The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-01-31

ERI ploring expedition to the
0 Eal! Antarctic Ocean to deter
mine certain points of the Southern
Continent, the most cheerless and in
hospitable of all lands. The vessel
touched at Cape Town late in Novem
ber, and a few weeks later again sci
sail.
Among the briggs compang were two
midshipmen, Harry Furness from Bris-
tol and Richard Scoresby of Liver
pol, who had been together in the SER
vice for two years, and had become
close friends.
The Eudocia sighted Kerguelen
Island, and slightly altering her course,
kept due south for several days. On
January IA land, or rather the glaciers
that fringed it, came into view upon
the southern horizon.
The ship ran for three days along a
sheer wall of ice, from one hundred to
two hundred feet in height, through a
sea filed with floating bergs and foes.
Although it was the Antarctic summer.
snow-squalls were frequent and the
wind was at times piercingly cold.
On the morning of the 18th column
of black smoke was sighted above the
ice-cliffs far to the west, end as the
vessel approached, this was seen to
BE issuing from an active volcano, a
strange spectacle in that land of ice
and snow.
1t was decided to effect landing, if
possible, and ascertain the height of
the peak. Upon the coast, rot far from
the base of the mountSin, two ice pro-
montorins stretched cut on each side
of a natural basin, almost circular,
with an opening about a hundred
yards wide affording an entrance from
the sea. The cliff at this point was
considerably lower than elsewhere, and
black volcanic rocks and ravines were
visible along its front.
A boat was sent ahead to examine
this harbor and to make soundings;
and as a result of its report, the Eu-
dOcia was soon riding snugly at anchor
upon the sheltered expanse. At the
head Of the little bay was beach of
volcanic debris. with ravine leading
up to the tableland above. Beyond,
the smoking cone of the mountain rose
over disfigured region of blackened
dee and snow. Streams of water, melt
ed by the heat, were running down
the cliffs.
Furness and Scoresby were detailed
to 60 ashore with a boats crew, to
make observations, examine the sur
face Of the plateau and determine the
height of the peak. The service was
one involving no little fatigue and even
a considerable degree of danger, for an
tce-field at the base of a volcanic
mountain was likely 10 be scanned with
crevasses and filled with hidden pit
falls The young officers were, how
ever, much elated at the prospect of
exploring an unknown land.
A few strokes of the oars brought
their boat to the beach of volcanic
rock and ashes. The boys landed, TAX
Ing their surveying instruments and
two of the boats crew. But the men
were wholly unable to keep up with the
nimble youths, so they were sent back
to the shore, whence boat took them
of to the ship.
After q hard scramble up steep
gorge over black boulders and slip
pery ice, in full sight of the Eudocia,
the boys gained the. summit of the
cliffs. From this point a gradual slope
of rock and ice extended upward to the
base Of the mountain, half mile dis
tant.
Toward this the boys now made
their way, but with considerable diff
ficulty. The slope that had appeared
so smooth from a distance proved, on
closer approach, to be broken coun-
try, guttered with deep assures and
ravines, from some of which smoke
and steam were rising. There was also
perceptible slight tremor of the earth
and an occasional rumbling
At last, after much labor and fa-
tigue, the two explorers reached a long,
marrow stretch of fairly level surface,
parallel to the base of the mountain.
Beyond lay a deep ravine, apparently
made observations to ascertain the
height Of the peak. y rough calcula-
ton gave its altitude as trifle over
four thousand feet
BY this time the long Antarctic af-
ternoon was drawing to a close. and
the boys started back toward the YES
sci, which lay hidden from view be-
meath the edge of the cliffs. They
i moved slowly, observing the confgura-
ton of the land as they went.
Suddenly the deadened boom of a
gun from the brig came to their ears.
Its echoes had hardly died away before
there came another report, and then
another. What did it mean?
Involuntarily they glanced back at
the mountain, and cry o. surprise
and alarm broke from both In place
of the thin, tapering column of smoke,
. great clouds of pitchy blackness were
rolling ur 10 the sky, as if some giant