RATTLE WITH THE ICE.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13382, 3 April 1912, Page 6

RATTLE WITH THE ICE.

On leaving for-tho north tho ship with difficulty steamed through tho now ice at tho entrance of the Sound, having ;:t times to buck astern and charge at full spootl to make any impression at all. It, is nrnv soon tlr.it- it is impossible to gain, a return to M-cMnrdo Sound this season, and iho ship is thus prevented from .obtaining the latest news of Captain ScoLt. On tho Bth and 7th of March the ship again attomptod to im-k up the northern I>7irty, but could nob get as close as on three days previously, and had to leave without then.. As winter conditions had. already set in tho ship was in danger of being frozen in. The northern party, consisting of Messrs Campbell, Levick, Priestly, Abbott, Browning and Dickason were to nrocood south to tho winter quarters :tt O:njo ft vans. They had been provisioned and equipped in view of this possibility arising. There are also several depots on tho route they were to traverse, and sor.ls iiud ■jK)nguins would provide ample irosh food. Ths ship mr:d? a £«>.•.:! \WMV Muder| sail to W.v Zealand waters, but or. ?"rol j "ili.jiri.-h she ran i'.-i-n a 'ioi.vv stm-i.i lasting for three days, but it caii'^n! no dai^age oxr-op.- tho wishing u^ay of the starboard lifeboat. NORTHERN PARTY'S MOVEMENTS As tho northern party was not picked tip only an incomplete report oJ ihvir previous movements can be <_;ivon. They \ landed at Capo Aci;\ir on February 2nd, j J9ll, tho ship sailing the following night. They completed their luri on March 3rd in t!it> middle of iho Adcliej penguin rookcy, a very dry poet vhich j was F.urround?:'. :;11 ;!k>. by. counties iinin!);.•■!• i.i ponguiu-v. j A blizzard of hurricaiv:? f.n'co wasj oxporioncod on March 19th, v.hen the anemometer broke after v t.-ortl'uy; a v/ind volocity of 84 miles an hr.'ir. Bur- j ing the »-iiit-:-r t:.i\s,"! pjv.vo g::k<s v.rre : not uncommon, find on one occasion the porch of the hut was blown j.way. It was intended to start on tho r.uju jourjioy at the mid of August ovt-r tho sea i;K3 towards Capo North, but a ho.ivy blizzard on August I.sth took all iho sea ice out to the northward. The sea havhi£ refrozc-n the party hit on >eniember. *>ai. It was a. very bad surface, and :Mxd& the progress slow. The party was compolkid to retire to .RoborLsaii Bay as tho sou ico was obviously about to go out again. From then till tho beginning of November the timo was utilised in collecting geological specimens, photographing, surveying, etc. During the last two months they confined their.attention to a moraine in tho mountains irnraodiately behind, until relieved on January 4th, 1912. Tho northern party was able to make a. good geological collection during the v.hok; period. Continuous meteorological, magnetic and other observations were taken, which ;trO of particular value, as thoy wore simultaneous with similar ouos taken ;tt Cape Evans.