COWS IN ANTARCTICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22198, 27 February 1934, Page 16

COWS IN ANTARCTICA

PUZZLED AND AFRAID GOOD SUPPLY OF MILK. "An incident of note" in Little America during the time he was there, said Mr B. R: O'Brien, of Wellington, who' returned by the Jacob Ruppert, "was the transportation of the cows over the bay ice and up to the firstcache. This work was entrusted to Byron Cry, 'he New York composer, Jim Sissons, of the G.P.O.- Radio Department in Wellington, Muir, the third mate of the Jacob Ruppert, and myself. The cows were unloaded'at 15 degrees below zero under a battery' of movie cameras. "The reaction of the cows to the snow was interesting. They did not seem, to know what it alj was about. They smelt the snow for a while, and then became very frightened. 1 led 'Deerfoot,' a purebred little Guernsey, and when she made a break she decided to take me with her. I hung on to her like a cowboy at a rodeo, but it took a while before I had her.steadied down, and, indeed; all the cows seemed frightened of their surroundings. They particularly disliked the red route flags, but after they were led up to them and allowed to sniff at them, they seemed more reassured. They were heavily wrapped in blankets,, for' it was below freezing point, and even in the shelter they trembled like leaves. On the way across their eyes, which watered a lot, began to cake with ice, and long icicles formed, and these had to be broken off. "The idea of taking the cows was to have the fresh milk, and they milked wonderfully well. They did not seem to mill' 1 the sea trip. Their cache would be about two miles and a-half from the barrier face. After all that journey, and the frights they must have received, one of theni was milked on arrivaj, and gave nearly a bucketful of milk. "The journey, as yon can well imagine, was quite adventurous. The four of us have the distinction of being the first cowmen of the Antarctic.