THE CAMERA IN THE ANTARCTIC

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3438, 16 September 1913, Page 8

THE CAMERA IN THE ANTARCTIC

POLAR CINEMATOGRAPHY. MG. POXTIXG’S EXPERIENCES. “• ■ ' ■ . ■ 1 ' ;* ~.«?■>*_ •; : * Probably tlio most interesting ami valuable kinematographic records ever made are those brought back from the Antarctic by Herbert G. Ron ting, photographer of the ill-fated Scott Expedition. Mr Pouting was no ordinary moving-picture taker. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an explorer in many lands, and one of th© most distinguished kiiiematograpb operators in the world, Mr Pontiug regarded his work as a. serious piece of business. A writer in the “Scientific American” states that his equipment of photographic apparatus w-ns of a variety and perfection that could fairly be expected to develop ill the Antarctic. He anticipated and organised intelligently for the difficulties to be met, and sailed southward toward the with what was practically a new commission from science. Besides the individual photographic negatives Mr Pouting brought back with him over 25,000 feet of films, and important selections' from these are now being shown by kincmatograph in several American and European cities. His difficulties began almost from the moment of starting. In order to. photograph the actual progress of the bow of the Terra Nova in forcing its way through tlio ice-pack in the Antarctic Ocean, a staging built from two planks lashed to the deck and. the rail was extended far-out over the side of the ship, and partly resting on this and partly suspended by rope from above Mr Pontmg sprawled on his face and turned the crank of the kinematograph, while some of his most successful exposures were made.

“Difficulties?” said he, in telling his adventures to an interviewer, “of course there were many of them. Compared with polar photography, everythimr is easy. It is not only the difficulty of the light. That is soon mastered. The temperature is where the real trouble comes from. If you take off your glove and put your naked hand near tlio lens, instantly the lens is covered with a film of ice that no mere rubbing will remove. Sometimes moisture, condensing into the finest particles of ice, will get inside the lens —then you are through. A grave, danger anent the camera is the brass knobs. If by accident you touch with your bare hand any p-art of t-ho brass of the apparatus, it will burn you just like a red-hot iron. On one occasion I was focussing under my cloth when I happened to moisten my lips. The point of my tongue came in contact with the metal and instantly froze there; the shock- was so great "that I went over backward and when I recovered, I found that I had lost the tip of my tongue, which remained frozen to the camera.. “I recall one instance when 1 thought every moment was my last on this earth (or rather on Antarctic seaice). None of us were familiar with the ferocious killer-whales, and so when we sighted a large school of them after seals, I disembarked and hastened over the ice to film the thrilling scene. Imagine my amazement when they gave up their chase after the seals and attacked me.. Over a dozen of them formed into line, and diving under the ice, heaved their backs against the hce, breaking it up for hundreds of Yards, and it was all that I coukl do, with the assistance of my comrades, to regain the safety of firm ice again with a school of ferocious whales exerting their every effort to get me into the frigid waters. “On another occasion, when endeavoring to induce a seal, weighing perhans half-a ton, to pose for a picture, it suddenly evinced the most determined objections to the proceedings and lunging out at- mo, it seized hold of my leg, throwing me to the ground. Its teeth went through all of my clothes and drew blood, but I was not hurt, owing to tlio fact that I fell. Had I not done so, I think mv leg would have broken. This, I believe, is the only instance on recoid of a Weddell seal ever having bitten a man. However. I certainly invited the. trouble, and probably deserved what I g0t.....” . Since 1900 Mr Pouting has been travelling and illustrating everywhere —in thirty different lands. These travels involved every possible kind of photographic work and in every conceivable climate. He has had to take telephotdgijaphjr of almost invisible, objects. He lias worked in the reeking, stifling . jungles and swamps of Java and on the plains of .Manchuria, whore-the air is so dry that tiie skin actually cracks. “But, lie says, “the most picturesque and altogether interesting section of the world that I have ever visited is the South Polar Continent.”

A man in the life insurance business,' while under examination in the Supreme Court at Wellington, was asked by counsel if he had ever come across an insurance broke’*,• the suggestion being that the agent of the plaintiff in the case had acted, in that capacity. The witness replied that he had travelled all over New Zealand, and it was only on Thursday last, m Auckland, that he had encountered an insurance broker for the-first time, and. in that ease the man had- only started in the business recently.

A country correspondent of tho “Southland Times” reports the following incident. The careless manner in which some people leave money lying about is amazing, but this case deserves a prize. Sevei'al days ago there arrived at Wilson’s Hotel, Orepuki, ail elderly man who, to judge by. appearances, had very little of this world’s goods for his share. After ho had spent a day or. two- about the hotel in a listless sort of way it became apparent - there was something seriously wrong with the old man, and as soon as Mr Wilson realised this both he and Mrs Wilson did what they could for him and got medical attention,' with tlie result that he was recommend as an urgent case for the Riverton Hospital. Before the old man went away he confided that he had some money in his hut about four or five miles out on the Orepuki-Tua-tapere main'road. He added that the door was unlocked, and he was not sure where he had, left the money. Ml* Wilson and a friend drove to tho hut, and this is what they found : Hut about six yards from main road, door unlocked, all the miscellaneous articles appertaining to a rabbiter s hut, suit of cloths hanging o n the wall, something sticking out of the vest pocket' which turned out to be two five pound notes, ordinary sixpenny note hook with elastic, band, enclosing one twenty pound note, three ten pound notes, and .five five pound notes, £BS in all. This money had been lying there for several days 'improtected.