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Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 310, 30 December 1915, Page 7

BACK TO CIVILISATION

FROM MACQUARIE ISLAND. "SAVED FROM MADNESS." After serving for about four and a half years as a lone outpost for scientific investigation, Macquaric Island has again been abandoned to the seals and penguins and the oil traders that occasionally brave those stormy waters. The staff of the Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau, comprising Mr. A. C. Tulloeh, meteorological oflicer, Mr. F. J. Henderson, wireless operator, and Mr. J. Ferguson, general assistant, has returned to civilisation. One of their number, Mr. Tulloch, was in Melbourne last week.

"I suppose people will not believe mc," he said to an interviewer, "when I say that the eight of a locomotive was co strunge to mc on my return to the Bluff that I had to stand and gape at it. It is a fact, all the same, and I can truthfully tell you that I had to marvel at it. Then I iput my hand in my pocket, aud the feel of money completely dazed mc. I had been out of the world since 19th November, 1014, and although that is little more than a year it is wonderful the changed aspect general affaire presented. 1 had lost my 'beautiful six-inch beard that was the pride of Macquarie Island, and the collar round my neck was a fearsome thing."

Mr. Tullooh was chosen by Mr. Hunt, the weather man, to take the post at .Viacqtiarie Island, and 'lie went down there in the cold by the subsequently ill-fated Endeavour. It was 'while on (he return trip that the Endeavour was lost with all on hoard. In the first place, Mr. Tulloeh was not surprised that the vessel never reached port. He had had an experience of her behaviour in heavy weather, and he was not eorry to place his foot on land again—oven if it was on no other land than the snow-swept plateau of "the loneliest place <lown south." "It was a hell of a trip," 'he oxplair.ou. "For three days we did not sec the sun, and we lost our bearings completely. We had intended landing on the north of the island, and it was only luck that we found that we were passing tho south-west corner. Then we had to come back in the face of the worst weather even those on the Endeavour had ever seen. We landed our supplies, but Mint is not the same as walking off a steamboat with a. bag tinder your arm. Al! the caees were put into boats, and were taken in on an open beach in the teeth of fi 'howling gale. It was an even money chance with each case. Sometimes the boat would get to the shore lirst, and just as often it would be the case of goods. Then it had to be a general search and count-up to see what was missing. But we got to land safely, and that was something to be thankful for. "We were soon at work Every day I had to go out and take observations, and at night time we climbed the plateau to the wireless plant and sent off our daily record to Melbourne and New Zealand These records are very valuable, and at timed we were able, to give you people up north notice of oncoming storms. The pressure system revolves, anil you in Australia aro in the same position as we were in the south. With storms travelling at .'!00 miles a day we were often able to warn you. At other times [ luid to make special observations of the clouds, but the weather did not give Us much chance in that direction. "Mow tho whole plant is dismantled and stowed away until the authorities decide to reopen it again. Personally I think it should be kept going until the department has data for at least live years. At the same time I hope I have eecn the last of the place. We were remarkably free from sickness, and only had two slight accidents. They both fell to mc. The wirelesf is on North Head, from 350 to 400 feet high, and to get up to it we had to use the life-line. One night it was broken, and I fell through the gap. I 'held on to the line and got up again without much harm being done, but it w,i« an awful sensation falling down that bit of a hill. Up there the wind almost always blows at 75 to SO miles an hour, and to get along under those conditions wae a most strenuous task.' .