ADVENTURE IN THE ICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20162, 24 January 1929, Page 13

ADVENTURE IN THE ICE.

'AMONG KILLER WHALES.

BYRD'S PARTY IN BOAT.

SUPPLY SHIP AMONG BERGS.

[United Service. £ NEW YORK. Jan. 22. [By Mr. Russell Owen. Copyrighted 1928 by the New York Times Company, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. "Wireless to the New Yorlc Times.] BAY OP WHALES. Jan. 21. We have had our closest escape and most disconcerting experience, and that was with killer whales last night. It

was a short but exciting guessing contest, and came during a long excursion by Commander Byrd in a small boat to a lead along the eastern side of the bay in a search for a landing place for the Eleanor Boiling. The commander took one of the boats with an outboard motor. He was accompanied by Strom, the first mate, Paul Siple, the Boy Scout, John Sutton and myself. It had been snowing nearly all day, with a stiff wind blowing off the ice. 'Although it was still snowing a little when we put oft, the sky was thick and a dirty grey. We could see for several miles and could make out the smoky outline of the ice cliffs ahead. Passing Through Bay Ice. The boat ran along the edge of the bay ice toward the Barrier to the east, the commander and Strom conning the boat through big hunks of pack icc, some pieces 20 yards to 30 yards across, which stuck out great tongues of solid blue ice far below the water line in ugly looking shelves, cobwebbed and honeycombed with perforations. There were long stretches where there was little ice—only scum on the surface. The boat dashed over the waves, which lapped against the bow.

When we first, reached the Barrier it was 35 feet high, a steep wall of white snow. Outside the true Barrier line, in which the strata of many snowfalls could be seen, the commander turned the boat's nose southward, then along the Barrier for more than a mile, to where the ice was caked too thick for our boat to break through. Commander Byrd examined the face of the Barrier inland with his glasses, especially a point whero the Barrier sloped gently to the bay ice, now blocked in high pressure ridges, then he decided to start home. The motor had other ideas, however, so we had to take to the oars. "We wound in and out of the big cakes of ice while two Askua gulls swept down to look over the strange invasion. There were many snow petrels sitting on the ice cakes, camouflaged against the snow, only their black eyes anrl bills making them visible.

Whale Seen Spouting. Approaching the point where the boat *as to turn westward along the face of the bay ice toward the ship the low, feathery spout of a whale was seen half-a-niile ahead. We regarded that spout with an interest that might mildly be called intense. /Byrd, who was steering, was standing up peering ahead, his keen face outlined by his woollen cap. The drift ice was thick here. As we wound through it all eyes were turned on the point ahead, broken and serrated by upstanding cakes of ice from an old pressure ridge.

Another spout was seen, then the long black fin of a killer standing over a low cake. The question was, how many were there ? Byrd and Strom switched the .45 guns around so that they could Ret at them quickly.

We have learned that a killer can bo killed by a bullet. Byrd headed a course close to the ice, straight for the spouts. The responsibility was his. We all sat silently and watched. We had reached a point with a small inlet beyond it when three fins rolled up toward the ice. Byrd at once turned the boat so as to cut across the tails. We paused not more than 10ft. behind them as they disappeared, diving under. Then they broke the water again 20ft. behind us, heading toward the boat in an enormous deliberate roll.

As the whales rolled toward us Byrd Btood, his body half twisted around so that he could see them, holding the tiller in one hand and his revolver in the other. As the killers went under again he shifted his course and headed directly toward the ice. Hurried Scramble from Boat. " Get ready to get on the ice," he yelled. One man scrambled ashore with a rope and the others tumbled out. Byrd was last to leave the boat. The killers must have dived under the boat and the ice, thinking wo were seals or some water animal. We waited for a time to see if they would reappear and after a few minutes started the motor. We pushed off, keeping a watch for tho killers, but reached the ship in safety. The look-out said he had seen three killers pass the ship a few minutes before we arriver). Thcv are probably still looking for us.

The Eleanor Boiling entered t! e ice pack at 6.50 a.m.. and sent a message: "We are right among the berg* and loos« 3 ice. We have seen penguins and seals, on the ice for tha first time. We are having wonderful weather, clear but ■with no sun, v. r ith 24 hours' daylight and temperature 38 degrees. All hands are in the best of health and spirits. At noon her position was 1441 miles South-east, of Tairoa Head in latitude 68.38 degrees south, longitude 177.50 degrees east.