ASCENT OF ANTARCTIC VOLCANO.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12502, 1 April 1909, Page 4

ASCENT OF ANTARCTIC VOLCANO.

Dr. A. Forbes Mackay, surgeon and farrier to the Nimrod Antarctic expedition, talked interestingly to a Christchurch reporter regarding the ascent of the famous Antarctic volcano Mount Erebus, which was made by a party consisting of Professor David, Lieut Adams, Sir Philip JBrocklehurst, Dr Marshall, Mr Mawson, and Dr Mackay. .' The party started from Cape Royd on /sth of March, returning four days later. "Professor David was the first to propose the ascent," said Dr Mackay, "and I was also very keen on it, as I had had some experience of mountain climbing. After a pjreat deal of persuasion Lieut Shackloton at last consented to.our making the attempt. We had two days of heavy sledge -work, hauling the sledge containing over a fortnight's rations ourselves, and in those two days Aye attained an altitude of 600 feet. We then came to the ond of the snow.

-The sledges were left at a depot, arid we thenceforward carried our provisions and our cooker on our shoulders. Half way up the rock slopes a terrific blizzard came up and we had to spend thirty-six hours in. our sleeping hags without food or water. I managed, however, to drink some snow water, . melting it in my hands. At the summit of the rocky ascent we came to the edge of the old crater which had been piled up with snow till it had become a huge^ snow plain, about five miles in diameter. Behind this snow plain was tlie active crater. Dotted over the snow plain were numerous fumaroles which looked like ruined cottages with smoke issuing from them. The next day the. party together started across the old -grater's snow plain, arid on our way be^got some excellent photographs of fumaroles. W r e reached the ends of the active crater, suffering one and all from mountain dizziness. It is. hard to describe the active crater in words. All I can tell - you is that it is something, like Arth- . ur's Seat at Edinburgh turned upside down and scooped out inside. "There - U a huge gaping chasm about 80P f eet deep~apd more than a quarter of a mile across. The sides are formed of snow and ice. Despite the intense internal ■ heat on one side of the crater a very curious phenomenon was seen, of icey sandwiched but between stratified lay- ,.. ers of worn- hot rock. The ice was con-v .tinually melting in these places and evaporating into columns of steam. : Th<; bottom of the crater was generally obscured by steam clouds and when these clouds 'momentarily rifted, we saw three or four large pot holes my which I thought I distinguished glow- ' ing lava. Now and then an enormous mass of ice would fall into one'' of the poe holes and a column of strain would immediately arise. There was a constant roaring sound, which could only be compared to that made by a sawmill: The return journey was made hurriedly and only occupied 24 hours. On the return journey .:. Sir Philip Brocklehurst had one of his feet badly frost bitten and on the return to the hut at Cape Royd it was found necessary to amputate the great toe of his right foot. Dr Marshall performed tlio operation and used chloroform. "T