Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-31
ANTARCTIC NEWS.
THE STORY or A RECENT CRUISE
IN FAR SOUTHERN WATERS.
Told by nm Explorer Who shipped
nS n seaman on Beard n Whaling
Ves.el-Somc observations Near the
south Pole.
lsan Francisco Chronicle


pcrlls that lie about the South Pole.
though from the popular and scientific
point OF view II Is a terra incognita as
rich in interest as the long-dreamed-of
northern land. in which lies the earth's
northern axiai extremity. Lately. how
ever. there has returned 10 Australia an
Antartic expedition with much 10 tell the
geographers and the scientists. The
steamer that carried the expedition was
the whaler Antarctic. and though she
was hunting oil and bone she AFFORDED
the expedition many rare opportunities
for investigation. The expedition II may
b, added. consisted OF one person. C. Eye
berg Borchgrevink. and he was obliged
to ship on the whalcr as an able seaman
The following IS condensation OF MT
Borchgrevink's paper. read shortly alter
his return before the Royal GeographicaI
Society OF Melbourne. and published IN
fuu By the Leader Of that city:
The Antarctic left Melbourne on sep
TENDER %. 1895. and we dropped anchor ~
Hobart on October "a we leit that ma
Dor the following day. 1t was orieihaiy
our intention 20 spend Few "eeks III
search Of sperm-whaIes on the sou'" 49,
srv We stcered for Royal Company
Isand. on the 18Th We had snow on
board for the FIRST time. IL came IN
bcavN SQUALLS. and brought US a large
sp.cimcn OF dlomcda exulans. or large
aibatross. which took refuge until the
Neather cleared. At night II was moon
lirhi with a completely clear sky, and
al ~ O'Clock the Aurora Australis was
visible for The first time. With white,
shining clouds rolling from west toward
east. it formed into a shining ellipse, with
an elevation above the southern horizon
OF 81 degrees.
The Antartic. being at the time at the
vicinity OF Macquairie Island. and thus
ln latitude of about 81 degrees. the aurora
seemed constantly to obtain It's light
force from the west. and the intensity
If its light cloud eliminated in strength
every five minutes. After the lapse or
that time 10 suddenly died out, 10 regain
its former msgnihcence and beauty uu-
ring the succeeding five minutes Upon
our primitive compasses l could discover
little or no influence that nlghl, anu
tre phenomenon lasted until O'Clock,
when u was gradually lost In an increas-
ing mist
As the swell was heavy. and as there
was little probability that any material
benefit would be the result OF LANDING we
81, out for Campbell Island on the ga
on the eve Of the 2Jth OF October shifting
Tie following day down TO Perseverance
harhor. TO an our water-tanks ana 10
make f~al preparations before proceeding
south. Campbell Island shows from
Great distance its volcanic origin ana
character. undulSting ridges rising IN
uumberlcss comic peaks from 90 10 ZVOV
feet above the sea-ieyel Although the
island seems desolate enough from the
a
vegetation.
ON November 9th. I'm ssh latitude ana
fs, r. longitude. We sighted an immense
barrier OF ice extending from forty 10
sixty miles from southeast 10 northwest
or. In fact as far as the eye could reach,
the highest point being somewhat over 0o
feet This barrier was Of "A dark srayisn
color. and at a distance much resembled
land. Several lcebsrgs, similar to those
we had met b fore. were floating about
fu all directions. and were undoubtedly
children OF this enormous monster.
FIRST SEAL SHOT.
BY the time we reached IS degrees the
a'batross had left us. and likewise the
cape pigeon, but the white-bellied storm
petrol stll followed In our track. A
lestris. with dark-brown head and white
bordered wings, and a small blue petrel
put IN an appearance. / lOnged 10 be able
had an opportunity. On December 7th
we sighted the edge OF the pack-ice ana
slot our first seal, which was or the
common gray kind. its skin being injured |
hy several deep scratches. we had n
very strong snowfall. and the Vessel was
f0r the first time covered in snow on
deck and I'm the rigging. on December
stb latitude G. degrees A. minutes. longi-
tude M degrees 30 minutes. large streams
az Zee were drifting around us. strong
i.a-blrk appeared toward the south,
and the presence Of the elegant white
rotrel gave its unmistakable evidence
tfan now we had before US those vast
ico-leids into which Sir James Ross htty
years ago. on January 5. lAl, success
MlIy entered with his famous ships the
Erebus and Terror In the evening we
slowly worked out way in between the
larFes foes OF the outer edge Of the
raCk-ice. which consisted of large and
heavy hummocky ice.
OF marine animals / saw multitudes
a. Argonauta and Aanarctaca every
where IN the pack, usually found 10
De- swimming about In cavities In the
i-e-noes evidently seeking refuge from
their enemies, the whales, that feed prin-
Clrally upon them.
The large filmed whales. or what In Nor
way are called blue whales. were spout
iug in an directions; but not being fitted
with the necessary appliances TO Kill
these monsters, we had. after several I'M
successful attempt. TO leave them alone.
The white petrels were numerous here,
and / secured some OF them. The white
beIlied petrol departed at the edge OF the
pack leaving the icy regions 10 its harder
brethren, the black-belled petrol. We
shot several seals. but they were scat
tered. We seldom saw more than one
or two together. and never more than
seven. most having scars and scratches
80 their skins.
BALLANY ISLAND.
Sir James Ross noticed similar wounds
on the seals. and II was supposed that
they had been inflicted by the large.
sharp tusks with which the sea leopards
are provided. My opinion Is, however
that these scars must be traced back TO
an enemy Of a different species than
the seal. The wounds are not like ordi-
nary cuts inflicted by tusk or tooth.
Varying from two TO twenty Inches IN
length they are a straight narrow shape
and. where several OF these cuts were 10
rathcr on one animal. they were TOO Tar
from each other TO have possibly besh
produced by the numerous sharp teeth OF
a seal The wounds went always Tar
into the blubber. and sometimes right
into the flesh That this unknown ana
destructive enemy Of the seal In those
waters is OF a superior and more danger
oas kind. ] conclude from the fact that
tho wounded seals never had scars about
their head and neck. which undoubtedly
would have been the case II the hatties
were fought among themselves. III my
opinion holds good. t may serve as an
explanation or the strange scarcity OF
the seals In regions where one would
think these animals should be found al
most everywhere.
when we entered the pack the tempera-
tlre Of the air was p degrees, that OF
the water 3 degrees which latter tenn
pfrature was kept UP all through the
Pack ICE Penguins were In great num-
bcrs on tie Ice foes, and we had no DIM |
Guilty In killing them. although we had |
many q hard race after them over the |
snow-coyeted ice foes and many we're the |
cod dips We got for their sake.
on the 18th We sighted Balleny Island |
and found it. according 10 Ross, In lsu-
tudc % degrees a minutes. longitude |
i6i degrees Several seals were shot du-
ring the day. The ics-hoes grew gradu-
ally larger as We approached the LAND. |
and 10 Was evident that the ice-packs now |
around US were for great part dis
charged from the r1acifrq Of the Balieny, |