IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1929, Page 6

IN ANTARCTICA

(By Russell Owen—Copyrighted 1929 by the New York Times Company, and St. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world Wireless to New York Times.)

[United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph.—Copyright.]

BAY OF WHALES, Oct. 31

After early breakfast Burscy and Braathen placed a warning on the barrier for Snowmobile. Braathen Bursoy and I proceeded on sltiis in an effort to thread our way through open holes connected by covered crevasses everywhere. On approaching a range we finally found a narrow ridge between open chasms leading to a network of canyons. In three hours we marked a zigzag trail, a mile and a half through heart ridge and returned with doubts about our sledges getting over: dubious bridges, sharp shoulders and steep inclines, but tbere was no other way through, the hills being impassable to the east and west.

The team and the men roped separately followed our ragged line of flags. It was time for expert driving and obedient dogs. The veteran Walden said he had never seen anything like it. He said the bridges were taxed to the limit. The dogs sensed danger and time and again disappeared in crevasses and were hauled out by their team mates. Burscy and his leader St. Lueraire worked in perfect accord when a few feet to right or left would mean a dangling sled and driver Walden’s foresight, Braathens care and Bursey’s driving and luck brought us to the end of the range and a wide open road, bordered by crevasses leading down to safe ground and a lean trail towards the midnight sun. We were stopped and turned to view the area we had crossed before the fog set. in. It seemed as if the gods had been playing with chalkcliffs and left them scattered and broken on the banyer floor.