although
since the recent discoveries, the food supply presented
no immediate difficulties, we were loth to remain a
winter in these regions for, though the summer condit-
ions were bearable, there was no guarantee of their
remaining so during the long dark night of the winter.
As soon therefore, as the raft was completed, we launch-
ed out on our down-staeam voyage, intending to make
the most of our time collecting facts concerning this
wonderful land.

Oars of a kind had been fashioned, but were
mostly serviceable in polling the craft off weed banks,
the current being quite sufficient to take us along at
about two miles per hour.
Many were the suggestions offered for cooking
our new food, but finally the amateurs gave over in
favour of the chef, who had the power of making the
most tasteless dishes appetising by attaching names.
The concoctions usually served up in Bathybia were
purees which, being translated, simply meant freshly
gathered this or that, immersed in pure river water,

AURORA AUSTRALIS

and brought to a temperature of 212ºFahr. for an hour
or more.
Naturally more attention was now bestowed upon
the denizens of the river, and indeed their abundance
and variety surprised us. Minute organisms belonging
to the rotifers and tardigrada abounded, whilst larger
species occasionally came into view. We spent many
an hour peering into the waters in search of new finds,
and were abundantly rewarded by queer sights. For
several days our progress continued thus without serious
event. The jungle, however, became alarmingly den-
ser so that it was now almost arched overhead and
presented a gloomy outlook. Unaccountable noises
and glimpses of strange forms came to us through the
weak light, but fortunately nearer acquaintance had so
far been avoided.
Matters did not improve, so that we were soon
hastening along beneath a complete covering of dense
matted vegetation so effective in blotting out the day-
light that, but for the fact that here was the home of
phosphorescent fungi, we should have been in utter
darkness. This greenish-white luminescent forest
seemed weird in the extreme after the red light to
which we had become so much accustomed.
Presently our meditations were disturbed by a

BATHYBIA.
i
i
i
volley of strong expletives of a nautical character corn-
ing from the starboard bow. We were just in time to
rescue our comrade from the clutch of a dangerous-
looking spider-like monster, several feet in length, that;
had attempted to board us. Invasions of these monster
water bears, as well as unavoidable affrays with giant
species of rotifers were all too common during this
extraordinary voyage.
However, in accordance with the adage which
states that necessity is the mother of invention, we soon
discovered that these beasts without exception retreated
in the face of fire, with which they were entirely un-
accustomed. A supply of torches was kept in readiness
as weapons in the event of need. By the aid of these,
also, a better knowledge of the conditions around us was
obtained. The river was now to all intents and purposes
a subterranean stream cutting through the accumulated
remains of dead sunlight-seeking plants, which still lived
only far above, within range of the daylight at the '
upper surface of this dense mass of dead and living,
vegetation. This lower zone through which we now
passed, was not altogether composed of dead material,
but supported abundance of saprophytic types, chiefly
fungi and bacteria.
No human being could exist long under these

AURORA AUSTRALIS

trying conditions, so that it was with joy that, after two
days, streaks of daylight began to penetrate the tangled
mass above. In a comparatively short time, clear sky
stood above us, and the walls of rank vegetation on
either bank slowly dwindle as we proceeded. With the
return of daylight our spirits rose. During the same
day we witnessed a fight between a water bear and a
rotifer, both of giant size. Each of these several feet
in length and must have been immensely powerful.
The water bear seized on the rotifer from behind, and
had commenced sucking the life fluid of the victim
when, with amazing alacrity, the captive swung round
his free end and seized his adversary in a bunch of
tentacles. A furious combat ensued in which the
water bear though much mauled, proved victor. We
judged, from the action of rotifer, that something of the
nature of an anaesthetic had been injected by his enemy.
Definite proof of this was shortly forthcoming in an
unexpected manner.
One of us, who had been in the habit of daily
treating himself to a wash, whether he required it or
not, when we floated out into daylight again, hastened
to make up for lost time; whilst dangling his legs over
the stern and, at the same time, conducting an animated
conversation on the relative merits of deer stalking in

BATHYBIA.
the Highlands and in more populous centres. Some-
body had just made an unusually fitting salley when,
above the ripple of applause, there sounded a wild yell
followed by an apprehensive exclamation, "He's got my
ruddy toe !" Quick was the word and sharp was the
action that followed, else we could never have saved
the bather from the malicious grasp of a giant water
bear. The beast had already punctured the toe referred
to, but was driven off before serious damage was done.
It had had time however to inject an anesthetic, as our
comrade passed into a comatose state after about one
minute, and did not revive for over half an hour.
So accustomed had we now become to our new
surroundings that we passed a few days not unpleasant-
ly, drifting down stream.
The vegetation, though luxuriant of its kind,
grew much less dense, and we came at length to more
or less open country. There plant life was represented
by mushroom-like fungi arranged in clumps over the
plain. Our artist was in specially good spirits and, on
our mooring alongside the bank, took the opportunity
to scramble on to the top of a clump of giant toadstools
hard by, intending to size up the sketching possibilities
of the neighbourhood. A sharp report shortly after
attracted our attention in time to see him executing

AURORA AUSTRALIS

evolutions in mid air about fifteen feet above the
summit of the toadstools and some thirty feet from the
ground. It happened that this particular toadstool was
matured and required to burst it only the slight irrit-
ation supplied by our comrade in mounting; fortunately
the bed was soft to fall back upon, or a serious accident
must have resulted. Our ingenious engineer was much
struck with this demonstration, and conducted a series
of experiments among members of the genus fungi
represented in the neighbourhood. As a result, he
brought to camp some time afterwards a huge flat
specimen which, he averred, would make a fine mat-
tress. In kindness of heart the specimen was given to
his companion of the afternoon's adventure. Judging
by the remarks made by the recipient during his sleep,
he must have passed an unusually pleasant night.
Indeed the mattress appeared to be still exerting a
magic influence close on to the breakfast hour, when
several attempts failed to arouse the slumberer. Then
up came the ingenious engineer who, with a prick of
an ice-axe in the proper place, fired the mattress, and
shot its burden from the depths of sleep into broad
daylight via the tent roof.
From this point on the river water became increas-
ingly more brackish, so that we were much exercised

BATHYBIA.
in our minds regarding the future source of our water
supply. After traversing several shallow lakes, the
matter became critical and we decided to moor up to
the bank. The neighbouring country was almost
deserted compared with the jungle left behind. The
saline soil supported only stunted vegetation, except for
occasional clumps of mushroom-like fungi standing on
local elevations of the ground. We were some distance
from camp, making a reconnaissance, when a heavy
rain storm commenced. Perfect shelter was obtained
beneath the umbrellas of the fungi. As time went on,
however, and the downpour did not abate, we grew
anxious for the safety of our commissariat. Shortly
afterwards, we might have been seen marching back to
camp each sheltered under one of these novel umbrellas.
The adjacent country already showed signs of flooding;
it was, therefore, deemed best to pack our gear and
remove it to one of the elevations. The waters con-
tinued to rise even after the rain ceased, so that our
position was again threatened. We were now thor-
oughly alarmed, and hastily transferred our possessions
to a flotilla of queer craft, consisting of fifteen large
mushroom shaped fungi set in the floating position, and
lashed together with alpine rope. Hardly had these
preparations been completed, than the lapping waters

AURORA AUSTRALIS

swept us off in the strong current; we were eventually
carried into a great salt lake.
As the only fresh water available for drinking
purposes consisted of that which chanced to have been
caught in the bilges of our craft, great relief was felt
when a steady wind set in driving us gently before it.
Two days later we were fortunate enough to reach the
further shore and, entering the debouchure of a large
stream, succeeded in travelling some distance up it
with a still favourable wind. Finally, on account of
the opposing current we had to abandon the water and
march on land.
One morning, just as most of us were rising, a scamp-
ering noise was heard without, accompanied by en-
couraging shouts of "Hi yah! hi yah! stick it, boy. "
Presently one of the equestrians, who had risen early to
take his accustomed morning walk, came riding up,
mounted on a new species of a monstrous mite. He
pulled rein with a "How's this for a specimen, Mr.
Biologist?" "Go to --- " was the answer, which
meant that scientist was not having any.
This portion of our journey proved very wearying,
as our daily marches were extended as long as possible.
The direction in which we had been travelling, being
across the main topographic features of Bathybia, was

BATHYBIA.
calculated to yield a maximum of information in a
minimum of time. Time, however, was now becoming
a serious matter, though new information never failed.
Since leaving the great salt basin of the central regions,
our track had consistently risen. The total amount of
this elevation now amounted to close on 6, 000 feet.
The jungle was fast becoming too dense to penetrate.
Therefore, as a final coup before retracing our steps,
we decided to ascend a high volcanic cone lying close
by our course. From its summit, some 17, 000 feet
above, much information might be gained.
A summer snow cap descended for about 4, 000
feet, whilst a perpetual wreath of smoke curled upwards
from the summit.
It was noon three days later when we made our
camp just below the snow line. The afternoon was
spent by most of us in a visit to the summit.
Hydrocarbons were escaping from fissures in the
ground near the summit, whilst continuous flames play-
ed about the crater, where the greater heat kept the
escaping gases ignited. The rocks were very basic and
heavy. Metallic iron occurred in many of the out-
crops, and copper fibres were observed in not a few.
However interesting these observations were, they
did not prevent us drinking in the distant panorama.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Far behind was the great salt sea and saline border-
lands. Ahead was a sea of jungle spread over gradually
rising plains. Beyond, where frigid altitudes are reach-
ed, a great snowy plateau carried the picture beyond
the horizon.
The whole party was overcome with the wild
grandeur of the scene and, when it was time for return,
we retraced our steps down the snowy slopes in silence.
From this reverie we were suddenly awakened by a
shout from the foremost, who had come upon the body
of a huge animal, about four feet in length, partly
buried in the ice. The biologist reported the beast
to have affinities between the water bears and the
mites, but distinct from anything we had so far noted in
Bathybia. We got to work with our ice axes and
soon had him out. The body being more or less
cylindrical, we found no trouble rolling our prize to
the camp near by. In the first instance our intention
for so doing was merely to astonish our comrades.
However, the biologist, seeing the specimen still intact,
asked that it might be spared till further investigated.
It was the peculiarity of our biologist to save his
specimens for examination in the early morning hours.
After supper, it being the eve of our returning
journey, a general discussion regarding the natural

BATHYBIA.
history and physical data so far experienced in Bathybia,
was instituted. Summarising the various points brought
forward as bearing on a scientific elucidation of the
phenomina observed, the following are worthy of note.
Bathybia was a great depression some hundreds of
miles across, bound on the East by a great fault face,
but with more gently rising boundaries in other direct-
ions. In fact it might be likened to a portion, for
example, of the basin of the Pacific Ocean from which
the water had been removed.
It seemed to us almost certain, that the folding
and faulting of the earth giving place to this configur-
ation, must have taken place at a period corresponding
to a maximum phase of a great ice age, when the
Antarctic regions supported an ice cap of stupendous
thickness. The ice must then have played the role
of rock, when the great earth movement referred to
occurred.
At a later date, as the ice age passed away, ablation,
removing the ice strata, exposed the deep basin of
Bathybia. The lower portions of this basin, situated
below so great a thickness of atmosphere, was blanketed
from the great cold of the upper regions.
To this end also, the humidity and increased
abundance of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere aided.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

Although in succeeding times, the highlands above
were deeply buried under snow-fields, this deeply plateau
 locked basin could keep its floor for the most part
unencumbered with water.
The atmospheric circulation, being distinct from
that of the outer earth, presented special features.
What was most to be remarked with respect to the
atmosphere is that it contained a minimum of dust
particles; so that, though the air was saturated with
moisture, condensation seldom took place, except along
the border lands, where fogs were very prevalent. The
great rain storm, producing the flood we experienced,
was probably due to an unusual disturbance of anti-
cyclonic nature, whereby dust-mote loaded air of the
anti-trade belt above had descended, causing sudden
condensation. The waters, continually draining into a
central basin and there evaporating, led to the produc-
tion of a residual salt sea.
A knowledge of the strata underlying the basin
would have been of the greatest value, but of course
exposures were not available. However, a great
accumulation of coal producing matter was presented
in the jungle zone.
Extinct volcanic activity had been noted along
the fault scarp, and specially interesting was the active

BATHYBIA.
volcano on which we now stood. The great basicity
of the lava, and the fact that it contained metallic
elements, and probably also metallic carbides at a depth,
as indicated by the exhalations of hydrocarbons, showed
it to be typical of the deeper earth crust.
The abundance of both plant and animal life, and
especially the curious restrictions governing their range
seemed, at first aquaintance, inexplicable. The biologist
now drew attention to the fact that all the species
represented were but curiously developed forms of types
already known to the scientific world. They had
suffered but little variation, though many had increased
enormously in size. Furthermore, it was known that
such species could at one stage or another in their life-
history be transferred for great distances by wind
agency. Also many, even in adult state, after remaining
frozen for long periods, maintained the power of re-
animation when thawed out.
In the light of this information, it seemed most
reasonable to suppose that the invasion of plant and
animal life had come from warmer climates through the
agency of the anti-trade winds.
It was just about two a. m., when a select few
were in the act of brewing their tenth cup of tea since
supper, that a movement in one of the sleeping bags

AURORA AUSTRALIS

attracted attention. An arm and then a head appeared
followed quickly by the rest of the body. Silently the
figure slipped on his boots and a moment later passed
out of the tent with the intention of inspecting his
specimen.
Almost immediately a wild commotion rent the
air and, as we burst from the tent, a terrifying spectacle
met our gaze. The beast we had left frozen a few
hours ago had thawed out, and come to life as is the
wont of the water bears when subjected once again to
congenial conditions. In this case, however, the term
of hybernation had been extended to centuries, so that
no doubt in the interval this savage species had become
practically extinct.
Our comrade was frantically struggling with his
specimen, and into the melee we threw ourselves. The
din grew louder and slowly but surely, out of the
confusion rose a voice, which smote clear upon me.
"Rise and shine you sleepers, 8-45, time for down
table!"
There in the passage was the horrid figure of the
night-watchman replacing our washing-up bowl, which
had just served him as a breakfast gong.
As I sleepily drew on my clothes, regretful at
sacrificing Bathybia for Cape Royds, I meditated how

BATHYBIA.
much can happen in dreamland during a short quarter
hour.
DOUGLAS MAWSON.

 
 Table of contents    Call No.: Q989.8/A
 

© State Library of New South Wales 2001
Feedback

_9http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/q90_80/a031/a031000.htmlYtext/html 1:CYkz3&]f aE!GQZ-