IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1929, Page 1

IN ANTARCTICA

BYRD’S EXPEDITION

MA.NI SEALS SEEN BASKING IN THE BAY.

(By Russell Owen —Copyrighted )92£ by the New York Times Company, and St. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to New Yoik limes.)

BAY OF WHALES, September 29. The blizzard of the last few days has been followed by an unexpected cold spell, the thermometer hovering between 50 degrees and 60 degrees below zero. The sky has been clear for two days, with the sun shining brilliantly. Its warmth can be felt when facing it, but it had little effect in this cold drift of air from south, which yesterday extended as high as the meteorologists could trace it with their balloon. There are many signs, however, that spring is not far off, because, in the brief intervals between the blizzard and the cold wave, it was so warm that seals came out on the. bay ice in great numbers. Men who went far out in the bay, N towards the sea, until they, got within a mile of the curtain of sea smoke beyond which they could see nothing, saw hundreds of seals basking in the sun. They were mostly found on the new ice which extends to a point about fourteen miles north of the base,, to a point where the bay ends at the east cape of the Barrier. This ice . is broken and' heaped, up by pressure, hut holes are left and these are <~.e places where the seals come up to, breathe and crawl out when the weather is not too colfl. A lot of seals are crab-eaters, which are best to eat. One of them was killed and brought back to camp. It tasted good, very much like ordinary rump-steak when cooked well, with dehydrated onions. It is valuable, as is all fresh meat, tor their vitamin contents, and the men who go out on the trail will be able to get well stocked up with it before they leave.