BYRD’S EXPEDITION

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1929, Page 5

BYRD’S EXPEDITION

«o*~~ ICE BREAKING UP

FORCES SHIP TO MOVE

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph -- Copyngnt).

(By Russell Owen—Copyrighlcd 192by the New York Times Company, and -'t. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights tor publication reserved throughout Ihe world. YVir<>Kss to New York limes.)

BAY OF WHALES, Jan. 2

Yesterday was another day of excitement, as the edge of the Bay of icc to which wo had been moored, began to break up under a strong swell. Hugo cakes of ice, five to six feet thick, cracked away under our ice anchor and the ship began to move.

“ lee anchors were secured 'further inshore, but the ice broke again and it was decided to seek another position, and the ship was moved over to the west side of the bay near the Barrier, where it was hoped that sheftei might be found.

‘‘ The lead there was not very’deep, so tlie ship again prepared to move It was surrounded by ice floes by this timo, some of them enormous ones which had broken off near our former position and the men went over the side to fend'them off as they smashed up against the side of the ship and threatened to grind into the rudder. “Commander Byrd decide to go to eastward, this time into the lead which we had explored the night before when we met the killer whales. A position was 'found there by forcing the ship into some broken drift ice so thal its bow is now resting against the edge ol the bay. “The ice is Somewhat thinner here than where we were before, but we are sheltered from wind and swells by the surrounding bay icc and the harrier. \Vo are now lying about three-quarters of a mile to the east. “When we arrived we could see a speck, far out on the Bay, coming towards us and knew it must he'one of those single .sled dog,, teams. As the team approached a young seal slipped out on the icc and humped itself along stopping now and then to rear up and loox at us.

•‘The curiosity of the animals down here, seals and guils chiefly is amusing. The penguin is, one of the most amazinli things about this strange man and have no fear of him or of anything outside their natural enemies, the killers and sea leopards. “When the dog team arrived alongside, this sea] headed for the dog team, apparently thinking the clogs were other seals. It was not until the newcomer was only a few yards away from them that it found they barked somewhat differently, and it scrambled to safety on a little cake of ice and looked serenely around before taking a final dive out of sight. “Yesterday morning the photographer obtained a picture of a seal and lead dog of the team actually snapping at each other, the seal showing no sign of fear. Equally strange it is that the dogs seldom chase penguins, seals or gulls. “A huge iceberg has been drifting in from the north-west towards us for several days in defiance of all that was xiiowii about currents here and all that we have observed of the drift of the pack ice, which is generally towards the north-west. There must he a deep counter current which is pushing it towards the east wall of the J>ny.

“The drift of the pack ice hy us in the last ten days has been an absorbing phenomenon. “The changes in temperature here are very unusual. Yesterday the sky was overcast and it was so warm that • u rain oil for a few minutes. The tomiverature to-day reached forty-two and the men are working in their undershirts. The barrier is like a sheet of glass, broken only by the rising ot whales, and the. whole magnificent landscape sparkles under a brilliant sun. yet only a few nights ago it was three, degrees above zero. “The Eleanor Bolling is now in the pack ice. which is reported open, and tlie weather, is good so that if the ice pack does not hold her up she should lie here in a few days.”

DOGS FOR BYRD

WELLINGTON. Jan. 2-1

Bropliy. (Byrd's manager) is on bis way to Auckland to receive 20 more dogs and lo make arrangements to gel them on to the steamer Bulling as soon as possible or she will miss her trip.

He has received word from Byrd : •‘ice condition still very aggravating. Ice in Bay id' Whales this year milch worse than any explorer lias ever experienced here in the past. Iheio doe.-, not appear to lie advanced enough in melting to permit the Bolling getting directly to tbe shore, which "ill make unloading operations very difficult.”