Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

Radio "Calling Antarctica" and heard of the latest tribulations of the fated
motorboat "Jane" . Bunny Fuchs said she would not after all be coming south and
a replacement would be found. This was a relief to me and I thought again of the
"Forrest" in Stanley. On Christmas Eve I spent the morning making another
elephant seal count, in beautiful Three Lakes Valley, with the sun glinting on the
remaining ice on the lakes. The total this time was 1629, including 2 weaners.
almost all males (at the same time in l948 and l949 the numbers had been 1486
and 1040 respectively). I spoke over the radio with Bob Dale (US National Science
Foundaton, NSF) at Palmer Station about a proposed visit by the "Hero" when two
of their biologists would spend a couple of weeks at Signy. This was welcome,
and linked to a geological survey. A Christmas Eve party began at 9 o’clock and
went on until 3 o’clock next morning, with various feats (drinking ‘yards of ale’,
table climbing etc.) and party games - and much photography, or "gripping".
On Christmas Day we were all up for brunch at noon and listened to the
Queen's Speech. In the afternoon we held a clay-pigeon shoot with 12-bore and
empty beer cans thrown by Barry. I came in third, but did better in the double
shot competition - both barrels! I didn't do so well, in the .45 revolver target
shooting. Then we showered and changed into suits and ties for Christmas
Dinner: shrimp cocktail, turkey and trimmings, Christmas pudding, cheese, white
and red wine, plus crackers and paper hats. Bob wore his chef's outfit: checked
trousers, white jacket and chef's hat. Afterwards much talk about this and that
leading to another late night.
On Boxing Day we were up for breakfast at 10.30 am and then over to Snow
Hill via Moraine Valley and Garnet Peak. Jerry, Adrian and Pete came with me
that way and the others went by boat to Mirounga and then up by Jane Peak col.
We had brunch at the top and did some skiing - a calm day, but no views. At 5.30
pm we had a race down, Jerry and Adrian having marked the course down to
Jane Peak Col and the Marble Valley. I came in third after Adrian and Jerry,
though Adrian was disqualified for knocking down a post and not replacing it.
Due to the sastrugi it was a very bumpy ride. Everyone was tired that evening but
we had a good slide show at 10.30 pm and talked until about 2 o’clock.
Next day I was up at 9 o’clock and set off with Peter and Adrian in the
Desmarestia for Coronation Island, first to Olivine Point and Reid Island. After an
uneventful run, about four miles, we landed on a shingle beach just under the
cliffs. Here there were 50 Weddell seals on the remaining snow banks, including
17 tagged animals. We recorded the tag numbers and walked over to the other
side through flocks of birds and saw a skua nest with eggs. We then went along
the ice front of Sunshine Glacier and so to Shingle Cove, where I had first set foot
on Coronation Island so many years before. A small field hut stood there now
where we had set up our depot in a tent and we ate a meal there. The ice cliffs
across the bay were beautiful pastel blues of various shades of greens, whites and
greys, and with glistening brash ice investing them. Great caverns led into vast
crevasses and there were continual groanings, creakings and rumbles as the ice
moved. There was a number of patches of nesting Adelies near the hut, but a
large area of unoccupied former rookery. Weddells and elephant seals slumbered
in abandon. We went on round the coast to Half Moon Bay and recorded some
more tagged seals and then back to base in deteriorating weather, by 5.30 pm.
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