Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

permitting, continue sealing next day. The bad weather continued, so we decided to
go to Stonington, discharge seals for them and show the base a film. We arrived
about 11 o’clock, in flat calm conditions, overcast, low cloud and snow. The seal
carcasses were unloaded onto the beach and another 32 seals were shot on nearby
floes and put ashore. This took until 5.30 pm.
Although it was overcast the colours were subtly beautiful and the fresh snow
enhanced the attraction of the scene – apart from the carnage. The brash ice was
reflected in the pewter-coloured sea and icebergs were breaking up with thunderous
noises like heavy artillery. I had to spend the afternoon composing telegrams. Steve
Wormald and Graham Wright (new BC) dined with us in the wardroom and we had
a pleasant dinner, with Chablis and talk until midnight. I spoke to Steve Wormald
about the possibility of a job for him directing summer operations. The rest of the
Fids had a film in the wardroom - Goldie Hawn in "There's a Girl in my Soup" - and
left in the launch with much ribald comment. We steamed and drifted overnight in
snow and fog and at 7 o’clock were off Rothera Point, Adelaide Island; a party went
ashore to inspect the field depot there.
Next we went on to look for floes and sealing began about 9.30 am in calm
conditions, though limited visibility. However, the weather steadily improved, with
superb views of the mountains on either side. Although we found plenty of floes,
not many seal were hauled out that morning. We took three leopard seals, two of
which had seal remains (skin, hearts, etc.) in their stomachs - the third was empty.
The planes took-off about 12.40 pm on their flight north and later we heard that they
expected to arrive at Punta Arenas, Chile, at about 8 pm. Sealing continued
throughout the day, slowly accumulating the numbers in small groups, and the day's
total was 86. We moved up Barlas Channel towards the Gullet to the north, but the
weather deteriorated and as the sealing went slowly we didn't get far, and eventually
turned back towards Horseshoe Island, where we dropped anchor for the night in
Lystad Bay. I had a long discussion with Bob Bostelmann (Veterinary Officer).
March began with another beautiful day, calm, with delicate creamy tints and the
Alexander Island Mountains visible 130 miles away. We spent the day sealing in
open pack ice and took 99. They were in groups of 2-6 or more and much more
abundant than the previous day. A leopard seal female had an embryo less than 5
cm long, although the Weddell embryos were now about 22 cm., and crabeaters
about 10-15 cm. I took photos, from the ship's 'monkey island', of leopard, Weddell
and crabeater seals to give the relative proportions of the body, head and flippers, in
dorsal aspect. We finished sealing about 4 o’clock and headed for Bijourdain Fjord
and the Blaiklock Island hut, to check the depot there. The Adelaide winter party
planned to sledge back this way, sea ice permitting, in July.
I had a long discussion with Graham Wright about future operations, the
Shackleton Mountains project etc. He had reached very similar conclusions to
myself. Then we returned to Gnome Island to pick up the 17 seal carcasses that been
abandoned on 23 February. A boat went ashore about 7.45 pm and returned at 9.15
pm with only ten - the others had been lost. It was another beautiful calm evening,
with the rosy mountains reflected in the still waters of Bourgeois Fjord. I sent down
two kegs of beer for the Fids and the crew to mark the completion of the sealing and
we sailed at 9.30 pm for Stonington. I was down in the Fiddery talking about seal
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