Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

Swedish-British expedition so as to give them some dogs. So I didn't expect they
would try very hard to get to us, and if they did they wouldn't stay long.
On 14 December we realized that Biscoe was north of King George Island and
steaming at 7 1 2 knots through fog, course 054°; apparently she had now developed
engine trouble. On 7 January we overheard a signal detailing the movements of the
Biscoe but were little the wiser and on 11 January Ralph came up on R/T for a chat,
but still no news of the Biscoe's plans.
My diary doesn’t say much about the summer period December to February,
when I was immersed in my field researches. Then, on [23 February 1950] the John
Biscoe arrived at our island with HE the Governor on board. She departed on [28
February], with Derek, John, Charlie and me on board, first call Port Stanley. During
the five days, which passed very quickly, I had several discussions with Miles
[Clifford] about my work and plans, which involved spending six months at
Cambridge, writing up and preparing for a year at South Georgia, to study elephant
seals and the sealing industry there.
I also joined in the relief operation, again helping to transport many tons of stores
and supplies by hand 70 feet up the rocky slope to the base site. It had been decided
increase the complement to 5 and to rebuild the base. Bill Sladen was the new Base
Leader and I handed over to him. With him were John Cheal (Surveyor), Eric Salmon
(Meteorologist), Ron Worswick, and Dave Duke (radio operator). While the
handover and re-supply went ahead the materials for enlarging the base,
incorporating our old home, were unloaded and building began. It had also been
decided to remove the husky dogs from Argentine Islands base and three teams were
put ashore at Signy. During my research we had collected a supply of seal meat for
dog food, we helped with the feeding process, and got to know them. We envied our
successors their luck in having these splendid animals to keep them company and
make winter travel easier. They were to help with the geological and topographical
survey of Coronation Island until 1964.
A journalist, Douglas Liversidge, was on the ship and conducted several
interviews with me. I also demonstrated aspects of my field work and collecting
methods, which later led to several articles and a book by Liversidge. During this
time too the John Biscoe visited Sandefjord Bay at the western end of Coronation
Island, where a base had been constructed in February 1945. (The original intention
had been to establish a station on Signy Island in 1944, but this was not achieved and
the hut was erected instead at Sandefjord Bay, in February 1945, although there were
insufficient personnel to occupy it. Instead a new hut at Cape Geddes, Laurie Island
replaced it in 1946. Both the Sandefjord Bay hut and the Cape Geddes hut (especially)
were vastly superior in size and comfort to our primitive little home on Signy. ) We
went ashore, on the way seeing at close quarters a leopard seal killing a penguin in
the brash ice. We discovered that the base hut had been erected inside a dense
penguin rookery. Apart from the noise there was a pervasive smell – particularly
oppressive in the pure Antarctic air – and having climbed the cliffs into the rookery
we were spattered by penguin faeces as birds fleeing from us threw up shit with their
flippers and spattered our clothes. When we got back to the ship I was standing on
the main deck when, from above the jacket of a suit followed by a pair of trousers,
fluttered into the sea. Looking up I saw that it was Douglas, who had foolishly worn
a suit to visit the base hut, and evidently now considered it was permanently ruined!
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