PREPARATIONS FOR THE WINTER MONTHS
After the journey to the summit of Erebus we began to prepare for the
long winter months that were rapidly approaching.
It was most important, for instance, that the geologists should get
as far afield as possible before the winter night closed upon us; so
both the Professor and Priestley were out early and late collecting
geological specimens which would need to be examined later on.
There was also a fine field for Murray's biological studies; while
the lengthening nights gave indications that the mysterious Aurora
Australis would soon be waving its curtains and beams over our winter
quarters; and as information on this phenomenon was greatly needed,
Mawson prepared to record the displays.
Adams was the meteorologist of the expedition, and he took all the
observations from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.; while the night-watchman was
responsible for those taken from 10 P.M. to 6 A.M.
In addition to the meteorological screen, Mawson built an erection on
the top of the highest ridge, in which he placed an aneurometer of his
own construction to register the strength of the heaviest gusts of wind
during a blizzard. Frequently the squalls were found to blow with a
force of a hundred miles an hour.
There remained one more outdoor instrument connected with weather
observation, and that was the snow-gauge. By using some spare lengths
of stove chimney, the Professor erected a gauge into which the snow
falling in a blizzard was collected, and when it was melted down we
could calculate fairly accurately the amount of snowfall.
This observation was very important, as it is on the precipitation in
the form of snow, and on the rate of evaporation, that calculations
regarding the formation of the huge snowfields and glaciers depend.
As soon as the ice in the bay was strong enough to bear, Murray
prepared to capture the different marine creatures that rest on the
bottom of the sea or creep about there. His ultimate plan for the
capture of specimens was, whenever a crack opened in the bay ice, to
let down a line, one end being made fast at one end of the crack, and
the length of the line allowed to sink in the water horizontally for a
distance of sixty yards.
A hole was dug at each end of the line, and a small dredge was let down
and pulled along the bottom, being hauled up through the hole at the
far end. By this means rich collections were made, and rarely did the
dredge come up without some interesting specimens.
Although terrestrial vegetation is very scanty in the Antarctic,
the same cannot be said of the sub-aqueous plant-life; and the
investigations of the plant-life in the lakes was one of the principal
things undertaken by Murray, Priestley and the Professor during the
winter months.
As the winter approached a regular winter routine was arranged for
the camp, and apart from Brocklehurst, who was laid up with his
frost-bitten foot, all the party had to do a certain amount of work for
the common weal, apart from their own scientific duties.
From the time we arrived we always had a night-watchman, and we now
took turns to carry out this important duty, Roberts, who was busy
cooking all day, being the only one who was exempt from night duties.
Many as the duties--such as taking the meteorological observations,
looking after hut, ponies and dogs, and keeping up the fire--were, they
were not unpleasant: for when our turn came round we had a chance to
wash clothes, darn socks, and do little jobs which could not receive
much attention during the day. The night-watchman generally took his
bath either once a fortnight or once a month, as his inclination
prompted him.
The watchman during the earlier months was kept busy enough, for the
ponies were constantly trying to break loose and, generally speaking,
to upset things in the stable, and it was a comfort when they at last
learned to keep fairly quiet.
Another difficulty the watchman encountered was that of keeping the hut
warm when, instead of lumps of coal, he had to content himself with
very fine stuff. To meet this difficulty we had recourse to lumps of
seal blubber, and it was good to know that with the large supply of
seals obtainable in these latitudes no expedition need want emergency
fuel.
Towards mid-winter an institution known as eleven-o'clock tea grew into
existence, the Professor being greatly attached to this, and generally
undertaking to make the tea for the men still out of bed. By one
o'clock, however, most of the hut party were wrapped in more or less
noisy slumber. The watchman's most trying time was about five o'clock
in the morning: for then one's eyes grew heavy, and great effort was
needed to prevent oneself from falling asleep.
At 7.30 A.M. Roberts was called, and at this hour Armytage or Mackay
was roused up to feed the ponies; but before mid-winter day Armytage
took over the entire responsibility of the stables and ponies. At 8.30
A.M. all hands were called, special attention being paid to turning out
the messman for the day; and at nine o'clock sharp every one sat down
to breakfast.