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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE VOYAGE

OF

THE 'DISCOVERY'

VOL. I

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2012 with funding from

Boston Public Library

http://archive.org/details/voyageofdiscover001scot

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THE

VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

BY W^

CAPTAIN ROBERT F; SCOTT

C.V.O., R.N.

WITH 260 FULL-PAGE AND SMALLER ILLUSTRATIONS BY DR. B. A.

WILSON AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION,

PHOTOGRA VURE FRONTISPIECES, 12 COLOURED

PLATES IN FACSIMILE FROM DR.

WILSON'S SKETCHES, PANORAMAS

AND MAPS

IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I

NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

LONDON : SMITH, ELDER, & CO.

1905

[All rights reserved]

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TO SIR CLEMENTS MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S.

THE FATHER OF THE EXPEDITION AND ITS MOST CONSTANT FRIEND

PREFACE

Strange as it may seem, the greater part of this story- had been enacted before I realised that it would devolve on me to narrate it in book form.

When first I saw vaguely this unwelcome task before me there was fresh in my mind not only the benefit which we had derived from studying the records of former Polar voyages, but the disappointment which we had sometimes suffered from the insufficient detail which they provided. It appeared to me in consequence that the first object in writing an account of a Polar voyage was the guidance of future voyagers ; the first duty of the writer was to his successors.

I have done my best to keep this object in view, and I give this explanation because I am conscious that it has led me into descriptive detail which will probably be tiresome to the ordinary reader. As, however, such matter is more or less massed into certain portions of the book, I take comfort from reflecting that the interested reader will have no difficulty in avoiding such parts as he may consider tedious.

I have endeavoured to avoid the use of technicalities, but in all cases this has not been possible, as the English

viii THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY'

language is poor in words descriptive of conditions of ice and snow. I take the opportunity, therefore, of defining some technical words that I have used freely.

Neve* — the packed snow of a snow-field, an accumula- tion of minute ice-crystals. This word is, of course, well known to mountaineers.

Nunatak — an island of bare land in a snow-field; Where an ice-sheet overlies the land, the summits of hills thrust through the sheet present this appearance.

Sastrugus — an irregularity formed by the wind on a snow-plain. ' Snow-wave ' is not completely descriptive, as the sastrugus has often a fantastic shape unlike the ordinary conception of a wave.

Ice-foot — properly applied to the low fringe of ice formed about Polar lands by the sea-spray. I have used the term much more widely, and perhaps improperly, in referring to the banks of ice of varying height which skirt many parts of the Antarctic shores, and which have no connection with sea-spray. Mr. Ferrar gives some description of these in his remarks on ice in Appendix I.

Beyond explaining these few words I make no apology for the style or absence of style of this book ; I have tried to tell my tale as simply as possible, and I launch it with the confidence that my readers will be sufficiently indulgent to its faults in remembering the literary inexperience of its writer.

For me the compilation of these pages has been so weighty a matter that I must always feel the keenest gratitude to those who assisted me in the task. I cannot think that the manuscript would ever have been com-

PREFACE ix

pleted but for the advice and encouragement I received from its publisher, nor can I forget to thank Sir Clements Markham and other friends for hints and criticisms by which I profited, and Mr. Leonard Huxley for his judicious provision of the ' hooks and eyes ' to many a random sentence. How much I owe to the artist, Dr. Wilson, and others of my comrades who are responsible for the originals of the illustrations, will be evident.

R. F. S.

August 28tk, 1905.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME

CHAPTER I

HISTORICAL

PAGE

Attention first drawn to Antarctic Region by Delineation of Map Makers — Earliest References to Climatic Conditions — Varthema — Vasco da Gama — Drake — Quiros — Tasman — Kerguelen — Cook — Bellingshausen — Weddell — Biscoe — Balleny — D'Urville — Wilkes — Ross — Later Expeditions — 'Challenger' Expedition and Result — Inception of National Antarctic Expedition — Sir Clements Mark- ham — Action of Societies — Mr. Longstaff — Decision to build new Ship — My own Appointment — Finance Committee — Naval Crew — Purchase of Stores I

CHAPTER II

PREPARATION

Ships of former Polar Voyages — Ship Committee — Design of the ' Discovery ' — Choice of a Name — Description of the Ship — Mag- netic Observatory — Living-spaces — Holds, &c. — Sails — Launch of the Ship — The Officers appointed — The Warrant Officers — The Men — Division of the Antarctic Regions — Prospect of Victoria Quadrant — The Instructions — Acknowledgment of Assistance. . 43

CHAPTER III

VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND

Arrival at Cowes — Visit of the King — Sailing from Cowes — Madeira — Crossing the Line — South Trinidad — Arrival at the Cape — Simon's

xii THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

PAGE

Bay — At Sea in the Westerlies — Alarm of Fire — First Encounter with the Ice — Southern Birds — Macquarie Island— Lyttelton, New Zealand — Preparations for Final Departure — Departure from Lyttelton — Fatal Accident — Final Departure from Civilisation . 87

CHAPTER IV

SOUTHWARD HO !

Steering to the South — Fog — Icebergs — Entering Pack-ice — Life in the Pack — Nature of Pack — Slow Progress — 'Watering Ship' — Southern Edge of Pack — The Ross Sea — First Sight of Victoria Land — Cape Adare — Danger in the Pack — Coulman Island — Heavy Gale — Landing in Lady Newnes Bay — Killing Seals — Wood Bay — Cape Washington — Coasting South — Landing in Granite Harbour — A well-sheltered Spot — McMurdo Sound — Stopped by the Pack — Turning to the East 116

CHAPTER V

ALONG THE GREAT BARRIER

Strange Footprints — Landing under Mount Terror — The Last Record Left — Along the Great Barrier — New Land — Foggy Weather — Sur- rounded by Bergs — We Lose our Bearings — Decision to Turn Back — Good View of King Edward's Land — Landing on the Barrier — Balloon Ascent — Return to Victoria Land . . .163

CHAPTER VI

FINDING WINTER QUARTERS : A FATAL ACCIDENT

In McMurdo Sound — A Glacier Tongue — Landing South of Erebus — Selection of Winter Quarters — Prospects — Difficulty in Maintaining our Station — Erection of Huts — Amusements — A Trip to White Island — Sledge Party to the Cape Crozier Record — Accident to Returning Sledge Party — Fatal Result to poor Vince — Results of Search Parties — Frost-bites — Wonderful Escape of Hare — Visit to Danger Slope . 205

CHAPTER VII

PREPARING FOR WINTER

Delay in Freezing-up of the Ship — Dog Troubles — Return of Royds — Local Weather Conditions — Last Sledging Effort of the Season — Advantage of Experience — Preparing for Winter — Winter Arriving — Meteorological Screen — Tidal Observations — Magnetic Huts — Capturing Crab-eaters — Emperor Penguin Hunt — Departure of the Sun 254

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME xiii

CHAPTER VIII

THE POLAR WINTER

PAGE

Winter Routine — Obtaining Water — Meals and Meal-hours — Pastimes — Officers' Routine — Debates — Exercise — Work of the Officers — Weather Conditions — Heavy Blizzard and its Effects — Incidents of the Winter — Winter Clothing — Remarks on our Food — Sunday Routine — Discomforts of the Living-quarters from Ice — Heating and Ventilation — Mid-winter Day 292

CHAPTER IX

WINTER PASSING AWAY

Our Settlement in Winter — The Large Hut — Lighting Arrangements on Board — Prevention of Fire — A Night on Duty — Smoking Habits — -The ' South Polar Times ' — Aurora Australis — Mishap to our Boats — Moonlight Effects — Lost in a Blizzard — Theatrical En- tertainments— Nigger Minstrels — Increase of Light — New Arrivals — Concerning the Dogs — Return of the Sun — View from our Hills — Walks in Daylight — Preparations for Sledging — Ready to Start . 347

CHAPTER X

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SLEDGE TRAVELLING

History of Polar Sledge Travelling — Early English Sledge Travellers — Ross — McClintock — Peary — Nansen — Visit to Christiania — Diffi- culties in Selecting Articles of Equipment — Comparison of Sledging Conditions in the North and South Polar Regions — Objects of the Sledge Traveller — Description of our Equipment — The Sledge — The Tent — The Sleeping-bag — Sledging-food — Calculation of Allowances — Packing — Cooking-apparatus — Cooking-lamp — Per- manent Weights of a Sledge Party — Spare Clothing — Medical Bag — Details concerning Clothing and General Equipment . . 403

CHAPTER XI

TYPICAL SLEDGING EXPERIENCES

Use of Dogs for Sledging — A Discussion of their Merits — History of our Dog Team — Discomforts of Sledge-travelling — Typical Experi- ences— The Ordinary Routine — Result of a Blizzard — Benefit of Summer Temperatures — Disadvantages of Summer — The Fascina- tion of Sledging 463

xiv THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

CHAPTER XII

THE SPRING JOURNEYS OF 1902

PAGE

Spring Sledging Plans — Start of Sledging Season — Parties Leave the Ship — Submarine Ice — Start on Southern Reconnaissance— An Inopportune Blizzard — Return to the Ship — Fresh Start — Journey to the Bluff — Difficult Travelling — Placing the Depot — Rapid Return — Report of Outbreak of Scurvy — Experiences of Western Party — Steps taken to Combat the Disease — Some Remarks on the Nature of Scurvy — Causes which may have Led to the Outbreak — Impossibility of Determining its Exact Origin — Prospects of Future South Polar Expeditions in this Respect . . . . . . 508

ILLUSTRATIONS

IN

THE FIRST VOLUME

PHOTOGRAVURE PLATE

DISCOVERY Frontispiece

From a Drawing by Dr. Edward A. Wilson.

COLOURED PLATES

From Water-colour Drawings by Dr. Edward A. Wilson

Sea Leopard and Emperor Penguin . . . Facing p. 122

King Edward VII.'s Land . . . „ 190

Mirage at Sunset . . . . . „ 218

Moonlight on a Frozen Sea „ 368

Sunrise-light on the Smoke of Mount Erebus . „ 398

Sledge-hauling on the Great Ice Barrier . . „ 492 Opalescent Clouds. — The 'Discovery5 in Winter

Quarters . . . . . . . „ 514

DOUBLE-PAGE PLATE

Our Winter Quarters from the Sea ^ „ , , ,

_ „_, X > Between pp. 214, 215

Our Winter Quarters from the Hills J

FULL-PAGE PLATES

Portrait of Sir Clements Markham

From a Photograph by Elliott & Fry.

Bow Taking the Ice ....

Pushing Through Ice .....

. Facing p.

27

11

54

• »

54

xvi THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

'Discovery' on Stocks:

Exterior View .

Interior View Launch of 'Discovery5 .

From Photographs ; by kind permission of Valentine dj° Sons, Limited,

Group of Officers and Men ....

From a Photograph, by kind permission of Messrs. Thomson.

Bird-skinners at Work Magnetic Observations at the Cape . Improvised Studding Sails in the Westerlies First Visit to the Ice ....

Scrambling for Scraps

A Good Capture : A Wandering Albatross .

'Scamp' ......

Deck Cargo ......

In Dock at Lyttelton

Leaving Port Chalmers ....

The Last Farewell ....

Typical Southern Iceberg

Ship in the Pack ....

Bringing a Specimen on Board . Another Method ....

'Watering Ship' .....

Southern Edge of the Pack

First Sight of Victoria Land

Cape Adare (Hut and Penguins can be seen in

foreground) . Mount Minto : Admiralty Range The Penguins' Road . Cape Wad worth : Coulman Island Inlet Beyond Cape Jones Mount Melbourne . Coast South of Cape Washington Granite Harbour . Mysterious Footprints North-Eastern Slopes of Terror The Great Ice Barrier Close View of Barrier . Trawl Coming In

Ice Island off King Edward's Land Highest Ice Wall Seen (280 ft. in height) Part of Eastern Wall, showing indications

Rise Inland on right, detached Berg in middle Ship in Balloon Inlet Ready to Go Up

Facing p.

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ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE FIRST VOLUME xvii

Edward A. Wilson

Balloon Ascending ..... View from Balloon ....

View from Balloon, showing Snow Waves Nunatak of Rock near the

Table Ranges . . . j f^P^^J

The 'Belleisle5 Berg . . I

Whale Rising Using the Small Dredge Dry Water-courses on a Glacier Winter Quarters. Bay clear of Ice 'Terror ' Party in Deep Snow The Main Hut Completed ' Danger Slope ' . .

Looking for Return of Sledge Party Erebus from the South Landing on the Ice-foot Ice-flowers .

First Attempt at a Tide-gauge The Meteorological Screen as it Appeared

and our Meteorologist . General View of Huts Hut Point from the North Food for the Winter . Digging for Ice The Water Supply Off for Exercise Our Home in Winter . koettlitz at the outer thermometer Wilson Reading Thermometer at the Top c

Hill ..... Our Biologist on his Daily Round Wind and Drift

From a Drawing by Dr. Edward A. Wilson.

Final Wreck of the Windmill . The Screen Snowed Up After the Gale .... Exercise while the Light Lasts Moonlight Scene ....

From a Drawing by Dr. Edward A. Wilson.

1 We also Enjoy the Weather ' Not in his Element .... Mid-winter Day on the Mess-deck . Mid-winter Day in the Wardroom The Magnetic Huts and their Custodian VOL. I.

Facing

P-

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xviii THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

from Drawings by Dr. Edward A. Wilson

from Drawings

by Dr. Edward

A . Wilson

The Arms of the ' Discovery '

The Aurora Australis

The Buried Boats ....

Removing Snow from our Boats .

Caught in a Blizzard ....

From a Drawing by Dr. Edward A. Wilson.

Our Theatrical Party

The Nigger Minstrel Party

Ridges Beyond Pram Point

Wind-swept Snow

The Result of Ice Pressure from the South

* Nell ' as a Model Mother .

Enjoying a First Glimpse of the Sun .

A Weddell Seal Annoyed

Shackleton's Patent

View from Crater Hill . .\

Observation Hill and the Gap .

Castle Rock from Arrival Heights I

Extinct Craters about Winter

Quarters .... Ship at the End of the Winter Tent and Equipment for Three Men . Sledge Packed for Three Men Clothed for Sledging .... A Heavy Drag at Starting . Harnessing the Dogs .... Two Cooking Apparatus with Two Pannikins A Difference of Opinion Spring Sledging Camp Setting the Tent in a Blizzard Under Favourable Conditions . Ice Formed on Submerged Rope Cracked Ice-mound ..... Dog Team on the March, ' Nigger ' Leading Old Moraine Heaps, erroneously called

' Eskers ' Ancient Ice Covered with Morainic Material A Seal Hole .....

Young Weddell Seal .... First Crop of Mustard and Cress Grown on the

Soil of the Antarctic Regions

from Drawi?zgs by Dr Edward A . Wilson

J Facing p.

V 55

362

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ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE FIRST VOLUME xix

ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

PAGE

Profile Drawing of 'Discovery.' Outline drawings of 'Discovery5 and 'Fram' . . . . 51

From Drawings by Dr. Ed-ward A. Wilson

Russian Felt Boots ....... 329

Ski Boots . . . . . . . 330

A Sledge . ...... . . . . 421

Sledge from above . . . . . . . 421

Sledge from one-side. . . . ; .421

Three in a Sleeping-bag . . • . . . . 431

A Sleeping-bag for Three . . . . . . 432

Diagram of Cooker Packed to go on a Sledge . . . 443

Cooker and Primus Lamp ...... 444

Sledging Pannikin and Spoon . . . . . 446

Ski and Ski-pole ....... 454

Finneskoes ......... 460

Glass-and-gauze Goggles . . . . . .461

Wooden Goggles . . . . . . . . 461

Sledging Harness ....... 462

MAPS

Ortelius's Map . .... Between pp. 2 and 3

Map of the Antarctic Regions at the End of the

Nineteenth Century . . . . . Facing p. 22

Chart of the Antarctic Ocean . In pocket at end of volume

ERR A TUM. — Coloured plate facing page 398.

For ' Sunset Light on the Smoke of Mount Erebus ' read ' Sunrise Light on the Smoke of Mount Erebus.'

THE SHIP'S COMPANY.

Officers,

Albert B. Armitage, Lieut. R.N.R.

Charles W. R. Royds, Lieut. R.N.

Michael Barne, Lieut. R.N.

Ernest H. Shackleton, S. Lieut. R.N.R.

George F. A. Mulock, S. Lieut. R.N.

Reginald W. Skelton, Lieut. (E.) R.N.

Reginald Koettlitz, surgeon and botanist.

Edward A. Wilson, surgeon, artist, vertebrate zoologist.

Thomas V. Hodgson, biologist.

Hartley T. Ferrar, geologist.

Louis C. Bernacchi, physicist.

Warrant Officers {all R.N. ). Thomas A. Feather, boatswain. James H. Dellbridge, 2nd engineer. Fred. E. Dailey, carpenter. Charles R. Ford, ship's steward.

Petty Officers. Jacob Cross, P.O. i, R.N. Edgar Evans, P.O. 2, R.N. William Smythe, P.O. I, R.N. David Allan, P.O. 1, R.N. Thomas Kennar, P.O. 2, R.N.

Marines. Gilbert Scott, Private R. M.L.I. A. H. Blissett, Private R. M.L.I.

Civilian. Chas. Clarke, ship's cook.

Seamen. Arthur Pilbeam, L.S. R.N. William L. Heald, A.B. R.N. James Dell, A.B. R.N. Frank Wild, A.B. R.N. Thomas S. Williamson, A.B. R.N. George B. Croucher, A.B. R.N. Ernest E. Joyce, A.B. R.N. Thomas Crean, A.B. R.N. Jesse Handsley, A.B. R.N. William J. Weller, A.B.

Stokers. William Lashly, Ig. stoker R.N. Arthur L. Quartley, lg. stoker R.N. Thomas Whitfield, lg. stoker R.N. Frank Plumley, stoker R.N.

R. F. SCOTT, Captain.

CHAPTER I

HISTORICAL

Attention first drawn to Antarctic Region by Delineation of Map Makers — Earliest References to Climatic Conditions — Varthema — Vasco da Gama — Drake — Quiros — Tasman — Kerguelen — Cook — Bellingshausen — Weddell — Biscoe — Balleny — D'Urville — Wilkes — Ross — Later Expedi- tions— 'Challenger' Expedition and Result — Inception of National Antarctic Expedition — Sir Clements Markham — Action of Societies — Mr. LongstafF— Decision to build new Ship — My own Appointment — Finance Committee — Naval Crew — Purchase of Stores.

Till then they had deemed that the Austral earth With a long unbroken shore Ran on to the Pole Antarctic, For such was the old sea lore. — Rennell Rodd.

A bibliography of the Arctic Regions would occupy a large volume ; that of the Antarctic Regions compiled by Dr. H. R. Mill in 1901 contained 878 references, and included all books, pamphlets, and maps even remotely touching the subject that had been published in any country. This great difference in the published matter relating to the two ends of our globe justly represented the relative knowledge concerning them in 1 901, to whatever extent the disproportion has been modified since that year.

The history of the Arctic Regions stretches back for many centuries, to the adventurous voyage of Oht-here, the friend of King Alfred, and to the exploits of the

vol. 1. B

2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Norsemen in Greenland ; the history of the Antarctic Regions commences at a much later period, and atten- tion was drawn to them, not so much by the voyages of discoverers as by the persistent delineations of a great Southern continent by the map makers. The idea of this conjectural continent probably arose at a very early date, and when there was much excuse for such a view ; but it was retained with extraordinary pertinacity through- out several centuries, being held long after the voyages of many navigators had disproved the existence of parts and thrown strong doubt on the accuracy of the whole conception.

Ortelius, in his ' Typits orbis terrarum* published in 1570, boldly draws the coast of ' Terra australis nondum cognita ' round the world and well to the north, even crossing the Tropic of Capricorn in two places. The editions of Mercator follow this delineation pretty exactly down to the one published by Hondius in Amsterdam in 1623, and although the famous map of the world pre- pared for Hakluyt in 1599 has the merit of omitting the Southern continent as unauthenticated, the fictitious coastline continued to appear in later maps and naturally attracted the attention of enterprising navigators.

There are three legends on the Southern continent of Ortelius's map : one is to the effect that it is named by some the Magellanic Region ; the second tells us that the Portuguese called the part south of the Cape ' Psitta- corum regio ' (region of parrots), because of the incredible number of these birds ; and the third, opposite to Java, refers to Marco Polo and Varthema for statements of

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From the Map in Theatrum Orris Terrarum]

[A. ORTELll, Antwerpiae, 1595.

EARLY IDEAS OF THE SOUTH 3

very extensive land to the south. At this time a fanciful idea prevailed among cartographers that there must be a great mass of land to the south to balance the known land to the north.

The earliest references to the climatic conditions of the Antarctic Regions are perhaps to be found in the statement of Amerigo Vespucci ; this famous person acted as pilot of a Portuguese expedition which, after surveying the coast of Brazil in 1501, is supposed to have sailed to the south and to have sighted the land of South Georgia, of which Vespucci remarks : * A rocky coast without any port or inhabitants. I believe this was because the cold was so great that no one in the fleet could endure it.' Another curious indication of the same nature is to be found in the conversation which the Italian traveller Ludovico di Varthema, referred to by Ortelius, had with the Malay captain who took him to Java in 1506. The skipper knew how to steer by the compass and by a certain star of the Southern hemisphere as well as by the pole-star. He told Varthema of a region far beyond Java where the day only lasted for four hours, and said that it was colder than any other part of the world. Varthema concludes his account of the conversation by saying, ' We were pleased and satisfied ' !

The manner in which the veil of mystery was first lifted from the Southern hemisphere was naturally enough by the extension of exploration along the coastlines of the Northern land masses, but it was long before the facts thus ascertained ceased to be distorted by cartographers.

B 2

4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

The circumnavigation of the Cape by Vasco da Gama in 1497 did not extend sufficiently far south to upset calculations greatly, but when in 1520 Magellan dis- covered the strait which bears his name, Tierra del Fuego, to the south, was at once seized upon as an evident part of the Terra australis, and its coasts were unhesi- tatingly joined to the main outline of that continent. And when Sir Francis Drake in 1577 'came finally to the uttermost part of the land towards the South Pole ; the extreme cape or cliff lying nearly under 5 6° S., beyond which neither continent nor island was to be seen ; indeed the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans here unite in the free and unconfined open,' his discovery seems to have been completely misrepresented, and his accounts were garbled in such a manner as to have taken centuries to unravel.

How complete was the ignorance of Southern con- ditions at the commencement of the seventeenth century can be gathered from the voyage of Quiros. Pedro Fernandez de Quiros was a Portuguese pilot in the Spanish service; favoured by the Pope Clement VI I L, he obtained an order from the King of Spain, Philip III., to prosecute a voyage to annex the South Polar con- tinent and to convert its inhabitants to the true faith. He sailed from Callao in 1605 and steered to the W.S.W., but after proceeding a month on this course his heart failed him, and in latitude 26 S. he turned to the W.N.W. On this track he discovered the largest of the New Hebrides group, named it ' Australia del Espiritu Santo,' and, firmly believing it to be part of

EARLY VOYAGERS 5

the Southern continent, solemnly annexed it, with the South Pole itself, to the crown of Spain !

Of the early voyages of the seventeenth century, that of the Dutchmen Schouten and Le Maire in 1616 went to establish Drake's discovery of the meeting of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans south of Cape Horn, and to curtail the extent of the Southern continent in this direction ; but more important was the voyage of Tasman, who actually set forth in search of the continent, and in 1642, after crossing the Indian Ocean between the latitudes of 45 and 49 S., discovered Tasmania and the northern island of New Zealand. This was a heavy blow to the theory of a great Southern continent, because it was in this region that its most northerly extension had been suggested by the early cartographers, and Tasman showed that it could not lie much beyond the 50th parallel either in the Indian Ocean or to the south of Australia, then known as New Holland. How slowly even important information of this sort must have travelled in those days is shown by the fact that in 1660, when Wells published his 'new set of maps,' he says: ' New Holland is esteemed to be part of the Southern unknown continent.'

The result of these voyages was to give a great impetus to others ; especially it encouraged ships to venture to make the passage about Cape Horn, and this in turn led to a considerable increase of knowledge in this region. Voluntarily or involuntarily ships attained a comparatively high latitude, reaching the 62nd or 63rd parallel, and, for the first time encountering the great

6 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY'

Southern icebergs, obtained some idea of the severity of the Southern Regions.

But the idea of a great and populous Southern conti- nent, though weakened, was by no means dissipated, and the eighteenth century saw several expeditions despatched in search of it. Of these, some of the most important were the French ventures under Bouvet, Marion du Frezne, and De Kerguelen-Tremarec, which led to the discovery of Bouvet Island, the Crozets, and Kerguelen, and collected much further evidence to show the great extent of the Southern Seas.

During the latter half of the eighteenth century there came a marked change in the objects which were set before the Southern voyagers. Hitherto men seemed to have thought of little but the aggrandisement of themselves or their State by the discovery of some new America ; but now for the first time we find an eagerness in exploration for its own sake. Science had made rapid strides, and it was felt that its ends should be furthered by a completer knowledge of the distribution of land and water on our globe, and by an investigation of natural phenomena in its less-known regions. This new view of exploration was held most strongly in France and England, and both Marion and Kerguelen in their voyages in 177 1-2 were accompanied by a staff of learned men whose sole object was to add to the scientific knowledge of the regions visited. Curiously enough, the last of these voyagers, starting as he did under these more favourable conditions for exploration, succeeded in retarding rather than in advancing the

JAMES COOK 7

cause of geography, for he interpreted the island which bears his name as part of a larger land mass, and boldly concluded that the great Southern continent had at last been found.

But this error, with many another, was soon to be rectified, and the whole mythical conception of the Southern continent to be swept away once and for all, when the great English navigator James Cook made known the results of his famous voyages. To give even a summary of the far-reaching effects of these wonderful voyages is beyond the scope of this chapter, but it may be briefly noted how each bore on the Antarctic problem that is before us.

In his first voyage, in 1768, Cook circumnavigated New Zealand and laid down the eastern coast of New Holland, thus definitely cutting off these lands from any connection with the Southern Regions ; this alone cleared up great misconceptions, but speculative geo- graphy continued to suggest that there was a continent further to the south, and finally Cook undertook to set the matter definitely at rest by a second voyage. This voyage is the most important incident in the history of Antarctic research, and may therefore be given in outline.

Cook sailed from Deptford in 1772 with two ships, the i Resolution,' 462 tons, and the 'Adventure,' 336 tons. From the Cape he steered due south, and in spite of icebergs, fogs, and stormy weather, boldly pushed on to the 58th parallel, where he turned to the S.E. On January 17, 1773, he succeeded in crossing the

8 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY'

Antarctic circle for the first time, in longitude 38 E. Finding his progress blocked by ice, he turned again to the N.E., but not without giving us the impression that he must have been the first to see that icy barrier which appears to fringe the greater part of the Antarctic lands. Passing to the south of Kerguelen, he showed the very limited dimensions of that island, and reached the 62nd parallel in longitude 95 E. Thence he continued more or less in the same high latitude to the 148th meridian, where he turned towards New Zealand. In November of the same year he again steered to the south, and reached the 60th parallel in 1 74 W. ; con- stantly repulsed by the ice, he fought his way on east and south ; in longitude 142 W. he crossed the Antarctic Circle a second time, but so arduous had been the labour of working the ship continuously among the ice that he was obliged to retreat to the north to give his crew some rest. It was not for long, however, for towards the end of January he was again on the Antarctic Circle in longi- tude 109 W. This time he was able to push on still further to the south, and it was not until he had reached latitude 71.10 S. in longitude 107 W. that he was forced to turn. What Cook actually saw in this advanced position is a matter of great interest ; he describes a belt of pack with an unbroken sheet of ice beyond, which appeared to him to rise in level and in which he counted ninety-seven ice-hills. He does not definitely state that he saw ice-covered land, but many authorities have believed that his description could mean nothing else ; with some experience of the deceptive appearances of ice

VOYAGES OF COOK 9

masses, however, I am inclined to think that the evi- dences are by no means sufficient to support this view.

After turning, Cook retreated to the north, and spent the winter amongst the Pacific Islands ; in November he once more turned south and made his way towards Cape Horn between the parallels of 50 and 60 S., and thus for the first time traversed the Pacific in a high southern latitude. After doing much valuable surveying work in the region of Cape Horn and South Georgia, he again steered to the east, and now crossing the Atlantic in a high latitude, between 58 and 60 S., he finally returned to the Cape.

The importance of this voyage can scarcely be ex- aggerated ; once and for all the idea of a populous fertile Southern continent was proved to be a myth, and it was clearly shown that whatever land might exist to the south it must be a region of desolation hidden beneath a mantle of ice and snow. The vast extent of the tempestuous Southern Seas was revealed, and the limits of the habitable globe were made known. Inci- dentally it may be remarked that Cook was the first to describe the peculiarities of the Antarctic icebergs and floe-ice.

One might pause here to consider the extent of human knowledge as regards the Antarctic Regions at the end of the eighteenth century after Cook's voyages, because it can be stated with brevity. The ocean was known to encircle the world completely about the 60th parallel ; beyond this lay a region of icebergs and intense cold ; attempts to penetrate this inhospitable region had seemed

io THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

to show that in many places ships might force their way to the Antarctic Circle, but at about this latitude they were stopped by impenetrable obstacles ; if land lay beyond this, it was, in Cook's words, as ' countries con- demned to everlasting rigidity by nature, never to yield to the warmth of the sun, for whose wild and desolate aspect I find no words.' Generally speaking, therefore, people had come to the conclusion that if land existed beyond the 6oth parallel, it was not of much account.

After the return of Cook no important expedition was sent to the Southern Seas until 1819, when Bellings- hausen sailed from Kronstadt with two well-equipped vessels. The object of this voyage was to emulate the achievement of Cook in circumnavigating the globe in a high southern latitude, and well was this mission fulfilled. With wonderful pertinacity the intrepid Bellingshausen again and again steered his ships to the south, and he succeeded no fewer than six times in crossing the Antarctic Circle. Although he did not reach such a high latitude as his predecessor, on the whole his course lay to the southward, and he still further narrowed the limits of the Southern land which had been so greatly reduced by Cook. Further, Bellingshausen was the first definitely to discover land within the Antarctic Circle. In the longi- tude of 90 W. he saw a small island which he named Peter I. Island, whilst farther to the eastward he sighted in the distance a more extensive coast which he called Alexander I. Land. Unfortunately, little is known of Bellingshausen's voyage, as the narrative was never translated into English from the original Russian.

VOYAGE OF BELLINGSHAUSEN n

As regards the Southern Seas the early years of the nineteenth century were memorable for the development of the great whaling and sealing industries which flour- ished for half a century, and passed away only with the practical extermination of the animals on which they depended. It is strange to think that regions which before Cook's famous voyage were utterly unknown to man should have so speedily become the scenes of great activity, but no sooner was the existence of whales and seals in the Southern Seas reported than hundreds of English and American adventurers crowded in pursuit of them, and as late as 1840 it was reported that there were no fewer than 400 vessels occupied in this manner.

Amongst the owners of these vessels were men of broad public spirit, and the captains who commanded them included not a few of larger intelligence or more liberal education, who were keenly interested in the prosecution of geographical discovery. Conspicuous amongst the former were the famous firm of Enderby, who instructed the commanders of their ships never to neglect an opportunity for discovery and exploration, and who more than once sent forth an expedition largely for that purpose ; whilst amongst the more enterprising com- manders may be named Weddell, Biscoe, and Balleny. The result of this enlightenment was to add considerably to our knowledge of the Southern Regions.

The most important voyage made in these circum- stances was that of James Weddell. After doing some excellent surveying work among the Southern islands in 1823, Weddell, in his small brig the ' Jane,' and accom-

12 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY'

panied by the cutter ' Beaufoy,' crossed the Antarctic Circle in longitude 32 W., and, passing innumerable bergs, found himself in an open sea, through which he sailed, and eventually reached a latitude of 74.15 S., more than three degrees to the south of Cook's farthest point. In this position, and when he could see nothing to the south but the clear sea horizon, he was forced to turn on account of the state of his crew and his provisions. For nearly twenty years this remained the most southerly point reached, and the extraordinarily open condition of the sea as reported by Weddell has rendered the region to this day one of the most fascinating to which pro- spective explorers can turn their thoughts.

Biscoe was one of Enderby's officers, and had been a mate in the Royal Navy. Like Weddell's$ his voyage was made in a small brig, the ' Tula,' accompanied by a tiny cutter, the ' Lively.' He crossed the Antarctic Circle in longitude 2 E., and succeeded in running to the eastward on an exceedingly high latitude. On February 25, 1831, he discovered an ice-barrier which he likened in height and appearance to the North Foreland. He added : ■ It then ran away to the southward with a gradual ascent, with a perfectly smooth surface, and I could trace it in extent to at least 30 or 40 miles from the foretop with a good telescope.' His ship at this time was in latitude 66.2 S., longitude 43 W., but apparently he again saw this icy barrier farther to the eastward and observed several indications which denoted the proximity of land. It was this coast to which he gave the name of Enderby Land. Biscoe wintered in New Zealand, and in the

WORK OF THE WHALERS AND SEALERS 13

following season he sailed to the south again, and con- tinuing his circumnavigation of the earth in a high lati- tude, discovered Graham Land, which, • although con- nected with lands already known to the sealing com- munity, gave a considerable extension to them.

Another voyage of great importance was made by John Balleny, also under the auspices of the enterprising firm of Enderby. Balleny started his voyage of dis- covery from New Zealand, in 1839, sailing in a schooner, the ' Eliza Scott,' in company with the cutter ' Sabrina.' He crossed the Antarctic Circle in longitude 177 E., but, unlike former voyagers, directed his course to the west instead of the east. On February 9 he discovered the group of islands which bear his name, and which I shall describe more fully in the course of my narrative. From this region Balleny was obliged to steer to the N.W., but later he was able to turn to the south again, and on March 2, when in latitude 64.58 S., longitude 121 E., he made the following laconic entry in his log : ' Saw land to the southward, the vessel surrounded by drift- ice.' On the following day he noted ' every appearance of land,' and other entries tell of the large number of birds seen. On such slender evidence rests Sabrina Land, and yet after personally demonstrating the accu- racy of Balleny's observations with reference to his islands, I should be sorry to undertake to sail over the spot where he ' saw land to the southward.' Balleny was evidently a man of few words, but of his ability as a navigator there can be no doubt.

This ends a brief retrospect of the discoveries made

14 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5

in connection with the whaling and sealing industries of the south, and shows that it is entirely honourable to the commercial enterprise of our country ; for to the dis- interested exertions of Mr. Charles Enderby and to the zeal of his officers was due the discovery of Graham Land, Enderby Land, Sabrina Land, Kemp Land, and the Balleny Islands, whilst with an English sealer, Weddell, rested the honour of having achieved the highest southern latitude.

The necessarily bald outline of fact which it is alone possible to give in these pages can convey no idea of the extraordinary hardships and difficulties successfully overcome by these men. In the smallest and craziest ships they plunged boldly into stormy ice-strewn seas ; again and again they narrowly missed disaster ; their vessels were wracked and strained and leaked badly, their crews were worn out with unceasing toil and decimated by scurvy. Yet in spite of inconceivable discomforts they struggled on, and it does not appear that any one of them ever turned his course until he was driven to do so by hard necessity. One cannot read the simple, unaffected narratives of these voyages without being assured of their veracity, and without being struck with the wonderful pertinacity and courage which they display.

In the light of subsequent events, it is convenient to pause again at the close of Balleny 's voyage to consider the further extent of Antarctic discovery. It must now have appeared to men that, after all, the South Polar area was occupied by land, and that the coast of this

TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM 15

land clung very persistently to the Antarctic Circle. South of the Pacific, Cook and Bellingshausen had shown a dip towards the Pole, and south of the Atlantic Weddell had indicated another deep bay ; but south of the Indian Ocean and of Australia it must have seemed highly probable that the coastline followed the Circle with little divergence. It can well be imagined, there- fore, that explorers who were about to sail to the south in this direction must have been strongly disposed to expect land in that latitude.

At about this time there sprang up a new motive to encourage polar exploration, in the shape of ter- restrial magnetism. The development of this science had gradually converted it into a subject of great in- terest, its practical importance in connection with the navigation of ships was now fully realised, and it was known that no complete study could be made of its phenomena without extensive observations in the Polar Regions. Amongst the scientific men who devoted their energies to achieve a more general recognition of these facts were Humboldt and Sir Edward Sabine, and as a result of their labours in 1838 the British Association petitioned the Government to send a scientific expedi- tion to the Antarctic Regions. The Government responded nobly to this petition, and organised an undertaking which was destined to achieve the most brilliant results, and to open up the Antarctic Regions in a manner which must have been wholly unexpected by its promoters.

But whilst Captain James Ross, the commander of

16 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY'

this expedition, was diligently and carefully preparing and equipping his ships for this great venture, two other expeditions of importance had been despatched by other countries. One of these had left the shores of France in 1837. It consisted of two ships, ' L'Astrolabe ' and ( La Zelee,' under the command of Dumont D'Urville, an experienced navigator. D'Urville first descended on the Antarctic area in the region of Graham Land, with the intent to follow Weddell's course and reach a higher latitude ; but in this he was frustrated by the pack-ice, and after making some minor discoveries in the neigh- bourhood of Louis- Philippe Land and Joinville Island he returned to pursue his investigations in milder climates. In the end of 1839 D'Urville was at Hobart Town, Tasmania, where for the moment we will leave him and follow the fortunes of the other and more imposing ex- pedition, consisting of five vessels, which left Chesapeake Bay in 1837 under the command of Commodore Wilkes.

In relating the history of the voyages of Wilkes and D'Urville I touch only on those parts which have a relation to the Antarctic Regions, though it must be understood that both these expeditions pursued scientific investigations in other parts of the world.

On reaching the Southern waters Wilkes divided his forces, and whilst he turned his attention to minuter sur- veying work, he sent the ' Peacock ' and ' Flying Fish ' south-west towards Graham Land and Alexander Land. These vessels, after much struggling with the ice, reached the vicinity of Peter I. Island, but failed to attain a higher latitude than Bellingshausen or Cook had previously done

D'URVILLE AND WILKES 17

in this region. The close of the season obliged them to retreat and rejoin the squadron without the achieve- ment of any important result.

Towards the close of 1839 Wilkes, like D'Urville, had found shelter in Australian waters. By this time news of the prospective British expedition had been spread abroad, and it was known that, fully equipped for magnetic work, it proposed to sail directly for the position assigned to the magnetic pole by the calculations of the great German magnetician Gauss; this position was approximately in latitude 76 S., longi- tude 146 E. It was known also that Ross could not be in a position to attempt to reach it until the following year. How far Wilkes and D'Urville were guided by this information in their future actions it is impossible to say ; that they must have received it is certain, and, considering that neither expedition was completely equipped for magnetic work, the fact that both imme- diately set sail in the direction of the magnetic pole must be regarded at least as showing questionable taste on the part of the commanders.

D'Urville left Tasmania early in January 1840, and, after a comparatively easy passage, on January 19, when in latitude 66 S., longitude 140 E., sighted land to the south. At first he seems to have seen nothing but the long ice-barrier so typical of Antarctic coasts, but later he found beneath the icy wall eight or ten small islets on which his people were able to land and to collect specimens of rock. He named this coast Adelie Land, and, continuing his explorations to the west, again

vol. 1. c

18 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

sighted the ice-barrier somewhat more to the north, and named it Cote Clarie. Satisfied with the result of his voyage, D'Urville then turned to the north. Although it is to be deplored that he did not take full advantage of the season to continue his explorations, the discovery of Adelie Land was an extremely important matter, and possesses a definition which is sadly lacking in other reports.

Wilkes with his five ships sailed from Sydney at the end of December 1839. His ships took various tracks, but he himself in the ' Vincennes ' reached latitude 66 S., longitude 158 E., on January 16, and at this point he claimed to have first seen land to the south. Hence he cruised to the westward, approximately on the latitude of the Antarctic Circle, with a comparatively open sea to the north and masses of pack-ice to the south ; and beyond the latter he again and again claimed the discovery of high mountainous land. He passed close to Adelie Land and Cote Clarie only a few days after their first discovery by D'Urville, and, continuing his course, alleged the discovery of further extensive lands to the westward.

On his return to civilisation Wilkes claimed a vast discovery. The courses of his ships had practically traversed an arc of the Antarctic Circle of no less than 700, and, although he did not assert that he had seen land continuously south of this arc, he reported its existence at such frequent intervals as to leave little doubt that it was continuous.

At a later date a great controversy arose as to the

WILKES'S REPORT 19

accuracy of Wilkes's observations, and resulted in much discredit being thrown on work which in many respects was important. Whilst there can be no possible object in attempting to revive such a controversy, it is evident that the true geographical conditions should be known, and therefore I make bold to give my opinion of the matter. In the course of this narrative I shall show that the mountainous lands reported by Wilkes to the eastward of Adelie Land do not exist, and it must be recognised that those to the west may be equally unsubstantial, but it is not clear that Wilkes wilfully perverted the truth ; only those who have been to these regions can realise how constantly a false appearance of land is produced, and no position could be more favourable to such an illusion than that in which this expedition was placed when it skirted the edge of a thick pack containing innumerable icebergs. It must be supposed also, for reasons which I have given, that Wilkes, in common with other explorers, expected to find land about the Antarctic Circle, and when after his return he learned of D'Urville's discoveries, the position of Adelie Land would naturally have tended to dispel any doubt which he may have had as to what he or his people had seen.

Wilkes's ships were ill adapted for battling with the ice, and, apart from their discoveries, the fact that they continued so long in high latitudes reflects great credit on their navigation. Had he been more circumspect in his reports of land, all would have agreed that his voyage was a fine performance.

Whilst Wilkes and D'Urville were pursuing their

C 2

20 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

explorations, Ross had sailed from England. James Ross had taken part in the Northern voyages of Parry and of his uncle John Ross ; in the course of these he had spent no fewer than eight winters in the Arctic Regions, and he therefore brought an unrivalled experience to the task of fitting out his Southern command.

For the purposes of the expedition, two old bomb vessels were chosen, the ' Erebus,' 370 tons, and the 'Terror,' 340 tons; though slow sailers, these vessels had the advantage of great structural strength, and when Ross had further fortified their bows he possessed two ships capable of navigating amongst the pack-ice, the first of such that had ever sailed for the Southern Regions. Towards the end of the year 1840, Ross arrived in Tasmania to learn that others had already explored the route which he proposed to take. Whatever his feelings may have been at the time, the incident proved exceed- ingly fortunate, for it was this alone which decided him to proceed south on a more easterly meridian, it being 1 inconsistent with the traditions of British exploration to follow in the footsteps of other nations.'

Sailing from Hobart in November, Ross reached the Antarctic Circle on New Year's Day in longitude 171 E., and at the same time found himself opposed by heavy masses of pack-ice. Here was the critical point at which the course taken by the expedition differed from that of its predecessors. Up to this time such an obstacle would have been deemed insuperable, and the older navigators would have sailed their light ships along its edge ; Ross, with his heavy ships, plunged directly into it and con-

VOYAGE OF ROSS 21

tinued to buffet his way to the south. Making all allow- ance for the fortified condition of the ships, it was a bold stroke, and it met with the most ample reward. After pushing onward for five days through the closely packed floes, the vessels burst forth to the south into an open sea. Remembering the main object of his journey, Ross steered to the west towards the magnetic pole, and on January 8, 1841, discovered the glorious mountainous country of Victoria Land.

Ross's discoveries are so closely connected with my narrative, that it is unnecessary to refer to them in detail here. Twice he visited this great open sea, and the results of these extraordinarily interesting voyages may be summed up as follows : The high mountain ranges and the coastline of Victoria Land were laid down with comparative accuracy from Cape North in latitude 71 to Wood Bay in latitude 74, and their extension was indi- cated less definitely to McMurdo Bay in latitude 77^. In the same latitude, but slightly to the eastward, the lofty volcanoes of Erebus and Terror were discovered, and the former was found to be active. Stretching away to the eastward for 400 miles beyond these, Ross ob- served that great wall of ice which he named the Great Barrier. At the eastern end of this wall he achieved his highest latitude 78. 1 1 S., an advance of nearly four degrees on his predecessor Weddell. Ross was not able to disembark on this great mass of land which he had discovered, but managed to reach the shore of some off-lying islands which he named the Possession Islands.

22 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

There are many reasons why Ross's wonderful voyage should not have attracted the wide popular in- terest which it deserved, but when the extent of our knowledge before and after it is considered, all must concede that it deserves to rank among the most brilliant and famous that have been made. After all the ex- periences and adventures in the Southern Seas which I have briefly described, few things could have looked more hopeless than an attack upon that great ice- bound region which lay within the Antarctic Circle ; yet out of this desolate prospect Ross wrested an open sea, a vast mountain region, a smoking volcano, and a hundred problems of great interest to the geographer ; in this unique region he carried out scientific research in every possible department, and by unremitted labour succeeded in collecting material which until quite lately has constituted almost the exclusive source of our knowledge of magnetic conditions in the higher southern latitudes. It might be said that it was James Cook who defined the Antarctic Region, and James Ross who discovered it.

This great expedition is brought curiously close to our own time when it is remembered that of those who took part in it there is yet one survivor. The young assistant surgeon of the ' Erebus ' has become the re- nowned botanist and traveller Sir Joseph Hooker, and has lived not only to take a share in sending forth a second expedition to the same region, but to welcome it back to our shores nearly sixty years after his own return from the far south.

MAP OF THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS AT THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, SHOWING- POSITIONS REACHED BY VARIOUS NAVIGATORS.

RETURN OF ROSS 23

The ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' reached the shores of England in September 1843, an<^ f°r fifty years the map of the Antarctic remained practically unaltered, though during this period some important light was shed on the general conditions of the region, and the advance of science caused a gradual awakening of interest in it. The results of the few voyages to the Antarctic area during this long period, or indeed down to the close of the nineteenth century, may be summed up in a very few words.

Tempted by Sir James Ross's report of the large number of whales seen during his voyage, in 1892 a number of Scotch whalers set sail for the South, and touching the Antarctic lands in the neighbourhood of Joinville Island, threw some further light on that region ; but as they found no sign of the whales which they sought, the voyage was commercially a failure, and the vessels soon turned to the north again. In the following year, however, Captain Larsen, of the whaler 'Jason,' bent on much the same errand, managed to sail down the east coast of Graham Land, and to reach a latitude of 68.10 S. in longitude 60 W. This voyage has been very little noticed, though from a geographical point of view it is of great importance, as with Biscoe's discovery to the west, it showed the attenuated form which Graham Land possesses, at any rate until it is well south of the Antarctic Circle. Looking over the whole Antarctic area, I can scarcely see a place where geographical discovery is more urgently needed than in the extension of this bold effort of Larsen's.

24 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Whilst Larsen pursued his investigations on the east coast of Graham Land, his compatriot Evenson, in the ■ Hertha,' descended on the west side, and reached the high latitude of 69.10 S. in longitude 76 W. He sighted Alexander Land, but unfortunately does not appear to have extended its coasts, though there can be little doubt that it is connected with Graham Land.

A similar object, the hope of discovering a whale fishery, induced the veteran shipowner, Svend Foyn, of Tonsberg, to send one of his ships, the ' Antarctic,' to the Ross Sea area. This resulted in the first landing on Victoria Land, which was made by her captain, Chris- tiansen, at Cape Adare in 1894. Three years later Sir George Newnes sent an expedition to this spot, under Mr. Borchgrevink ; the party landed safely, and spent a winter in a hut which will be introduced to the reader in the course of my narrative. Unfortunately this party did not travel far from its base, and so was unable to throw any light on the geographical conditions of the interior ; but its scientific observations were of importance, and its geological collection especially interesting. Before leav- ing the South Mr. Borchgrevink landed from his vessel, the * Southern Cross,' towards the eastern end of Ross's Great Ice Barrier, and thus reached a higher latitude, by a few miles, than that achieved by the great explorer.

Whilst Sir George Newness expedition was wintering at Cape Adare, another band of explorers was living beyond the Antarctic Circle in a widely different region. The energies of M. de Gerlache had succeeded in equip- ping a small vessel, the ' Belgica,' for a Polar voyage,

LATER NINETEENTH CENTURY VOYAGES 25

and this ship, passing down the west coast of Graham Land through an unexplored channel, had become beset in the ice to the south-west of Alexander Land. Here, the first vessel to spend a winter beyond the Antarctic Circle, she drifted to and fro throughout a long imprisonment. Reaching at one time a latitude of 71.30, she was gradually carried to the westward, and at length freed near the farthest point reached by Cook in 1773. Equipped with modern apparatus and ideas, this expedition, if it did not add greatly to geographical knowledge, contributed much by its investigations in other scientific departments to the general cause of Antarctic discovery.

But by far the most important event in the history of Antarctic research, after the great voyage of Ross and before the close of the nineteenth century, remains yet td be described. This was the crossing of the Antarctic Circle by the famous ' Challenger' Expedition in 1874.

The ' Challenger,' under Sir George Nares, stood to the south on the meridian of So E., and after crossing the Circle turned to the north-east, and later to the east, remaining altogether some three weeks in the region of icebergs. During this time she pursued her customary employment of sounding and dredging in the depths of the ocean, and here, as elsewhere, this resulted in a rich harvest of fresh information. Amongst the speci- mens thus secured were numerous rocks of continental origin ; there could be no doubt that these had been borne by ice from some Southern land, and therefore they showed that continental land must exist within the

26 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY '

Antarctic Circle almost as conclusively as if the land itself had been seen.

But the importance of the * Challenger ' expedition as regards the Antarctic Regions lay not so much in the discoveries made as in the fact that they drew the atten- tion of scientific men to the interest of the problems which yet remained to be solved in that area. From the return of this famous expedition and the publica- tion of its results dates that revival of interest in the Far South which, fostered by a few eminent men, continued to spread and culminated in the despatch of the various expeditions which co-operated with the ' Discovery.'

This desire for further Antarctic research arose prin- cipally in Germany and England, but in both countries it was equally slow in arriving at a practical result. In Germany the repeated and energetic representations of the great magnetician Georg Neumayer gradually bore fruit, and resulted eventually in the despatch of our German colleagues under Professor von Drygalski in his good ship the ' Gauss.'

In England, whilst there were many Arctic explorers and others who were keenly interested in the subject, it was the written appeals of Sir John Murray that first secured for it a wider appreciation. Soon after the com- pletion of his labours on that monumental work the 'Challenger' publication, Sir John Murray exerted his great abilities to stimulate a fresh interest in the Southern Regions ; in 1886 he published an important treatise in the ' Scottish Geographical Journal,' which led to the

INCEPTION OF THE EXPEDITION 27

despatch of the Dundee whalers to which I have alluded ; this in turn tended to direct further attention to Southern exploration, and in 1893 Sir John read a second paper to the London Geographical Society which still more clearly and ably advocated the cause.

Meanwhile other events had occurred which, although unproductive, were significant of the tendency of public thought. In 1885 an Antarctic Committee was appointed by the British Association, which two years later made a strong report in favour of further exploration. In 1887 the Victorian Government, through its agent Sir Graham Barry, offered to join the Home Government in sending out an expedition, but this scheme likewise fell through.

The actual birth of the ' Discovery ' Expedition may be dated from July 1893, when Sir Clements Markham resolved that an expedition should be sent. The extra- ordinary strength and pertinacity of Sir Clements' cha- racter were already well known to his intimates, and they at least must have known that this resolve was momentous and signified that by hook or by crook an ex- pedition would go. In virtue of his position as President of one of the greatest and richest societies in the world, Sir Clements was favourably placed for carrying out his determination, but few could deny that in the years of struggle and difficulty which followed, however ably and generously he was supported by his colleagues and others, it was mainly through his own unique, unconquerable personality that the expedition became a living fact.

As a result of the discussion on Sir John Murray's paper in November 1893, lt was suggested that the

28 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Government should be approached with a view to sending out an expedition consisting of two ships. This proposal was supported by many eminent men of science, including the late Duke of Argyll, Sir Joseph Hooker, and the late Sir William Flower, and by such naval officers as Admirals McClintock, Vesey Hamilton, Hoskins, Colomb, Markham, and Lord Charles Beres- ford. It was on this occasion that the Duke of Argyll remarked on the incongruity of the fact that we knew more about the planet Mars than about a large area of our own globe.

The Council of the Royal Geographical Society therefore appointed a special Antarctic Committee. In a lengthy report the Committee enumerated the objects to be gained by such an expedition, and concluded with the following words : ' Apart from the valuable scientific results of an Antarctic expedition, great importance must be attached to the excellent effect that all such under- takings, in which our country has been prominent, have invariably had on the Navy by maintaining the spirit of enterprise.'

To the appeal which followed this report in 1896 the Government opposed the existing state of public affairs, which made it inconvenient for the Navy to undertake such a task as was proposed ; but in a later letter the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty expressed their sympathy with the objects desired, and signified their willingness to assist any expedition that might be despatched.

Failing Government assistance, in May 1897, & was

RAISING FUNDS 29

resolved by the Council of the Geographical Society that every effort should be made to start an expedition on a proper scale under its own auspices, but it was soon seen that this was a task of such magnitude that the assist- ance of all who were interested in the scheme would be required.

During the early months of 1898 the Royal Society was invited and agreed to co-operate ; henceforth the undertaking was to be considered as under the auspices of two great Societies instead of one, and was demon- strably supported by the whole scientific opinion of the country. An important report by a sub-committee of the Royal Society clearly detailed the scientific objects which were to be sought, and laid particular stress on the extreme value of the magnetic work. Meanwhile Sir Clements Markham commenced and continued his indefatigable efforts to raise the necessary funds ; the Geographical Society headed the subscription list with 5,000/., and circulars were issued to the public.

In March 1899 this appeal met with a noble response, when Mr. Llewellyn Longstaff came forward with a munificent donation of 25,000/. When the 'Discovery' eventually sailed it was to act on a concerted plan be- tween expeditions of various nationalities ; it is quite certain that Britain would not have been represented in this exploring effort had it not been for Mr. Longstaff' s public-spirited and patriotic gift. But whilst our countrymen complacently reflect that the British tradition for exploration has been maintained, they appear en- tirely to have forgotten the man who made it possible.

30 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

The position of the promoters of the enterprise was now greatly strengthened, and was made yet stronger when His Majesty the King, then Prince of Wales, gra- ciously consented to become its patron, and the Duke of York vice-patron. Later in the year it was decided to make a further appeal to the Government ; a deputation consisting of some of the most eminent men in both Societies waited on Mr. Balfour and re-stated the objects of the enterprise. Mr. Balfour expressed strong sym- pathy with the objects and a lively interest in the under- taking, and it was entirely owing to his generous attitude that the Government eventually yielded and agreed to contribute 45,000/., provided an equal sum could be raised by private subscriptions.

Again Sir Clements Markham issued appeals for money, and gradually the private fund crept up. After Mr. Longstaff, amongst the largest and most generous contributors were Sir Alfred Harmsworth with 5,000/., the Misses Dawson Lambton with 1,500/., the Royal Society with 1,000/., and the Government of Queens- land, Australia, with 1,000/ ; many others were equally generous in accordance with their means, and with a further sum of 3,000/. from the Geographical Society the private subscriptions were raised to 47,000/., the Government grant was secured, and the whole available fund was carried to the adequate total of 92,000/. Financially all was now comparatively plain sailing.

As soon as Mr. Longstaff's gift had placed the ex- pedition within the bounds of practical politics, the ques- tion of the vessel in which its members were to sail came

DECISION TO BUILD A NEW VESSEL 31

under consideration, and the appointment of a special Ship Committee, consisting of several distinguished Ad- mirals and Arctic explorers, was followed by the decision to build a new ship for the purpose.

Mr. W. E. Smith, C.B., Chief Naval Constructor, was invited and consented to prepare the plans and super- vise the construction of this new vessel, and the Com- mittee, in consultation with Mr. Smith, accepted the tender of the Dundee Shipbuilding Company to build her. In March 1900 the keel was laid in the Com- pany's yard.

In the summer of this year the position of the National Antarctic Expedition, as it was now called, was briefly as follows : The money had been subscribed for the venture, the control of which was vested in the hands of a body named the Joint Committee, containing sixteen members appointed by each of the two Societies. The names which figured on the list of this Committee were those of gentlemen eminent in many branches of science, and of distinguished Admirals and explorers — in fact, of all those who were best able to give advice con- cerning the multifarious details of a scientific exploring expedition. As, however, this body, as a whole, was obviously too large to deal with matters of detail, it had appointed nine sub-committees ; these were for the pur- pose of considering the various branches of science which were to be investigated, to supervise the construction of the ship, &c. ; whilst one, the Executive Committee, was to act for and report to the larger body.

Such was the position of affairs when I received my

32 THE VOYAGE OF THE « DISCOVERY'

appointment to command the expedition on June 10, 1900, and therefore, in making my bow to the public, I will digress slightly to show how this had come about. I may as well confess at once that I had no predilection for Polar exploration, and that my story is exceedingly tame, but such as it is it shows how curiously the course of one's life may be turned. I suppose the tale really starts in 1887, when Sir Clements Markham, then the guest of his cousin, the Commodore of the Training Squadron, made himself the personal friend of every midshipman in the four ships which comprised it, and when I became one of those midshipmen and first made his acquaintance. But there is a long interregnum — until 1899, m fact; in that year I was serving as first lieu- tenant of the * Majestic,' then flagship to the Channel Squadron. Early in June I was spending my short leave in London, and chancing one day to walk down the Buckingham Palace Road, I espied Sir Clements on the opposite pavement, and naturally crossed, and as naturally turned and accompanied him to his house. That afternoon I learned for the first time that there was such a thing as a prospective Antarctic expedition ; two days later I wrote applying to command it, and a year after that I was officially appointed. On June 30, 1900, I was promoted to the rank of commander, and a month later my duties in the ' Majestic ' lapsed, and I was free to undertake the work of the expedition. The year which followed was in many respects the busiest I have ever spent, and in view of the novelty and importance of the work this cannot be considered surprising ; but,

APPOINTMENT OF COMMANDER 33

great as my difficulties were, I have to acknowledge that they would have been much greater had it not been for the numerous acts of kindness and the invariable courtesy which I received from the many persons who were directly or indirectly connected with the expedition.

The first month after my release from the Navy I spent in endeavouring to collect the threads of what was going forward, and in gaining some further instruction in magnetism, which was to form so important a part of our undertaking ; but early in October I met Sir Clements Markham in Norway, and gathered a great many practical suggestions from Dr. Nansen, to which I shall refer later ; from Norway I went to Berlin to meet the leader of the German expedition, Professor von Drygalski, and here, again, I met with the greatest kind- ness and consideration. The German expedition was to sail from Europe at the same time as our own, but its preparations were far more advanced. In Berlin I found the work of equipment in full swing : provisions and stores had already been ordered, clothing had been tried, special instruments were being prepared, the staff of the expedition had been appointed and was already at work, and the ' Gauss ' was well on towards completion. I was forced to realise that this was all in marked contrast with the state of things in England, and I hastened home in considerable alarm.

I found, as I had expected, that all the arrangements which were being so busily pushed forward in Germany were practically at a standstill in England ; many of them, in fact, had not yet been considered. The con-

vol. 1. D

34 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

struction of the ship was the only task which showed steady progress, and here there were many interruptions from the want of someone who could give immediate decisions on points of detail. It was clear that no time must be wasted if the lost ground was to be regained.

I have already outlined the machinery by which the expedition was now being guided. In spite of its in- dividual efficiency it was necessarily ponderous : the members of the various committees and sub-committees were busy men ; each was deeply engaged in his own work ; many lived out of London, and all found it impossible to meet frequently and consistently. It was evident that the prompt and vigorous action which was necessary could not be expected from such bodies, and that in some manner I must obtain the power to act on their behalf. But here arose a con- siderable difficulty : out of the thirty-two members who constituted the Joint Committee I was personally known to only four or five ; the responsibility vested in them was a large one, and it was not to be supposed that they would immediately place it in my hands without the showing of a strong case and reasonable guarantees. In this dilemma I have to acknowledge most gratefully the advice and assistance of Sir Arthur Rticker, then Secretary of the Royal Society, who, seeing my case, clearly pointed out the difficulties and offered to support me, provided I could produce a reasonable scheme by which they could be overcome.

On November 4 the Joint Committee met to consider such a scheme, and after some discussion passed it.

EXECUTIVE CONTROL 35

This resolution was of great importance ; it left me practically with a free hand to push on the work in every department under a given estimate of expenditure in each, whilst to safeguard the interests of the Societies it provided that this expenditure should be supervised by a Finance Committee which should control the business arrangements and sign the necessary cheques.

This plan has worked successfully down to the present time ; that it has done so is mainly due to the generous manner in which the members of the Finance Committee have given their services to the business of the expedition, and to the complete accord with which they have worked together. It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of the vast amount of business transacted by this Committee, and certainly no history of our expedi- tion would be complete without a due acknowledgment of the individual and collective services of its members.

It was originally arranged that it should consist of the Presidents and Treasurers of the two Societies, but the President of the Royal Society desired that his place should be taken by an official from the Treasury, and the constitution eventually became : Sir Clements Mark- ham (Chairman); Mr. A. B. Kempe, K.C., Treasurer of the Royal Society ; Mr. Chalmers, C.B., of the Treasury ; and Mr. E. L. Somers Cocks, Treasurer of the Geo- graphical Society ; whilst Mr. Cyril Longhurst, the indefatigable Secretary of the Expedition, became also the Secretary of this Committee.

The Joint Committee, after arranging for this new order of things, proceeded to consider the instructions

D 2

36 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

which were to guide the movements of the expedition and as there were many scientific interests to be served, there was naturally considerable divergence of opinion on points of detail, and it was many months before these were finally decided.

In the meantime my first task was to collect, as far as possible, the various members of the expedition. It was evident that there was far more work than I could hope to do single-handed, and the best assistance I could have would be from those who were to take part in the voyage. I shall give some account of the individual officers and men in a future chapter, confining myself here to the part they played in the work of prepara- tion.

From a very early date I had set my mind on obtain- ing a naval crew. I felt sure that their sense of discipline would be an immense acquisition, and I had grave doubts as to my own ability to deal with any other class of men. Mr. Goschen had originally limited the Admi ralty assistance in this respect to two officers, myself and Mr. Royds, who was already at work in our service. At a later date, however, the Admiralty extended this limit to include Mr. Skelton, our engineer, a carpenter, and a boatswain, and this gave us at any rate a small naval nucleus. But beyond this for a long time the Admiralty hesitated to assist us, . and before the tide turned I was almost reduced to despair of a concession which I thought so necessary.

In this matter and in many others I can never forget the assistance which was given me by the late Sir

ADMIRALTY ASSISTANCE 37

Anthony Hoskins. Sir Anthony loved to do his good deeds silently, and it was not until long after that I learnt how frequently he had lent a helping hand to the expedition. But any hesitation the Admiralty may have had in granting naval seamen did not spring from cold- ness towards the enterprise. The Sea Lords were at this time Lord Walter Kerr, Sir Archibald Douglas, and Admiral Durnford, and both individually and collectively they never failed to evince an interest in it, so that at length the active assistance of Sir Archibald Douglas overcame objections of principle, and the men were granted.

But this concession, perhaps the most important which the expedition received, did not come until the spring of 1 90 1 ; and as, after this, steps had to be taken to select the most fitting volunteers, the chosen men did not join until very shortly before the sailing of the expedition.

Many of the officers, however, came on the scene much earlier, and whilst our new vessel was yet a skeleton the first lieutenant, the chief engineer, and the carpenter were standing by her, and were able to look into the numerous small difficulties that arose, and to inform me of them during my flying visits to Dundee. My own headquarters I was obliged to make in London, and I fixed them in the University buildings of Bur- lington House, where rooms were kindly placed at my disposal by Lord Esher, then Secretary to His Majesty's Office of Works.

It would not be possible for me to describe half the work that went on in this office ; suffice it to say that it

38 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

kept me extremely busy for six days in the week. My room soon became a veritable museum of curiosities : sledges, ski, fur clothing and boots were crowded into the corners, whilst tables and shelves were littered with correspondence and innumerable samples of tinned foods. In the midst of this confusion I worked steadily on with all the ups and downs that such occasions will bring, sometimes in high hope that all was going well, and sometimes with the dreary feeling that by no possibility could we be ready to start at the required date.

Luckily, throughout this busy, trying time I had much assistance. Our indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Longhurst, was always willing to take fresh troubles on his already overburdened shoulders, and devoted his whole energies to the work. Of Mr. Armitage's help in matters of equipment I shall speak later on. At about this time also Mr. George Murray, F.R.S., received his appointment as temporary director of the scientific staff, and many of the details of the scientific equipment passed into his hands, where I soon became conscious they rested with safety. Mr. Murray also undertook to edit that very important publication the ' Antarctic Manual,' which pro- vided us with a great deal of scientific and historical instruction concerning the regions we were about to visit.

But it was not all plain sailing with those who were gathered around me at this important time ; not all were such staunch supporters as those I have mentioned. Amongst my most careful selections had been the person who was to hold the responsible position of ship's steward.

WORK OF EQUIPMENT 39

At this time a good ship's steward would have been invalu- able, but my choice proved unfortunate, and first and last caused us a great deal of trouble, although I am glad to say we were rid of him before the expedition sailed.

In this manner and with varying fortune the work of equipment proceeded. First a lengthy provision list was drawn up, the amounts being calculated for a three-years' absence ; tinned meats, vegetables, flour, biscuit, butter, sugar, and every other necessary article were ordered in due proportion, and even such minor requirements as dubbin and plate-powder were not forgotten. After this came a consideration of the clothing, and with what an assortment of this we were provided will be gathered from the pages of this narrative ; for it will be seen that we had need to be prepared for every variety of climate, from the sultry heat of the tropics, through the storms of the Southern Seas, to the intense cold of the Far South. Next came the provision of the travelling equipment — sledges, tents, furs, &c, had to be thought of and selected with a care which I shall explain in a future chapter.

But the above bv no means exhausts the list of subjects for which arrangements had to be made in that small office in Burlington House. Few people can realise what an extraordinary variety of articles is required on such an expedition as ours, where a ship and its crew are to be banished from all sources of supply for a lengthened period. For, besides the pro- vision of food and clothing and such things as were obviously necessary, it is possible to enumerate a host

I D 4

40 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

of articles which, whilst we were equally forced to procure them, will probably not have occurred to the ordinary reader.

For instance, there were boatswain's stores, with rope, canvas, and everything necessary for the refitting of the top-hamper of the ship ; carpenter's stores, with all requisites for work in that department ; engineer's stores, including a vast variety of articles ; ice imple- ments of various kinds, explosives for destroying the ice, guns and ammunition, and fireworks for signalling. There were tobacco, soap, glass, crockery, furniture, mattresses, and all such requisites for personal comfort ; oil-lamps and candles for lighting, and stoves for heating ; medicines and medical comforts ; a photographic outfit, a library of many hundreds of volumes ; also a balloon equipment ; canvas boats of various kinds, huts for our shore station, instruments of many descriptions ; and so on almost ad infinitum.

It may be imagined that, large as this list of require- ments was, with the sum of 92,000/. there should have been no financial difficulty, nor, indeed, was there ; but it has to be remembered that of this large sum 51,000/. went to the complete cost of building the new vessel, and it was necessary to reserve more than 25,000/. for the wages and the contingent expenses of the voyage.

The sum which remained was sufficient to equip the expedition in the most thorough manner, but it had to be administered with economy ; and though I am now conscious of many mistakes which were made from lack of experience, I think little money was wasted.

LIBERALITY OF BUSINESS FIRMS 41

On the whole the firms with which we dealt treated us with great liberality, and supplied us with excellent goods. Many took an especial interest in the expedition, and made a very considerable reduction in the prices of the articles they supplied. Whilst it is impossible to quote all the instances of this nature, I take the opportunity of most gratefully acknowledging three cases in which goods were supplied as an absolutely free gift, and in which the donors took exceptional care that the packing should be in exact accordance with our requirements. These firms were Messrs. Colman, Limited, who supplied us with nine tons of flour and a quantity of mustard ; Messrs. Cadbury, who gave 3,500 lbs. of excellent cocoa and chocolate — all that we required of these articles, in fact ; Messrs. Bird & Sons, who presented us with eight hundredweight of baking and custard powders ; and Messrs. Evans, Lescher & Webb, to whom we were indebted for all our lime-juice.

During these busy months of preparation which I have briefly described, the various important posts in the expedition had been gradually filled up, and now expeditionary work was being carried on in many places. Some officers were in Dundee, superintending the build- ing of our good ship ; others were working on their especial subjects at the British Museum ; others were preparing themselves at the Physical Laboratory at Kew ; and others, again, were travelling in various direc- tions, both at home and abroad. Of all these move- ments and doings the central office was obliged to have cognisance, and therefore, as can be imagined, there were not many idle moments for its occupants.

42 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Long ago it had been decided that the ' Discovery ' should be loaded with her valuable freight in London, and on June 3 she was brought round from Dundee and berthed in the East India Docks. The courtesy of the London Docks Company had placed at our disposal a large shed near this berth, and soon after the centre of interest was transferred to this spot.

Here, therefore, during the two following months, busiest of all, were gathered all those stores which were to minister to our comfort and aid our work throughout our long voyage ; and here also we loaded the staunch vessel which, with her solid wooden walls, was to form our home for more than three years.

43

CHAPTER II

PREPARATION

Ships of former Polar Voyages — Ship Committee — Design of the ' Dis- covery'— Choice of a Name — Description of the Ship — Magnetic Observatory — Living Spaces — Holds, &c. — Sails — Launch of the Ship — The Officers appointed — The Warrant Officers — The Men — Division of the Antarctic Regions — Prospect of Victoria Quadrant — The Instruc- tions— Acknowledgment of Assistance.

Ere long we will launch A vessel as goodly, strong, and staunch

As ever weathered a wintry sea. — Longfellow.

In deciding to build a vessel for the purposes of the expedition, the Ship Committee made a new departure, for the ' Discovery ' was the first vessel ever built in England for scientific exploration.

Few details in the great voyages of the early adven- turers are more interesting to a sailor than those concern- ing the ships in which such voyages were accomplished. If one is inclined to wonder at the deeds of those mariners, wonderment must be greatly increased on realising the extraordinary vessels in which they were performed. Space does not permit me to touch on such a subject, but it may be interesting to note some of the vessels which have been used since the com- mencement of the era of scientific exploration to which I referred in the last chapter.

44 THE VOYAGE OF THE DISCOVERY'

All four ships, the ' Endeavour,' ' Resolution,' ' Ad- venture,' and ' Discovery,' which took part in Cook's famous voyages, had been built and used for the coal trade ; they ranged from 300 to 462 tons, and Cook expressed himself very well satisfied with them, deeming them well suited for his purpose.

The 'Erebus' and 'Terror,' as I have noted before, had been bomb vessels. They had been built in the old French war, and were designed to carry mortars which discharged shells at an angle of 450. It was these same vessels which, after they had returned from their famous Southern voyage, were lost with the ill-fated Franklin Expedition in 1845. The * Hecla ' and 'Fury,' which took part in Parry's famous voyages to the Arctic Regions, were also bomb vessels of the same class, but many of the early Arctic ventures were provided with old whalers : it soon came to be recognised what a useful type of vessel this was for ice- work.

The majority of ships employed in the Franklin Search Expedition were ordinary merchant vessels purchased into the navy and strengthened at consider- able expense. Some of these which did good service, such as the 'Enterprise' and ' Investigator,' were over 530 tons. Most of these early vessels were sailing ships ; the first steamers used were the ' Pioneer ' and ' Intrepid ' ; they were about 430 tons burden, and both had been traders under different names.

In the latest Government Arctic Expedition of 1875, the two vessels employed were, as is well known, the 'Alert' and the 'Discovery.' The 'Alert' was an old

FAMOUS POLAR SHIPS 45

17-gun sloop especially strengthened for the service, but the ' Discovery,' though also strengthened at Portsmouth, had been the whaler ' Bloodhound,' built at Dundee for the Greenland whale trade. The contrast between these two ships for ice-work was remarkable. The * Alert ' had a bluff straight bow, whilst the ' Discovery ' had the more recently designed overhanging stem, and as a result the ' Discovery ' had often to be sent ahead to force a passage in order that the ' Alert ' might follow.

The lines of the ' Discovery ' represented the expe- rience gained in the whaling trade ; this industry, which had flourished for so many years, and which at one time had employed more than a hundred vessels sailing out of Hull, Peterhead, and Dundee, was slowly dwindling, but then, and even much later, fresh ships were launched from time to time to compete in it. The whale, however, was growing timid, and had to be sought in new waters ; the difficulties with the pack-ice were ever increasing, and success lay more and more with those ships which were capable of forcing their way through it.

As a natural result of these conditions, a class of vessels was evolved which, whilst capable of taking the same hard knocks as the older ships, had a greatly increased power for making progress through the pack- ice, and to this class belonged the old ' Discovery.' As regards lines, she probably reached the best form for such a vessel ; for although others have been launched since, they have achieved greater efficiency mainly by increased engine-power. It was generally admitted by

46 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

those who witnessed her performances in 1875 that the old ' Discovery ' was the best ship that had ever been employed on Arctic service.

The Ship Committee which was appointed to con- sider the design of the new vessel for the Antarctic Expedition had all these facts vividly before it, since some of its members had occupied the most impor- tant positions in the expedition of 1875. Without giving the names of all the members, as the Committee was a large one, I may mention that amongst the most active were Sir Leopold McClintock, Sir George Nares, Sir Vesey Hamilton, Sir Albert Markham, Sir Anthony Hoskins, and Captain E. W. Creak.

This Committee, therefore, after due deliberation, decided that the new vessel should be built more or less on the lines of the old ' Discovery ' ; and here it is neces- sary to explain more exactly why this decision was made, as it wholly rejected another and newer type of Arctic vessel suggested by the ' Fram.'

I have so often been asked whether the * Discovery ' was like the ' Fram,' and if not, why not, that I wish to make this point clear. The ' Fram ' was built for a specific object, which was to remain in safety in the North Polar pack in spite of the terrible pressures which were to be expected in such a great extent of ice.

This object was achieved in the simplest manner by inclining the sides of the vessel until her shape was something like that of a saucer, and lateral pressure merely tended to raise her above the surface. Simple as this design was, it fulfilled so well the requirements of

TYPE OF VESSEL SELECTED 47

the situation that its conception was certainly a stroke of genius. But what is generally overlooked is that this quality was only got by the sacrifice of others, which, though they might not be needed on that expedition, might be very much required on future ones. In short, the safety of the ' Fram ' was achieved at the expense of her seaworthiness and powers of ice-penetration.

Hence it will be seen that since the advent of the 1 Fram ' there are two distinct types of Polar vessels, the one founded essentially on the idea of passive security in the ice, the other the old English whaler type, designed to sail the high seas and push forcefully through the looser ice-packs.

A very brief consideration of Southern conditions will show which of these two types is better suited for Antarctic exploration, for it is obvious that the exploring ship must be prepared to navigate the most tempestuous seas in the world, and then to force her way through the ice-floes to the mysteries beyond. As yet the Southern Regions have shown no uses for the type which achieves safety at the expense of progress. It will be seen, there- fore, that the Committee had a clear issue in deciding to adopt good and well-tried English lines for its vessel, and certainly in the excellent qualities which the - Discovery ' showed, the decision was justified.

It is fair to add, however, that whilst this view com- mended itself so clearly to the English Committee, it was not adopted in Germany. Speaking at the Geographical Congress at Berlin in 1899, Nansen strongly recom- mended for South Polar work a vessel of the ' Fram '

48 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

type with fuller lines ; this was, in fact, an attempt to pro- duce all qualities by a compromise, and those responsible for the construction of the ' Gauss ' adopted the idea. I am not in possession of any detailed information con- cerning the performance of the ' Gauss ' as a sea-boat or in pushing through the ice ; but with a knowledge of her lines and her small engine-power, and my experience in the Southern Regions, I cannot believe she was so efficient an exploring vessel as the ' Discovery.'

The art of building wooden ships is now almost lost to the United Kingdom ; probably in twenty or thirty years' time a new ' Discovery ' will give more trouble and cost more money than a moderate-sized war-ship. This is natural enough : it is the day of steel, of the puncher and the riveter ; the adze and the wood-plane are passing away. It must become increasingly difficult to find the contractors who will undertake to build a wooden ship, or the seasoned wood and the skilled workmen necessary for its construction.

The technicalities of the business may still remain in the memories of the older constructors, but have grown vague from disuse, and very few persons have cause to refresh their memories. And so it is all passing away ; even the quaint old Scotch foreman, John Smith, who played so important a part in the building of the ' Dis- covery,' has finished his work and vanished from the scene. It is a strange ending to an industry which a century ago produced those stout wooden walls that were the main defence of the kingdom.

In October 1899, when tenders for the new ship were

THE BUILDING OF A WOODEN SHIP 49

invited, there were few replies, and only one from a firm which had recent experience of such a task. This was the Dundee Shipbuilding Company, the owners of a small yard on the Tay, which had been better known in the flourishing days of the whale trade as Stevens's Yard. Stevens had been a very well-known character in Dundee, the builder and owner of many a fine whaling ship.

Arrangements were therefore entered into with this Company to build the new vessel, and in the meanwhile the Committee's architect, Mr. W. E. Smith, had thoroughly overhauled the plans of the old ' Discovery ' and drawn up a masterly specification for the new one. In March 1900 the keel of the new vessel was laid, and in a few months the massive oak frames had been raised and the busy scene of construction was in full swing.

I have spoken of this new ship as the * Discovery,' but it was not until June that her name was selected. Many names came up for discussion, and not a few of these had already done service in the older English expeditions. It was generally considered that the most appropriate plan was to revive some old time-honoured title, and as it was seen that few names carried a greater record than * Discovery,' that name was chosen. It is perhaps interesting, therefore, to give some idea of its history. There have now been six ' Discoveries.' The first made no fewer than six Arctic voyages from 1602 to 161 6 to the regions of Hudson Bay and Baffin Bay, on one of which she was com- manded by the famous navigator William Baffin. The vol. 1. e

50 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

second also voyaged to Hudson Bay in 17 19. ' Dis- covery' No. 3 took part in Cook's third voyage in 1776. ' Discovery ' No. 4 was Vancouver's ship when he dis- covered the insularity of the land which is named after him. 'Discovery' No. 5 took part in the 1875 ex- pedition to the Arctic ; she was commanded by the present Sir Henry F. Stevenson, and I have already shown her fitness for the work. Our own ' Discoverv ' was therefore the sixth of that name and the heir to a long record of honourable service, and, what was equally important, of fortunate service, as the name ' Discovery ' seems never to have been associated with shipwreck or disaster.

And here I should like to introduce the reader to this good ship which was to carry us and our fortunes through many adventures. I can do so without going into technical details, as, thanks to the interest which Mr. W. E. Smith took in his handiwork and the enter- prise of the Institution of Naval Architects, a permanent record of the vessel has been established. The ' Dis- covery,' alas ! has passed away from the paths of ex- ploration, but the future architect of such a ship will find all the information he needs concerning her in the 'Proceedings' of the Institution I have named (April

1905).

The displacement of the ' Discovery ' was 1,620

tons, but her registered tonnage, by which her size can

be compared with other ships I have mentioned, was

485. Her length between perpendiculars was 172 feet,

and her breadth 34 feet.

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52 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

By consulting the profile drawing of the ship, the reader will get some idea of the internal arrangements, but he will scarcely realise the extraordinary solidity of the structure. Most people who have voyaged in modern ships know that between them and the sea there has only interposed a steel plate the fraction of an inch in thickness ; they may, therefore, be interested to know what the side of the ' Discovery ' was like. The frames, which were placed very close together, were eleven inches thick and of solid English oak ; inside the frames came the inner lining, a solid planking four inches thick ; whilst the outside was covered with two layers of planking, respectively six and five inches thick, so that, in most places, to bore a hole in the side one would have had to get through twenty-six inches of solid wood.

It will give some idea of the complexity of the con- struction of such a ship to name the various woods that were employed in the side, for in each place the most suitable was chosen. The inner lining was of Riga fir, the frames of English oak, the inner skin, according to its position, of pitch pine, Honduras mahogany, or oak, whilst the outer skin in the same way was of English elm or greenheart. The massive side structure was stiffened and strengthened by three tiers of beams running from side to side, and at intervals with stout transverse wooden bulkheads ; the beams in the lower tiers were especially solid, being eleven inches by eleven inches in section, and they were placed at intervals of something less than three feet.

All this went to give the ship a frame capable of

STRENGTH OF THE 'DISCOVERY' 53

resisting immense side strains, but, strong as she was in this respect, the rigid stiffness of the sides was as nothing to that of the bows. Some idea of the fortifi- cation of this part can be gathered from the drawing, which shows the numerous and closely placed girders and struts that went to support the forefoot. Such a network of solid oak stiffeners gave to this portion of the vessel a strength which almost amounted to solidity. It will be seen, too, how the keel at the fore-end of the ship gradually grew thicker till it rose in the enormous mass of solid wood which constituted the stem. No single tree could provide the wood for such a stem, but the several that were employed were cunningly scarfed to provide the equivalent of a solid block ; and, in addition to the strong fastenings which held piece to piece, long strengthening bolts were used which ran fore and aft arid securely held all together. Some of these bolts, running entirely through wood, were as much as 8^ feet in length.

The bow of the ' Discovery ' was, therefore, a part which ran little risk of damage, and a knowledge of its strength was a pleasing possession when we came to ramming the ice-floes. In further preparation for such service the stem itself and the bow for three or four feet on either side were protected with numerous steel plates, so that when we got back to civilisation not a scratch remained to show the many hard knocks which the bow had received.

The shape of the stem was a very important con- sideration. It will be seen how largely it overhangs, and

54 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

this was carried to a greater extent than in any former Polar ship. The object with which this was fitted was often very prettily fulfilled during our voyage. Many a time on charging a large ice-floe the stem of the ship glided upwards until the bows were raised two or three feet, then the weight of the ship acting downwards would crack the floe beneath, the bow would drop, and the ship would gradually forge ahead to meet the next obstruction. This is the principle on which the ice is broken by all modern ice-breakers ; and here, perhaps, I may be allowed to interpolate a remark. I have often been asked why the now well-known ice-breakers are not employed for such expeditions as ours. It is because the ice-breaker is built of steel, and, except when break- ing very thin ice, is in constant need of repair ; nothing but a wooden structure has the elasticity and strength to grapple with thick Polar ice without injury.

The ' Discovery's' greatest strength lay in her bows, as I have just shown ; next to this, and as far aft as the mainmast, the structure, supported by numerous beams and bulkheads, still remained very strong ; but further aft there was a distinct weakening, for although the sides remained equally thick, the position of the engines and boilers necessitated the omission of many of the cross- beams.

Next to this came the stern, which, with the rudder and screw, must always form the weakest and most vulnerable part of a Polar ship. Nansen aptly defines it as the Achilles' heel. Our screw was capable of being detached and lifted up through the deck ; this is a

BOW TAKING THE ICE.

'DISCOVERY' PUSHING THROUGH ICE.

NEW FEATURES IN THE 'DISCOVERY' 55

common enough device, though, as I shall remark later, the manner in which it was done in the ' Discovery ' was new.

But Mr. Smith made an entirely new departure in providing us with a rudder which likewise lifted up through the deck. This plan had the single disad- vantage that the rudder possessed only one pintle and brace instead of the several that are customary ; on the other hand, its advantages in the facilities it offered for shifting a damaged rudder were great and easily seen. As I shall tell, we had occasion to be exceedingly grateful for these advantages.

Protection for our keel was afforded, firstly, by making every part as strong as possible ; the rudder-post was an enormous piece of timber, and was secured to the keel with extra strengthening-pieces placed beneath the pro- peller ; it would have taken tremendous forces to have strained or distorted these fixtures. But protection to this part was given yet more by the overhanging stern, an entirely new feature in this class of vessel. As can be imagined, the building of the ' Discovery ' excited the keenest interest in the whaling community of Dundee. Few novelties passed unnoticed, and the peculiar shape of our stern gave rise to the strongest criticism ; all sorts of evils were predicted, the commonest being that we should one day come down so heavily that it would be broken off! As events showed, this stern was a distinctly good feature : in a heavy seaway, as long as we were travelling through the water, it tended to keep the ship drier by causing her to lift more readily to the waves ;

56 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

to a certain extent it was a disadvantage if we happened to be becalmed and stationary, as then the rounded under-surface would come down with terrific violence, shaking the ship throughout ; but these occasions were rare, and when we got amongst the ice we reaped great benefit from it, for then, as will be seen, it formed a buffer which prevented the heavier pieces of ice from coming into contact with the rudder.

On the whole, therefore, the hull of the ' Discovery ' was a splendidly strong and well-fortified structure, and the machinery was in all respects equal to the hull. The ship had two cylindrical boilers arranged to work at a pressure of 150 lbs. per square inch, and a set of triple expansion engines. The latter were designed to give 450 indicated horse power, but actually on trial gave over 500. Whilst there was nothing particularly novel in these engines and boilers, many details in connection with them had to be considered with especial care in view of the service for which they were required ; more particularly was this the case with regard to the leads of steam pipes and the position of sea inlets.

In the shape of auxiliary machinery, besides that in connection with the main engines, the ' Discovery ' pos- sessed a small condenser for making fresh water, a small dynamo for supplying electric light, a strong deck winch amidships, and a very powerful capstan engine under the forecastle. In connection with the last-named, and placed close to it, there was also a small auxiliary boiler which on one occasion at least did yeoman service. All these various machines were supplied by different firms, but

Photo by Valentine.]

'DISCOVERY ' ON STOCKS— EXTERIOR VIEW.

Photo by Valentine

' DISCOVERY ' ON STOCKS— INTERIOR VIEW.

^THE ENGINES 57

our excellent set of main engines and boilers were built and placed by Messrs. Gourlay Brothers, of Dundee, and to the energetic manager of this firm, Mr. Lyon, we owe the really novel feature which was embodied in our arrangement for lifting the screw.

For the benefit of those who are interested in engi- neering details I may briefly explain this device, as it is certainly worthy of record. As I have said, a lifting screw is a common fitting, but it has always had one dis- advantage in the fact that the joint between the shaft and the screw has tended to get loose, and this has caused a very uncomfortable jarring when the engines have been revolving. The fittings in the * Discovery ' entirely avoided this in the following manner : The tail end of the shaft was made hollow, and inside it was placed an inner shaft ; the outer shaft fitted into the boss of the screw on a taper ; inside the boss beyond this taper was a large nut in which the inner shaft could engage ; the outer shaft and the screw were kept in close connection by the inner shaft and nut, and therefore there was no loose connection to jar. To disconnect the screw, a small section of the main shaft, in front of the tail shaft, could be lifted bodily, the inner tail shaft could then be turned and freed from the nut, when both inner and outer shafts could be withdrawn together, and the screw was free for lifting. This fitting was naturally expensive, but it is certainly the most efficient that has been devised for a lifting propeller.

In the profile drawing which is reproduced, on the middle of the upper deck will be seen a deck-house

58 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY'

marked ' Magnetic Observatory ' ; this was an important place, both in the building and in the subsequent work of the ' Discovery.' I have already given reason to show why the greatest stress was laid on the accuracy of our magnetic observations, and it will be clear that accurate magnetic observations cannot be taken in a place closely surrounded with iron. The enthusiasm of the magnetic experts on the Ship Committee had at first led them to request that there should be no iron or steel at all in the ' Discovery,' and when it was pointed out that this could scarcely be, they demanded the exclusion of the metals from the vicinity of the magnetic observatory. At last a compromise was arrived at, which stipulated that no magnetic materials should be employed within thirty feet of the observatory. It is difficult to realise what im- mense trouble and expense this decision involved. This thirty-foot circle swept round, down by the foremast, under the bottom of the ship, and up in front of the mainmast ; everything within this radius had to be made of brass or some other non-magnetic material, and when all the fastenings of the hull and all the fittings and furniture of the ship are considered, some idea may be gathered of the difficulty ; even much of the rigging, which would ordinarily have been of wire, had to be made of hemp, of a size which is rarely, if ever, used in these days. And yet when all these elaborate precautions had been taken we could not banish magnetic objects from the sacred ring, for as a critic might well have pointed out in the first place, the provision-rooms within it could not possibly have their contents preserved in brass.

MAGNETIC PRECAUTIONS 59

Nevertheless, this care in building was by no means lost. The magnetic observations taken on board throughout the voyage required astonishingly little correc- tion, and though the condition of perfection looked for was not achieved, it was certainly more nearly approached than it would have been in an ordinary wooden steamship.

There were several curious results of this magnetic ordinance. I might mention, for instance, that the officers outside the circle slept on modern spring mat- tresses, whilst those within had to content themselves with wooden battens. There was quite a small stir, too, when the buttons of some cushions were found to be made of iron, and these were immediately ripped off and replaced by leaden ones. Of course, also, the magnetic regulations caused some amusement : at one time those who lived within the circle were threatened with the necessity of shaving with brass razors. The careful rounds made by the navigator before he commenced his observations were another subject of jest : knives and all sorts of instruments had to be summarily confiscated and placed beyond the pale, much to the annoyance of their owners ; and on our way home from New Zealand I remember one awful case where it was discovered that throughout a whole set of observations a parrot had been hanging on the mess-deck. It was not the inoffensive bird that was objected to, but the iron wires of its cage.

The general distribution of ourselves and our stores inside the ' Discovery ' can be seen in the plan. The wardroom was a good-sized apartment, about thirty feet long and nearly twenty feet across ; on each side were

60 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

comparatively roomy cabins for the officers, whilst at the after-end, between it and the engine-room, lay my own cabin and that of the navigating officer. This position was by no means a catch, for in the tropics when steam was up it had the doubtful benefit of the heat given off by the boilers, whereas in the Polar winter, when we had no steam, the engine-room naturally became the coldest place in the ship, and the after-cabin suffered accordingly. The crew-space was a little shorter than the wardroom, but as it extended the full breadth of the ship it was larger ; compared with other vessels it gave ample room for its occupants. The galley-space was narrowed by having compartments cut off on each side ; however, it was quite big enough for our requirements. Between the fore-end of the galley- space and the after-end of my cabin were comprised the living-spaces, and the ship was designed so that this part might be kept especially warm in a Polar climate. Concerning our advantages and difficulties in this respect I shall speak more fully in the course of my story, but whilst the plan of the ship is under discussion, it may be as well to point out how we were situated. Naturally, if one wants to keep warm one must exclude the cold on every side. During our Polar winters, owing to the insulation of the upper deck, and to the fact that we piled snow on top of it, we had nothing to fear from that direction. As regards the sides, we had small difficul- ties which I shall mention, but the fact that cold might creep up from beneath was overlooked in providing for the comfort of our living-spaces.

THE INTERIOR 61

It will be seen that beneath the men's quarters were the provision-rooms and holds ; these, owing to the temperature of the sea outside and the space above, never fell much below freezing point, and so the men suffered little discomfort from below, but the coal-space or bunker under the wardroom was a different matter. This was only shut off from the engine-room by a steel bulkhead, and consequently it became extremely cold and communicated its temperature to the wardroom. This difficulty would not have arisen had the decks of the living-spaces been thoroughly well insulated.

Daylight was admitted to the living-spaces through central skylights and small round decklights. There were no portholes or sidelights in the ' Discovery/

Reference to the drawing will show the reader that the space devoted to our provisions and stores was divided into many compartments. It was very much smaller than the drawing might lead one to suppose, as a great deal of the room was taken up by the beams and girders provided for the strengthening of the ship. I do not know the exact weight of provisions and stores we carried when fully loaded, but I believe it to have been about 150 tons. And here I may add that the manner in which provisions and other stores are packed is of great importance in such an expedition as ours. The tinning of foods has advanced greatly of late years, but it is still necessary to exercise great care in selecting tins ; the shape, the thickness, the care of manufacture, and the paint or lacquer employed, are all points to be observed, and as a general rule they give a good indica-

62 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

tion of the quality of the food within. Damp and rust are enemies which can be resisted successfully only by a well-made tin. The same care is necessary in select- ing the cases in which these tins are stowed. For the * Discovery,' we had them made to reduce bulk as much as possible, while for convenience of handling we limited the weight of each case to 50 or 60 lbs.

The position of our fresh-water tanks will be seen on the drawing ; the full stowage of these tanks was 25 tons. As they lay within the magic circle they also had to be subservient to the magnetic rule, and were made of zinc. The zinc was too thin, and the arrangement was not satisfactory ; however, as the tanks were not used during the winter we did not suffer much inconvenience.

Our coal supply was amongst our most precious possessions, and I shall show how things went for us in this respect. The outline of the problem can be gathered from the following figures. The main bunker held 240 tons ; to this two small pocket bunkers added 53 tons, and the deck cargo we took south was 42 tons. For our Southern campaign we had therefore 335 tons in all. At sea, steaming economically, we used between 5 and 6 tons a day, or with one boiler only, about 4 tons ; on the occasions when we had to lie with banked fires the consumption was about 1^ ton. It will be seen, there- fore, that each day made a marked difference in our stock of coal when fires were alight in the main boilers. But of course throughout our long imprisonment in the ice these fires were not lighted, and then our consumption

MASTS AND SAILS 63

was only such as was necessary for cooking and for warming the ship, and during our second winter we reduced this to the very moderate figure of 15 cwt. per week.

A description of the ' Discovery ' would scarcely be complete without a word or two about the spread of canvas which assisted our voyage so greatly. The ship was under-masted : the mainmast from truck to keelson was only 1 1 2 feet, and this is extremely short for such a vessel, while comparatively speaking for this height of mast the yards were square (i.e. long), the mainyard being 60 feet in length.

The ' Discovery ' was extraordinarily stiff, and could have carried a much larger sail area with advantage. As it was, the mainsail and jib were the only sails we took off for a gale, and I think rarely, if ever, have top- gallant sails been carried through such weather as ours. For the non-nautical reader I may explain that in a gale there comes a time when certain sails cannot be furled : to relieve the ship they must be either cut or blown away. That we allowed our top-gallant sails to remain spread in such weather shows our confidence in the ' Discovery's ' stability as well as in our canvas and our boatswain.

But the comparatively small spread of sail was a great drawback in light winds, and the ship was an ex- tremely sluggish sailer. Matters were rendered much worse also by the masts being placed in the wrong position. They should have been put much nearer the bows. When sailing ' on a wind ' in the * Discovery ' we

64 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

had to trim our sails so that everything forward was clean full while the sails on the mainmast were almost shivering. These details are somewhat technical, I fear, but it is very necessary that they should be noted for the guidance of future explorers. Masts, yards, and sails are rapidly passing away from the seas, but where the saving of coal is of such prime importance, as in the case of the Polar exploring ship, they must long remain a useful auxiliary. Although the ' Discovery ' was very slow under sail alone, unless running before a strong breeze, there were many occasions when the sails proved an immense assistance to the engines.

In the foregoing pages I have endeavoured to give some description of the ship which was built at Dundee, 1 900- 1, and which on March 21 of the latter year was launched and named the ' Discovery ' by Lady Markham. When, after gliding smoothly into the waters of the Tay, she was brought back to the dock side, it was to be invaded by a small army of workmen, to receive her engines and boilers, to undergo her successful trials, and generally to be prepared for that voyage to the Thames in June which I have already mentioned.

From the brief manner in which I have dealt with the ' Discovery ' it will be seen that the initial labours of the Ship Committee and the high intelligence of Mr. W. E. Smith had provided us with the finest vessel which was ever built for exploring purposes. If I had little cause to complain concerning the instrument thus put into my hands, I had equally little concerning the officers and men who were to assist me in using

OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION 65

it. The manner in which they did their work and the loyalty with which they supported me will appear in these pages ; but here I would wish to introduce the reader individually to that roll whose members faced hardships and difficulties with invariable cheerfulness and elected to remain at their posts whatever might betide.

Ten officers besides myself messed together in the small wardroom of the ' Discovery.' The senior of these was Lieutenant Albert B. Armitage, R. N.R. Armitage had spent a great number of years at sea, joining the training ship 'Worcester' in 1878. Fie had passed through that ship with credit, and after an ex- cellent practical seamanship training in sailing ships, had been appointed to a position in the P. and O. Com- pany's service. In this service he had remained nomi- nally ever since, but in 1894 ne nad been granted leave of absence to join the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz-Josef Land. The expedition was absent for four years, and on its return Armitage's services were not only gratefully recognised by his employer, but were acknowledged by the Royal Geographical Society, which presented him with its Murchison Award. After this he had returned to his ordinary duties as first mate on one of the P. and O. Company's ships until January 1 90 1, when his services were again lent for Polar work, and he joined our expedition as navigator and second in command. Armitage was an excellent practical navigator, and of the value of his Polar experience I shall speak later on. He was thirty-seven when he joined us.

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66 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Another member of our community who had seen Arctic service was our senior doctor, Reginald Koettlitz. Koettlitz was English in all but name, as his father, a minister of the Reformed Lutheran Church, had married an English lady and settled at Dover in the 'sixties. He had been educated at Dover College, and thence passed to Guy's Hospital. After qualifying he had settled down in the quietest of country practices, where he remained for nearly eight years, and might have re- mained to the present time but for a sudden impulse to volunteer his services as doctor to the Jackson- Harms- worth Expedition. This act had made him a wanderer, for after four years in the Arctic he accompanied expe- ditions to Abyssinia, Somaliland, and Brazil ; and finally, with experiences gathered in many parts of the globe, he applied for and received his appointment as medical officer to the Antarctic Expedition. As his medical duties were expected to be light, he also acted as botanist to the expedition. As far as the land flora was concerned, this post was something of a sinecure, as the Antarctic lands produce only some poor forms of mosses and lichens, but Koettlitz had also to study and collect the various marine forms of plant life which are known to science under the name oi phy to -plankton.

Our biologist, Thomas V. Hodgson, was a native of Birmingham. With a strong desire to qualify in medicine and natural science, he had been obliged to spend many years in business. His career shows well the pertinacity which we all came to recognise in his character, for during the years when he had been tied to

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OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION 67

a business which he disliked, he had devoted his spare hours with ceaseless diligence to scientific study. At last his chance had come, and he had been appointed to a small post in the Plymouth Biological Laboratory. From this time until he joined the expedition in August 1900 his life had been identified with Plymouth, at first in work connected with the laboratory and with a science lectureship, and later as curator of the Plymouth Museum, of which, in one sense, he may be said to have been the creator, as he guided its first tottering foot- steps. Hodgson's task was to collect by hook or by crook all the strange beasts that inhabit our Polar seas, and of the manner in which he went about it these pages will tell.

Koettlitz was forty years of age when he joined the expedition, and Hodgson thirty-seven. The average age of the remaining members of our wardroom mess was little over twenty-four years, so that it may be said they had most of their lives before them, and after my experience of their services I have little doubt as to the value of youth for Polar work.

Charles W. R. Royds was our first lieutenant, and had all to do with the work of the men and the internal economy of the ship in the way that is customary with the first lieutenant of a man-of-war. He had passed into the 'Britannia' from the ' Conway ' in 1890, and so joining the Naval Service had reached the rank of lieutenant in 1898. He joined us from H.M.S. 'Crescent,' then serving as flagship on the North America station, and came with an excellent record

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68 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

of service for so young an officer. Throughout our voyage he acted as our meteorologist, and secured the most valuable records in this important branch of science in face of difficulties which this narrative will present.

Our second naval lieutenant was Michael Barne, who had only recently been promoted to that rank. He had been educated at Stubbington School in preparation for the Navy, and had joined the 'Britannia' in 1891. Later he had served with me in the ' Majestic,' and I had thought him, as he proved to be, especially fitted for a voyage where there were elements of danger and difficulty.

The original idea in appointing two doctors to the ' Discovery ' was that one should be available for a detached landing party ; but, although this idea was practically abandoned, there were few things for which we had greater cause to be thankful than that it had originally existed, for the second doctor appointed to the expedition was Edward A. Wilson. The reader may gather some idea of the acquisition this officer was from the illustrations that he has executed for this book, but it will only be a small idea, for they tell nothing of his activities in other directions. Wilson was a native of Cheltenham, and had been educated at the college of that name and at Caius College, Cambridge ; after taking his degree he had qualified in medicine at St. George's Hospital, London, but on leaving the hospital ill health had obliged him to spend some years abroad. His health was not wholly re-established when he joined the ' Discovery,' but he was evidently on the

OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION 69

mend, .and his fitness for the post in other respects was obvious. In addition to his medical duties, he was ap- pointed vertebrate zoologist and artist ; in the first capacity he dealt scientifically with the birds and seals, and in a manner which his appendix to this work indicates ; in the second he was perhaps still more active, and it would take long even to number all the pictures and sketches he has produced of the wild scenes amongst which we lived.

I was still serving in the ' Majestic ' when I received my appointment to the expedition, and it was at that time I realised that among my messmates was just the man for the post of chief engineer of the ' Discovery.' This was Reginald W. Skelton. He was a Norfolk man, and had joined the navy as an engineer-student in 1887 ; subsequently he had served in various ships on various stations until at last he had been appointed as senior engineer of the ' Majestic,' where I first got to know him well. One of my earliest acts on behalf of the expedition was to apply for his services, and it was certainly a very fortunate one : from first to last of our voyage we never had serious difficulty with our machinery or with anything concerning it. But Skelton's utility extended far beyond his primary duties. I shall have reason to tell of the many ways in which he assisted the scientific work of the expedition, whilst, thanks to his ability with the camera, in the course of his work as photographer-in-chief he produced the most excellent pictures that have ever been obtained by a polar expedi- tion. Most of the photographs reproduced in this book

jo THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY '

are the results of his handiwork, though for others I must acknowledge my indebtedness to Messrs. Bernacchi, Royds, Ford, and others.

Our geologist, Hartley T. Ferrar, joined us only shortly before the ' Discovery ' sailed. Though born in Ireland, he had spent the early years of his life in South Africa, but he had returned home to be educated at Oundle School and at Sidney Sussex College, Cam- bridge. Events went very rapidly for Ferrar at the end of his university career ; in June 1901 he took honours in the Natural Science Tripos, in July he was appointed to the Antarctic Expedition, and in August he sailed for the Far South. He had very little time, therefore, to prepare himself for his important work, but he did his best to make up this deficiency by a steady application to his books and an increased activity when he arrived at the scene of his work. As will be seen later, the result of Ferrar's work was to throw considerable light on the structure of a vast land mass, no inconsiderable portion of the surface of the earth ; it was a result, therefore, that cannot but be highly important to geological science, and it was achieved by physical labour which might not have been within the powers of a more experienced geologist.

Owing to the medical rejection of a former candidate for the post, our physicist, Louis Bernacchi, did not join us until we reached New Zealand. Bernacchi had been born and educated in Tasmania ; in 1895 ne nacl joined the Melbourne Observatory as a student, and had there gained his knowledge of the special physical work which he has since steadily pursued. In July 1898 he

OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION 71

had joined Sir George Newnes's Expedition to Cape Adare, and the valuable magnetic observations which he then made showed that he was capable of undertaking the more extensive programme connected with this science proposed for our shore station. The delicate instruments which he manipulated, and the difficulties he had with them, will be described in due course.

In the roll of the ' Discovery ' I have inscribed the names of two officers who did not serve throughout the whole term of the, voyage ; my reason will, I think, be clear.

One of these, Ernest H. Shackleton, was forced to leave us by ill health in 1903, when he was relieved by the other, George F. A. Mulock, who remained with us until the end of the voyage. Shackleton was born in Ireland and educated at Dulwich College ; but at an early age he had taken to the sea, and as a merchant- service officer had drifted about to various parts of the world. From casual and irregular voyages he had passed to the more settled employment of the Union- Castle Line, and had already begun to make steady pro- gress in that service when he was appointed to the ' Discovery.' His experience was useful to us in many ways, and as he was always brimful of enthusiasm and good fellowship, it was to the regret of all that he left us in 1903.

His successor, Mulock, was a sub-lieutenant in the Navy when he joined us ; he was then only twenty-one years of age, but having received some excellent in- struction as a surveyor in H.M.S. ' Triton,' and having

72 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

a natural bent for this work, his services proved in- valuable. Of this, however, I shall speak at a later date.

From what I have said of the individuals of our wardroom mess, the reader will see that, taking them as a whole, there were two rather noticeable features. The first was youth, concerning the advantages of which for* a Polar expedition I could write many pages ; the second was diversity of experience : no two of us were likely to look at a matter from precisely the same stand- point. This, I think, was also an advantage : it gave us larger interests, and generally encouraged that attitude which is so necessary to the members of a small com- munity—the determination to live and let live.

Be this as it may, we certainly had reason to con- gratulate ourselves on the selection of our officers, for of this there could be no clearer proof than the fact that we lived together in complete harmony for three years.

It has been said in the Navy of that useful class of individuals the warrant officers that they form the backbone of a ship's company, and certainly on board the ' Discovery ' the warrant officers played a highly important part. They lived in a small berth occupy- ing one corner of the mess-deck, and comprised the boatswain, carpenter, second engineer, and ship's steward. With one exception I had known nothing personally of these men before they joined the expedi- tion, but I had fully realised the importance of their duties and had taken great pains to select them from amongst other men who were recommended to me by my friends. In no case could I have made a happier

OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION 73

choice ; it would be impossible to exaggerate the admir- able manner in which they all did their duties throughout the voyage.

Our boatswain, Thomas Feather, was a thorough seaman, and took that intense pride in his charge which was so well known in the old sailing days. A sailor will understand well the merits of a boatswain who can make the proud boast that the ' Discovery ' circumnavigated the world without losing a rope or a sail. Our boatswain, like the rest of us, under new conditions had to turn his talents into fresh channels ; in the Far South all that pertained to our sledge equipment was placed in his charge, and with him rested the responsibility that every- thing was in readiness when we started out on our sledge journeys. And here, as before, he proved his excel- lence, for I do not remember a single complaint or breakdown that could have been obviated by more careful preparation.

In his own department our carpenter, F. E. Dailey, worked with the same zealous care as the boatswain. He possessed the same 'eye' for defects and the same determination that his charge should be beyond reproach.

I speak feelingly in these matters ; anyone who has been captain of a ship will know the countless things that continually get out of order, and he will know, on the one hand, how annoying it is to have constantly to call attention to them, and, on the other, how pleasant it is to feel that close supervision is not necessary. I speak feelingly, therefore, because I was saved all

74 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

these minor worries. I knew that whatever was ' adrift ' with the rigging, the hull, or the machinery of the ■ Dis- covery,' it would be put right in the shortest possible space of time by the warrant officer in whose department it lay.

J. H. Dellbridge was our chief engineer's right-hand man. As the responsibilities of the carpenter and boat- swain lay with the hull and rigging, so his lay in the engine-room ; his duties implied that the engines must never be found wanting, and in what manner they were carried out this narrative will show.

A ship's steward is a specially important individual in an exploring vessel ; he has to keep the most exact account of the stores that are expended, and of those that remain ; he has to see that provisions are properly examined and properly served out, and that everything is stowed below in such a manner that it is forthcoming when required. I had difficulty in filling this post, to which I have referred, but eventually I decided to give it to C. R. Ford, who, although a very young man without experience, showed himself to be well fitted for it in other respects. He soon mastered every detail of our stores, and kept his books with such accuracy that I could rely implicitly on his statements. This also was no small relief where it was impossible to hold a survey of the stores which remained on board.

And now I pass on to that long list of petty officers and men which completes the roll of honour of the * Discovery.' I would that space permitted me to give to each that notice which his services deserved. There is

PETTY OFFICERS AND MEN 75

not one name on the list that does not recall to me a pleasant memory or does not add to the splendid record of loyalty and devotion with which I was served. But gladly as I would stay my pen to discuss indi- vidual merits, I have to remember that to tell of the things we did and the things we saw are the main objects of this book, and reluctantly I leave the person- alities of my sailor friends to emerge in a more casual manner from its pages.

Yet I cannot pass on without some acknowledgment of their collective efficiency and some explanation of the manner in which such a fine body of men was brought together. It will be remembered that I was serving in the Channel Squadron before joining the expedition ; consequently, when the Admiralty gave permission for naval men to serve in the ' Discovery,' I had friends in each ship of this fleet to whom I could write asking them to select one or two men from those who volunteered for the service. It was a simple plan, and relieved me of the difficulty of picking out names from the very long- list which would have resulted had volunteers been generally called for. I knew well that amongst British bluejackets there would be no lack of good men to volunteer for a voyage that promised to be so adven- turous. Our men, therefore, came to us singly or by twos and threes from various ships ; Evans, Allan, and Quartley came from my old ship the ' Majestic,' Cross and Heald from the ' Jupiter,' Smythe from the ' St. Vincent,' and so on.

All brought with them that sense of naval discipline

76 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

which they displayed so noticeably throughout the voyage. It must be understood that the ' Discovery,' not being in Government employment, had no more stringent regulations to enforce discipline than those which are contained in the Merchant Shipping Act, and however adequate these may be for commercial purposes, they fail to provide that guarantee for strict obedience and good behaviour which I believe to be a necessity for such exceptional conditions as exist in Polar service. Throughout our three-years' voyage in the ' Discovery ' the routine of work, the relations between officers and men, and the general ordering of matters were, as far as circumstances would permit, precisely such as are customary in His Majesty's ships. We lived exactly as though the ship and all on board had been under the Naval Discipline Act ; and as everyone must have been aware that this pleasing state of affairs was a fiction, the men deserve as much credit as the officers, if not more, for the fact that it continued to be observed.

Since the return of our expedition it has been acknowledged that our labours met with a large measure of success, and it has been recognised that each officer in his particular department has added something to the advancement of scientific knowledge ; and they, as well as I, will be the last to forget how much they owed to the rank and file. For my part I can but say that success in such an expedition as ours is not due to a single individual, or to a few individuals, but to the loyal co-operation of all its members, and therefore I

CONCERNING OUR MISSION 77

must ever hold in grateful memory that small company of petty officers and men who worked so cheerfully and loyally for the general good.

I have now endeavoured to give the reader some idea of the good ship * Discovery,' and of the gallant crew which manned her ; it remains to give a clearer account of the mission on which she was despatched.

It was Sir Clements Markham who first suggested that for convenience of reference the Antarctic area should be divided into four quadrants, to be named respec- tively the Victoria, the Ross, the Weddell, and the Enderby. Having given a brief outline of the history of Antarctic research, I will pause here for a moment to point out the prospects which each of these quadrants offered for exploration.

The Victoria quadrant included that region which had been investigated by Wilkes and D'Urville. Whilst it offered an interesting problem in the discovery of the true extension of Adelie Land, the prospect of getting to a high latitude in it did not seem hopeful.

Very little was known of the Enderby quadrant, but much attention had been called to it by the scientific voyage of the ' Challenger,' and this, with certain evi- dences connected with drifting ice, had caused some people to believe that a high latitude might be reached in this region. This opinion was especially held in Germany, and it was therefore in this direction that the 1 Gauss ' was steered.

The Weddell quadrant I have already noticed as a region of exceptional interest. More than once ships

78 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

had attempted to penetrate to the open sea reported by Weddell, but they had invariably found it impossible to do so. But these vessels had not possessed the power of steam ; with a steamer there seemed little doubt that Weddell's farthest point could be reached, and an ex- plorer might determine what lay in the clear sea which had been seen beyond.

In spite of the undoubted fascination of this region, however, it appeared to the promoters of our enter- prise that in the Ross quadrant lay even a fairer prospect of important results. Though this was the region of which most was known, the discoveries of Ross, like those of all great explorers, had given rise to a host of fresh problems. Here it was certain that a high latitude could be reached, and that the work of the expedition could be conducted in the heart of the Antarctic area. Geography saw in this region a prospect of the reproduction of those sledging journeys which had done so much to complete the mapping of the Far North ; meteorology grasped at a high latitude for the fixed observation of climatic conditions ; magnetism found in the Ross Sea that area which most nearly approached the magnetic pole ; geology was attracted by the unknown mountainous country which fringed its shores. There was no branch of science, in fact, that did not see in the Ross quadrant a more hopeful chance of success than was promised by any other region. When, therefore, Sir Clements Markham proposed that this direction should be taken by the expedition, the proposi- tion met with complete and unanimous assent from all

CONCERNING OUR MISSION 79

who were interested in the venture, and long before the 1 Discovery ' was built her prospective course had been finally decided.

It might be thought that with an exploring expe- dition such as ours, little more was necessary than to indicate the direction in which it should go, and to leave the uncertain future in the hands of those who con- ducted it. There is much in this view, and there is no doubt as to the wisdom of leaving to the commander of an expedition the greatest possible freedom of action, so that at no time may his decision be restricted by orders which could not have been conceived with a full know- ledge of the conditions.

But instructions for the conduct of an expedition may serve a most useful purpose, both for the authorities who issue them and the commander who receives them, if, without hampering conditions, they contain a clear statement of the relative importance of the various objects for which the expedition is undertaken.

I need not recall the several branches of science which it was proposed that our expedition should inves- tigate, but I may point out that there were bound to be innumerable instances in which their interests clashed. The best-conducted expedition cannot serve two masters, and in pursuance of one object is often obliged to neglect others. Although circumstances will generally determine the object which can be pursued most profit- ably at the moment, where what may be described as so many vested scientific interests are concerned, it is obviously of advantage to the commander that he should

80 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

know in what light these interests are regarded by those responsible for the expedition.

The value of instructions, then, is to place before the leader a general review of the situation, a statement of the order in which the objects of the expedition are held, and as much information as can be given without preju- dice as to the wishes of his chiefs. Of such a nature were the instructions I received before sailing for the South. The original draft had been prepared by Sir Clements Markham at a very early date, and, as I have already mentioned, it came subsequently under the consideration of the Joint Committee of thirty-two members.

The draft contained many clauses relating to matters of opinion, and it was not to be expected that so large a Committee, containing representatives of so many inte- rests, should at once agree as to their relative importance or as to the manner in which the expedition should be conducted.

In consequence of this there was much discussion, with delay that threatened to impede the progress of the expedition ; but at this point the Societies wisely decided to submit the whole question to a body of smaller dimen- sions, and a Committee of four was appointed to decide the matter finally.

The four members of this Committee were Lord Lindley, Sir George Goldie, Sir Leopold McClintock, and Mr. A. B, Kempe. Thanks to the practical manner in which it dealt with the question, and perhaps espe- cially to the great administrative experiences of Sir

INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED 81

George Goldie, all difficulties were speedily solved, and the instructions were finally drafted.

There can be no doubt that the expedition, as well as the Societies, owes much to this Committee, which, after piloting a difficult question through rough waters, fur- nished instructions of such a nature as I have previously indicated. In quoting these instructions I confine myself to such parts as relate to the conduct of the expedition, disregarding, for obvious reasons, those which have refer- ence to the conditions of our service. I also omit several paragraphs which, owing to a subsequent alteration in the organisation of our officers, became non-effective.

Extracts from the Instructions under which we Sailed.

. . . The objects of the expedition are (a) to determine, as far as possible, the nature, condition, and extent of that portion of the South Polar lands which is included in the scope of your expedition ; and (b) to make a magnetic survey in the southern regions to the south of the 40th parallel, and to carry on meteorological, oceanographic, geological, biological, and physical investigations and researches. Neither of these objects is to be sacrificed to the other.

. . . We, therefore, impress upon you that the greatest importance is attached to the series of magnetic observations to be taken under your superintendence, and we desire that you will spare no pains to ensure their accuracy and continuity. The base station for your magnetic work will be at Melbourne or at Christchurch, New Zealand. A secondary base station is to be established by you, if possible, in Victoria Land. You should endeavour to carry the magnetic survey from the Cape to your primary base station south of the 40th parallel, and from the same station across the Pacific to the meridian of Greenwich. It is also desired that you should observe along the tracks of Ross, in order to ascertain the magnetic changes that have taken place in the interval between the two voyages. VOL. I. G

82 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

... It is desired that the extent of land should be ascer- tained by following the coastlines ; that the depth and nature of the ice-cap should be investigated, as well as the nature of the volcanic region, of the mountain ranges, and especially of any fossiliferous rocks.

. . . You will see that the meteorological observations are regularly taken every two hours. ... It is very desirable that there should, if possible, be a series of meteorological observa- tions to the south of the 74th parallel.

As regards magnetic work and meteorological observations generally, you will follow the programme arranged between the German and British Committees, with the terms of which you are acquainted.

Whenever it is possible, while at sea, deep-sea soundings should be taken with serial temperatures, and samples of sea- water at various depths are to be obtained for physical and chemical analysis. Dredging operations are to carried on as frequently as possible, and all opportunities are to be taken for making biological and geological collections.

. . . The chief points of geographical interest are as fol- lows : — To explore the ice-barrier of Sir James Ross to its eastern extremity ; to discover the land which was believed by Ross to flank the barrier to the eastward, or to ascertain that it does not exist, and generally to endeavour to solve the very important physical and geographical questions connected with this remarkable ice-formation.

Owing to our very imperfect knowledge of the conditions which prevail in the Antarctic seas, we cannot pronounce definitely whether it will be necessary for the ship to make her way out of the ice before the winter sets in, or whether she should winter in the Antarctic Regions. It is for you to decide on this important question after a careful examination of the local conditions.

If you should decide to winter in the ice . . . your efforts as regards geographical exploration should be directed to three objects, namely — an advance into the western mountains, an advance to the south, and an exploration of the volcanic region.

INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED S3

... In an enterprise of this nature much must be left to the discretion and judgment of the commanding officer, and we fully confide in your combined energy and prudence for the successful issue of a voyage which will command the attention of all persons interested in navigation and science throughout the civilised world. At the same time we desire you constantly to bear in mind our anxiety for the health, comfort, and safety of all entrusted to your care.

Such were the principal paragraphs of the instruc- tions which were signed by the Presidents of the Royal and Royal Geographical Societies and delivered into my hands, and when my tale is told I think it will be acknowledged that they were closely observed.

That part of my story which concerns the preparation of our venture is almost accomplished, and the reader will now understand how and why in July 1901 the ' Discovery' lay in the East India Dock equipped for her long voyage.

Of the difficulties which threatened to avert this happy accomplishment, space has only permitted me to give the briefest outline. Dr. Nansen has observed that the hardest work of a Polar voyage comes in its prepara- tion, and my remembrance of the years 1900-1 fully corroborates this dictum ; but even the troubles and trials of this anxious time had their bright side, and it is only with pleasure that I can look back on the kindly assist- ance which was freely given to the expedition, and to one who like myself was treading unaccustomed paths to further its ends.

Briefly and inadequately I have already mentioned the services of many eminent men who bore a share in our enterprise, but such references have by no means

G 2

84 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

included all to whom our gratitude is due. It is not generally understood that in undertaking the management of our expedition the two great Societies concerned assumed an unprecedented responsibility. A great Government department like the Admiralty would have had little difficulty in preparing a dozen such ven- tures, because it has all the machinery necessary for dealing with these matters ; but a learned Society pos- sesses no such facilities, because as a rule it has no need of them. Neither the Royal nor the Royal Geogra- phical Society was organised for the equipment of expe- ditions, and consequently for them such a task was beset with difficulties. That all obstacles were successfullv overcome is to the lasting credit of these bodies, but especially is it to the honour of those who bore the chief responsibility as officers of the Societies. I think there is little doubt that these gentlemen would acknowledge that during the troublous youth of the Antarctic Ex- pedition they were more worried over its details than by all the other business of the Societies which they guided.

Of those who were thus forced to give much atten- tion to the affairs of the expedition, and who did so for its benefit, were the successive Presidents of the Royal Society, Lord Lister and Sir William Huggins ; the Honorary Secretaries, Sir Arthur Riicker and Sir Michael Foster ; and the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Harrison. In speaking of my own experiences, I have ever to re- member the courteous and kindly treatment I received from these gentlemen. There were many reasons why

THOSE WHO ASSISTED THE EXPEDITION 85

my lot was still more closely cast with the Geographical Society at this time, and here, also, I can speak in the warmest manner of the treatment I received. Its Secre- tary, Dr. Scott Keltie, has always taken the keenest interest in the expedition, and the services he has ren- dered to it and to me might alone occupy a chapter of this book. To the Honorary Secretaries of this Society also, Major L. Darwin and Mr. J. F. Hughes, my thanks are due for their continual efforts to make my path smooth ; and of the important services of Dr. H. R. Mill, who was at this time Librarian of the Society, I shall speak at a later date.

Though on the officers of the Societies fell the greatest share of the difficulties which beset the expe- dition, there were several other gentlemen who in the midst of busy lives spared many an hour for its service.

As Hydrographer of the Navy, Sir William Wharton undertook the supply of the greater part of the instru- ments which we carried, and in this, as in many other ways, he showed his deep sympathy with the objects of the expedition.

On Captain E. W. Creak, at that time Director of Compasses at the Admiralty, fell all the difficulties of arranging our long and complicated magnetic programme, and of drawing up such instructions concerning it as were necessary for our guidance.

Amongst those who gave their services freely on various committees, in arranging the details of depart- mental work, and in adding to the interest of that excellent publication the ' Antarctic Manual,' may be mentioned

S6 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY

Mr. R. H. Scott, Mr. Howard Saunders, Mr. J. Y. Buchanan, Dr. W. T. Blanford, Mr. P. L. Sclater, Captain T. H. Tizard, Sir Archibald Geikie, Mr. J. Teall, Professor E. B, Poulton, Sir John Evans, and Dr. A. Buchan. Not less valuable to me, starting as I did with no experience of Polar work, was the kindly advice and assistance I received from those officers who had taken part in Arctic Expeditions ; and for my guidance in numerous respects I have to thank many a conversation with such eminent travellers as Sir Vesey Hamilton, Sir George Nares, Sir Albert Markham, Sir Leopold McClintock, Admiral Aldrich, Admiral Chase Parr, and perhaps most of all with my old Captain, now Admiral G. Le C. Egerton.

As will be seen, there were many who had a share in the building of our Antarctic Expedition ; but even with all this kindly assistance it is doubtful whether it would ever have started had it not been that amongst the many who gave to it some hours from their busy lives was one who, from the first, had given his whole and undivided attention.

After all is said and done, it was Sir Clements Mark- ham who conceived the idea of an Antarctic Expedition ; it was his masterful personality which forced it onward through all obstruction ; and to him, therefore, is mainly due the credit that at the end of July 1901 we were prepared to set out on our long voyage and eager to obey the behest :

Do ye, by star-eyed Science led, explore Each lonely ocean, each untrodden shore.

s;

CHAPTER III

VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND

Arrival at Cowes — Visit of the King — Sailing from Cowes — Maderia — Crossing the Line — South Trinidad — Arrival at the Cape — Simon's Bay — At Sea in the Westerlies* — Alarm of Fire — First Encounter with the Ice — Southern Birds — Macquarie Island — Lyttelton, New Zealand — Prepara- tions for Final Departure — Departure from Lyttelton — Fatal Accident — Final Departure from Civilisation.

They saw the cables loosened, they saw the gangways cleared, They heard the women weeping, they heard the men who cheered. Far off— far off the tumult faded and died away, And all alone the sea wind came singing up the Bay. — Newbolt.

In spite of difficulties and delays in the delivery of the ship and in stocking her with the complicated equipment which had been provided, the ' Discovery ' left the London Docks on the last day of July 1901, and slowly wended her way down the Thames.

Late on August 1 we arrived at Spithead, here to carry out that most important matter of swinging the ship. It may not be generally known that all ships, before proceeding on a voyage, are ' swung ' — that is, are turned slowly round, whilst the errors of their compasses on each point are eliminated by the application of correcting magnets. Although the great care taken in building the ' Discovery ' to keep all iron away from the neighbourhood of the compass rendered the use of

88 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' fAuo.

correcting magnets unnecessary, yet it had been im- possible to banish the disturbing causes wholly, and it was most necessary to find out exactly what influence they had, not only on the compass, but on the position in which it was proposed to work the rarer magnetic instruments — that is to say, in the small central magnetic deck-house. This work was completed during the week, and on Monday morning, August 5, we made fast to a buoy in Cowes Harbour, at this time crowded with yachts assembled for the famous ' Cowes week.' In the midst of vessels displaying such delicate beauty of outline, the ' Discovery,' with her black, solid, sombre hull, her short masts, square spars, and heavy rigging, formed a striking antithesis, a fit example to point the contrast of ' work ' and ' play.' Shortly before noon we were honoured by a visit from their Majesties the King and Queen. The visit was quite informal, but must be ever memorable from the kindly, gracious interest shown in the minutest details of our equipment, and the frank expression of good wishes for our plans and welfare.

In those days we thought much of the grim possi- bilities of our voyage. There was ever present before us the unpleasant reflection that we might start off with a flourish of trumpets and return with failure. But although we longed to get away from our country as quietly as possible, we could not but feel gratified that His Majesty should have shown such personal sympathy with our enterprise, and it was a deep satisfaction to know that our efforts would be followed with interest by the highest in the land, as well as by others of our

i9oi] DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND 89

countrymen more particularly occupied with the prob- lems before us.

On the afternoon of the 5th the ship was crowded with visitors, whilst we did our best to make the final preparations for sea. At noon on the 6th we slipped from our buoy and, after receiving a visit from the First Lord of the Admiralty, steered to the west ; a few of our immediate relatives who had remained on board hastened to say their last farewells, and, descending into their boats off the little town of Yarmouth, waved their adieux as the ' Discovery ' steamed towards the Needles Channel.

How willingly would one dispense with these fare- wells, and how truly one feels that the greater burden of sadness is on those who are left behind ! Before us lay new scenes, new interests, expanding horizons ; but who at such times must not think sorely of the wives and mothers condemned to think of the past, and hope in silent patience for the future, through years of suspense and anxiety ?

Early on the 7th the Start was still in sight, but gradually it shaded from green to blue, till towards noon it vanished in the distance, and with it our last view of the Old Country.

At this time we had much to learn about the ' Dis- covery.' Great as may be the advantage of having a new ship, it can be readily understood that there are also serious drawbacks. In addition to our want of fami- liarity with the details of such a vessel, her construction, her engines, and so forth, we were ignorant of her capacity of performance under steam or sail, and we

90 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Aug.

could not predict with any degree of certainty the length of time which would be necessary for our long voyage to New Zealand.

As we steered our course across the Bay of Biscay with varying baffling winds, it soon became evident that the ' Discovery ' did not possess a turn of speed under any conditions ; that with favourable winds we could hope for little more than seven or eight knots, whereas a very moderate head- wind might reduce her to a fraction of this speed.

Under these conditions our voyage to New Zealand promised to occupy a very long time, and it became obvious that we could not stop by the way longer than was absolutely necessary, since delay in the date of our arrival was limited by the desire to take full advantage of the Southern summer of 190 1-2 for our first exploration in the ice.

This proved a most serious drawback, as I had con- fidently looked for ample opportunities to make trial of our various devices for sounding and dredging in the deep sea whilst we remained in temperate climates. Some of these devices were new, and with all we were unfamiliar ; and the fact that we were unable to practise with them during our outward voyage was severely felt when they came to be used afterwards in the Antarctic Regions.

On August 14 we sighted the island of Madeira, and late that night anchored off Funchal. The directors of the Union-Castle Line had generously placed a small quantity of coal at our disposal at this port, and we

i9oi] AT MADEIRA 91

hoped to take it in and to complete some small repairs on the following day ; but, as luck would have it, this proved a ' Fiesta ' (feast day), and we were unable to get to sea until the afternoon of the 16th, though our courteous agents, Messrs. Blandy, did their best to hasten the work. On sailing from Madeira we reluctantly bade farewell to Dr. H. R. Mill, who, as an expert in oceano- graphy and meteorology, had accompanied us on the first stage of our journey to assist us in arranging the various branches of work in these departments.

By this time, however, the routine of our scientific observations had taken form, and departments had been allotted to various officers who continued to be respon- sible for them throughout the voyage ; and now was commenced that steady, patient record of observation on which so much of the success of an expedition must depend.

The analysis of the records of many thousands of ocean voyages in all parts of the world has resulted in the issue of sailing directions which give the best advice as to the course to be taken by various classes of vessels. As a rule full-powered steamers alone can proceed directly from port to port ; small-powered steamers and, still more, sailing ships are obliged to shape a devious course in order to take advantage of favourable winds and currents. The progress of the 4 Discovery ' was so wholly dependent on wind and weather that in making ocean passages she was obliged to be considered in this respect as a sailing ship, and to make long detours which involved the traversing of

92 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Aug.

many hundreds of miles more than would be required on the direct track.

With the help of the N.E. trade wind we made steady progress to the south during the third week in August, but losing the trade in 17 N. lat, our daily run was so reduced by baffling winds that we did not cross the line till August 31.

The traditional customs of this event were fully observed. Father Neptune and his Tritons held their court on a platform immediately above a large canvas bath, and the numerous members of our company who had not yet been introduced to His Majesty succeeded one another in this rather trying ordeal. The victim was blindfolded, and seated on the bare edge of a plank over the bath ; in front of him stood the barber, with a huge jagged pantomime razor, and the barber's assistant, with a whitewash brush and a bucket of soft soap ; the unfortunate tyro was then asked questions, and the barber's assistant showed his deftness with the lather when he opened his mouth to reply ; after a good deal of such rude horseplay, usually prolonged in proportion to the victim's reluctance as shown by his struggles to escape, a last push sent him floundering into the bath below.

Immediately on crossing the line we fell in with the S.E. trade wind, and stopped our engines to give them a much-needed refit. Remaining under sail during the ensuing nine days, we had some opportunity of gauging the sailing qualities of the ship, and found to our chagrin

i9oi] CROSSING THE LINE 93

that they were exceedingly poor. Although we made some progress through the water, the course laid and the leeway made carried us far to the westward, and compara- tively close to the South American coast. On Septem- ber 9 we raised steam and shaped our course for South Trinidad Island. Since our departure from Madeira we had suffered some trouble from the leaking of the 1 Discovery.' Much of it sprang from the hopeful pre- diction of the builders that there would be no leak, and in consequence of this no flooring had been placed in the holds to lift the provisions above any water which might collect, and the provision cases had been packed close down to the keel. When the water began to enter, therefore, there was no well in which it could lie, and it rose amongst the cases, causing a good deal of damage. In the old days it had always been expected that a wooden ship would leak, and the more pleasing hope with regard to the ' Discovery ' was based on the fact that she possessed two layers of planking on the outside of her frames and one on the inside. In this respect, however, the fact proved rather a disadvantage than otherwise, as it made it most difficult to localise the spot at which the water was entering, and there was every chance that it passed through the inner skin at quite a different place from that at which it had pene- trated the outer. As soon as we were assured of calm seas the holds were unstowed and a flooring built, but this was not effected before we had suffered con- siderable damage to our provisions, which we were afterwards put to some expense in replacing.

94 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

Later on we had the annoyance of seeing the report of our leak exaggerated and represented as a danger to the ship. This it never was, but of course the water that entered had to be pumped out ; and if the whole voyage is considered, the sum total of hours spent in pumping out the ' Discovery ' is a large one.

The island of South Trinidad is an isolated mass of

volcanic rock lying some 500 miles to the east of the

continent of South America. It has been frequently

visited, though not regularly, and a fascinating description

is given of it in ' The Cruise of the " Falcon " ' (E. F.

Knight). Few naturalists have landed on it, and as it

lay on our route I thought our time would not be

wasted in giving our officers an opportunity of a run

ashore. We sighted it on the morning of the 13th, and,

approaching the western side, manned our boats and

pulled for the shore. The ocean swell was breaking

heavily along the whole coast, and the prospect of landing

looked doubtful, but at length we found a small natural

pier which seemed to afford some shelter from the heavy

rollers ; even here, however, our small boats were at one

moment lifted high above the rocks, and at the next had

dropped many feet below them. The attempt to land

seemed hazardous, and on inquiring if all on board could

swim, I found that one at least could not ; but the shore

looked too enticing to our sea-accustomed eyes to be

abandoned without an effort, and, handling the boats with

care, we eventually succeeded in taking advantage of the

lift of each wave to leap one by one on to the rocks, and

at length all except the boat-keepers were safely landed.

i9oi] TOWARDS THE CAPE 95

On the rocky shore we scattered in various direc- tions, some of us climbing to a line of tree-ferns 1,200 feet above the sea ; and the day passed pleasantly as we rambled about in search of specimens of life peculiar to the island. Little of novelty could be expected from a stay of six hours, but we had the satisfaction of finding a few species new to science, of which perhaps the most important was a new petrel, afterwards named ' sEstrelata Wilsoni] after our zoologist, Dr. Wilson. We left South Trinidad the same night and steered to the south to get into the region of westerly winds. On the 18th our coal supply was getting so short that I decided to proceed under sail and husband what remained of our limited stock. The wind proved very fitful, but by keeping well to the south we received it from the westward, and made slow but sure progress towards our destination.

On October 2 we arrived within 150 miles of the Cape, and, getting up steam, rounded Green Point and entered Table Bay at four o'clock on the 3rd. On the 4th we refilled our bunkers with coal, and that night put to sea once more, to take up our quarters off the naval station at Simon's Bay. It was during this short passage that we first appreciated the ' Discovery's • ability to roll : on meeting a heavy swell off the Cape Peninsula during the night, our small ship, without any sail to steady her, was swung from side to side through an angle of 900, and as some of our furniture was not well secured, chaos reigned below and discomfort every- where.

The main object of our stay at the Cape was to

96 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

obtain comparisons with our magnetic instruments. The instruments which are used in a ship for taking observations of the various magnetic elements are un- fortunately subject to change, and consequently the observations at sea are of little value unless such changes are known. Whenever it is possible, there- fore, the sea instruments are compared with absolute values on land, and by this means the sea observations are corrected. The observations to be taken on our voyage to New Zealand were an important part of our magnetic survey, and it was highly desirable that the errors of the instruments to be used should be obtained before and after the voyage — that is, at the Cape and in New Zealand.

To compare all our instruments with suitable care was a long and tedious operation. There being no fixed magnetic observatory at the Cape, the work was done in tents, kindly lent by the Admiral and pitched on a plateau beyond the hills immediately surrounding the port. It was carried out by Lieutenants Armitage and Barne, with the kind assistance of Professors Beatty and Morrison, of the Cape University ; and as it could only be continued during the daylight hours, ten days passed before all the observations were completed. On board the ship every advantage was taken of this spell to refit. The rigging was set up afresh, the deck and top sides of the ship were re-caulked, the engines were overhauled, and the weed was removed from the bottom by the divers of the fleet.

At this time the war was proceeding, and things

BIRD-SKINNERS AT WORK.

MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS AT THE CAPE.

I9oi] HOSPITALITY AT THE CAPE 9;

were in an unsatisfactory state; guerilla bands had penetrated so far into the Colony that martial law had been proclaimed at Capetown ; the termination of hostilities seemed very remote ; officials and residents took a gloomy view of the outlook. Under these circumstances it is additionally pleasing to record the great kindness which we received at all hands, the ready assistance which was offered us, both in our scientific work and in the more practical requirements of the ship, and the kindly hospitality which made our visit so pleasant. Our peaceful mission was regarded with sympathy and interest by all, and we remember with gratitude the entertainment provided for us by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, by Sir David Gill and the members of the Philosophical Society, and by Mr. Andrews, of the Union-Castle Line. But above all we owed thanks to the Naval Com- mander-in-Chief, Sir Arthur Moore, who placed at our disposal the resources of the naval dockyard for our repairs and most generously extended to our officers the hospitality of Admiralty House. It is difficult to express how much we owed to these attentions, which smoothed our difficulties and obviated all chance of unnecessary delay.

By October 14 our refitting and the magnetic obser- vations had been completed, and all preparations had been made for sea. In the morning Mr. George Murray bade us farewell, much to our regret ; he had originally been appointed to accompany the ship to Melbourne, but owing to the unexpected delays of our voyage, I had

vol. 1. h

98 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY' [Oct.

perforce decided to go direct to New Zealand, without calling at that port. The additional length of the voyage, and the delay already experienced, would have prolonged his absence from his regular work at the British Museum to such an extent that Mr. Murray thought it best to return direct from the Cape. After a last farewell to all our naval friends, at noon we slowly steamed out of the harbour, accompanied by the cheers of the war-ships, and proud of this last tribute of their generous sympathy.

For nearly a week after our departure from the Cape we had light westerly winds — an unusual ex- perience, especially as we were now well in that belt known to sailors as the ' Roaring Forties ' ; but after the first week we had little to complain of on the score of wind, and our daily run became a much more satisfactory thing to contemplate. Towards the end of the month we had a succession of heavy follow- ing gales, and although we had put out our fires and were dependent on sail power alone, we frequently exceeded 200 miles in the day, an exceedingly good run for a ship of the ' Discovery's ' type.

As time went on we became more and more satisfied with the seaworthy qualities of our small ship ; she proved wonderfully stiff, and as her sail area was small, it was rarely, if ever, necessary to shorten sail even in the most violent gales ; she rose like a cork to the moun- tainous seas that now followed in her wake, and, con- sidering her size, was wonderfully free of water on the upper deck,

i9oi] AT SEA IN THE WESTERLIES 99

With a heavy following sea, however, she was, owing to her buoyancy, extremely lively, and we frequently recorded rolls of more than 400. The peculiar rounded shape of the stern, to which I have referred, and which had given rise to so much criticism, was now well tested. It gave additional buoyancy to the after- end, causing the ship to rise more quickly to the seas, but the same lifting effect was also directed to throwing the ship off her course, and consequently she was more difficult to steer. Our helmsmen gradually became more expert, but at first when some mountainous wave caught us up, we narrowly escaped broaching-to, and on one occasion we actually did so. I happened to be on the bridge at the time, with some other officers, as our small vessel swerved round and was immediately swept by a monstrous sea, which made a clean breach over her ; we clutched instinctively at the bridge rails, and for several moments were completely submerged, whilst the spray dashed as high as our upper topsails. A great deal of water found its way below, flooding the wardroom and many of the cabins, from the decks of which people were soon busily picking up books and garments in a more or less sodden condition. Needless to say, we did our best to avoid * broaching-to ' again.

On October 31 we accomplished our record run under sail alone, driving before a very heavy gale. This amounted to 223 miles in the twenty-four hours. We were now gradually increasing our latitude, until on November 12 we were in lat. 51 S., long. 131 E., when we arrived in an extremely interesting magnetic

H 2

ioo THE VOYAGE OF THE * DISCOVERY' [Nov.

area, and I decided to steer to the south to explore it more effectively.

The exact reason for this decision is somewhat tech- nical, but I may briefly recall that amongst the elements that came within the purview of our magnetic survey was that of magnetic force or the actual pull exercised by the earth at various places. The only data pre- viously available seemed to show a curious inconsistency in the distribution of this force to the northward of the Magnetic Pole, where we had now arrived, and conse- quently it was desirable to make our survey in this region as extensive as possible. This new course took us well to the south, far out of the track of ships and towards the regions of ice.

It was almost on arrival in these lonely waters that I was awakened one night by a loud knocking and a voice shouting, ' Ship's afire, sir.' I sprang up full of ' Where ? ' 'When?' and 'How?' only to find that my informant had fled. As may be imagined, I was not long in getting on the deck, which was very dark and obstructed by numerous other half-clad people, who knew no more than I. Making my way forward I at length found, amidst streams of water and a slight smell of burning, the officer of the watch, who explained that the fire had been under the forecastle, but had been easily extin- guished when the hose had been brought to bear on it. It eventually transpired that the rolling of the ship had brought some oilskins dangerously close to a police light, and that this had not been discovered until the woodwork round about was blazing merrily. In these

IMPEOVISED STUDDING SAILS IN THE WESTERLIES.

FIRST VISIT TO THE ICE.

i9oi] FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE ICE 101

days, steel ships and electric lights tend to lessen the fear of fire, but in a wooden vessel the possible consequences are too serious not to make the danger a very real one, nor to allow such a report as was made to me to be received without alarm. The risk of fire was one which was very constantly in my thoughts ; it must always loom large in a wooden ship, and I am not at all sure that it is much lessened in a polar climate, whereas in polar regions the consequences may be vastly increased. It can be imagined that after such an experience as this, I was not less likely to realise the peril, but as events turned out, I am happy to say, this was the first and last occasion on which an alarm of fire was raised : we were never again scared with such a report.

On November 15 we crossed the 60th parallel, and on the following morning much excitement was caused by our first sight of the sea-ice. At first we saw only small pieces, worn into fantastic shape by the action of the waves, but as the afternoon advanced signs of a heavier pack appeared ahead, and soon the loose floes were all about us, and the ' Discovery ' was pushing her way amongst them, receiving her baptism of ice.

As night closed down on us we became closely sur- rounded by the pack, which consisted of comparatively small pieces of ice from two to three feet in thickness and much worn at their edges by the constant move- ment of the swell. The novelty of our surroundings impressed us greatly. The wind had died away ; what light remained was reflected in a ghostly glimmer from

102 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Nov.

the white surface of the pack ; now and again a white snow petrel flitted through the gloom, the grinding of the floes against the ship's side was mingled with the more subdued hush of their rise and fall on the long swell, and for the first time we felt something of the solemnity of these great Southern solitudes.

We had now reached lat. 62.50 S., long, 139 E., and were within 200 miles of Adelie Land, discovered by Dumont D'Urville. With steam we should have had small difficulty in pushing on towards the land ; but already our delays had been excessive, and we knew that we could not add to them if we were to reach New Zealand betimes. Reluctantly the ship's head was once more turned towards the north and we passed again into looser ice. On the following day we passed a small iceberg, the only one seen in this region. Two soundings taken about this time gave depths of 2,500 and 2,300 fathoms respectively, showing that the ocean depths must extend moderately close to Adelie Land ; but a third taken at our more southerly position gave 1,750 fathoms, rather indicating that the shoaling of the greater depths was commencing.

The tempestuous seas of the Southern oceans have one great feature, lacking in other oceans, in the quantity and variety of their bird life. The fact supplies an interest to the voyager which can scarcely be appreciated by those who have not experienced it, for not only are these roaming, tireless birds seen in the distance, but in the majority of cases they are attracted by a ship and gather close about her for hours, and even days. The

< :k

i9oi] SOUTHERN BIRDS 103

greater number are of the petrel tribe, and vary in size from the greater albatrosses, with their huge spread of wing and unwavering flight, to the small Wilson stormy petrel, which flits under the foaming crests of the waves. For centuries these birds have been the friends of sailors, who designated them by more or less familiar names, some of which have been pre- served, whilst others have been dropped for more definite titles. In the older accounts of voyages it is often difficult to recognise the birds referred to; for instance, the term ' Eglet ' seems to have been applied to various species. But the ' Wanderer,' ' Sooty,' 1 Cape Hen,' ' Cape Pigeon,' * Giant Petrel,' and many others are survivals which the ordinary man still prefers to employ in preference to the scientific designation. It was the shooting of a ' Sooty ' albatross by one Simon Hartley in Shelvocke's voyage that supplied the theme immortalised in the ' Ancient Mariner.'

Our zoologist Dr. Wilson was possessed of the neces- sary knowledge to distinguish and name our various visitors, and with his assistance most of us soon became familiar with even the rarer species. This not only added greatly to the interest of the voyage, but enabled us in turn to assist in keeping the record of such visits.

Various devices were resorted to in our endeavours to capture birds for our collection, and sooner or later examples of most of the species were brought on board. The larger albatrosses were caught by towing a small metal triangle, well baited ; when a bird settled, the line would be slacked, and as it pecked at the bait a

104 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

jerk of the line would sometimes catch its beak in the sharp angle of the triangle, when by keeping a steady strain on the line the bird could be landed. The smaller birds were usually caught by becoming entangled in long streamers of strong thread which were allowed to float away in the wind. A lead weight on the end of a string was also a means of capturing such birds as flew close to the ship. The weight would be thrown over the bird so that, in falling, the string would descend across the wings. All such devices required much patience and deftness to be effective, and our most successful bird catchers, the chief engineer, Mr. Skelton, and the second engineer, Mr. Dellbridge, spent many a patient hour before they were rewarded with a capture,

The larger albatrosses rarely go as far south as the ice, but the smaller species of white albatrosses, as well as the dusky, sinister-looking ' Sooty,' accompanied us as far as the edge of the pack. But the birds which live in the regions of ice are rarely met with in the more northerly seas, though a few are widely distributed. It may be taken for granted that all the birds inhabiting the icy seas are now known ; sooner or later during our voyage we saw all, but we were not often in circum- stances to make such a good bag as during our short visit to the ice in November. It was then that for the first time we saw and captured the Southern Fulmar, a beautiful bluish-grey petrel ; the Antarctic petrel, a white bird with brown barred wings and head ; the Snow petrel, with its pure white plumage ; and two species of the small blue Prion or Whale-bird.

A GOOD CAPTURE — A WANDERING ALBATROSS (Diomedea exulans).

' SCAMP.'

[See p. 106.

i9oi] MACQUARIE ISLAND 105

On November 22 we sighted Macquarie Island, which lies about 600 miles S.W. of New Zealand, and as we came abreast of it early in the afternoon I thought we might devote the few hours of daylight which remained to an excursion on shore. We accordingly anchored in Fisherman's Cove, a poorly sheltered spot to the east- ward of the island, and after pushing through thick kelp we succeeded in landing on a sheltered beach, and our naturalists were soon busily at work making collections. The western slopes of the island are bare, but on the eastern side a coarse tussock grass grows thickly and makes walking rather difficult. Our attention was prin- cipally devoted to the penguin rookeries on the beach, of which there were two inhabited by different species of birds, the larger and more numerous kind being the richly coloured King penguin, and the other a small crested penguin (Schlegelt).

It was the first time that any of us had seen a penguin rookery, and every detail of their strange habits proved absorbingly interesting ; we were lucky enough to have arrived during the nesting season, and were able to collect specimens of eggs and of the young in various stages of development. Perhaps the most excited member of our party was my small Aberdeen terrier ' Scamp,' who was highly delighted with his run on shore, until he came to the penguins, when he was most obviously and comically divided between a desire to run away and a feeling that he ought to appear bold in such strange company. The result was a series of short rushes, made with suppressed growls and every

106 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY' [Nov.

hair bristling, but ending at a very safe distance. I may add that ' Scamp ' found a comfortable home in New Zealand ; it was felt that an Antarctic climate would prove too much for him ; and in becoming the idol of a household he quickly forgot his former acquaintances.

As night fell we weighed our anchor and proceeded to the north, sighting the Auckland Islands on the 25th, and rather foolishly shaping our course to pass to wind- ward of them. As we came abreast of the land the wind became very fresh, and with a strong set to leeward we were for some time anxious about our prospect of weathering it. Eventually, however, we were lucky enough to clear the rocks at the northern end just before the wind increased to a full gale, which, with a heavy sea, caused us to lurch on one occasion to an angle of 550, and kept us in considerable discomfort below. Late on the 29th we arrived off Lyttelton Heads, and on the following clay were berthed alongside a jetty in the harbour.

It is most difficult to speak in fitting terms of the kindness shown to us in New Zealand, both at this time and on our return from the Antarctic Regions. The general kindness and hospitality of New Zealanders are well known to every stranger who has visited the country, but in our case there was added a keen and intelligent interest in all that concerned the expedition, and a whole-hearted desire to further its aims. Officers and men were received with open arms and quickly made friends — friends who hastened to assure them that although already separated by many thousands of miles

i9oi] LYTTELTON, NEW ZEALAND 107

from their native land, here in this new land they would find a second home, and those who would equally think of them in their absence and welcome them on their return.

But it is not only for private but for public kind- ness and sympathy that we have to thank the people of New Zealand : on all sides we received the most generous treatment. All charges for harbour dues, docking, wharfage, &c, were remitted to us by the Lyttelton Harbour Board, and the sum thus saved to the expedition throughout the voyage was very large. The railway authorities gave us many facilities for the transport of our stores, and issued free tickets to officers and men for passage over their lines. On every side we were accorded the most generous terms by the firms or individuals with whom we had to deal in business matters. By the Christchurch Magnetic Observatory and by the Christchurch Museum we were offered numerous facilities in carrying on our scientific work. Later on, to add to this noble record of sympathetic help, the Government of New Zealand subscribed 1 ,000/. towards the expenses of the relief ship.

In considering such general kindness it is almost in- vidious to mention particular names, but the following gentlemen are amongst those who must be especially remembered by us for the manner in which they were ever ready to assist us : His Excellency the Governor, Lord Ranfurly ; the Premier, Mr. Seddon ; the Hon. C. C. Bowen ; Captain Hutton, of the Christchurch Museum ; Mr. Kinsey, Mr. Waymouth, Mr. A. Rhodes,

108 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

Mr. Coleridge Farr, of the Christchurch Observatory, and Mr. H. J. Miller, of Lyttelton.

A great deal of work lay before us at Lyttelton. The rigging had to be thoroughly overhauled and refitted ; this was taken in hand at once, and the work was much expedited by assistance given . by working parties sent by H.M.S. ' Ringarooma.' The ' Ringa- rooma ' had been directed to lend us all possible aid by the Admiral, Sir Lewis Beaumont, who, as an old Arctic traveller, took an especial interest in our mission, and the Admiral's wishes were most thoroughly carried out by Captain Rich, of that vessel. Meanwhile our mag- neticians were forced to undertake again the comparison of their delicate instruments, and as this was the last occasion on which it could be done, special care and attention were necessary ; but now, instead of camping in tents on a heathery hill plateau as they had done at the Cape, they were able to carry on their work in an obser- vatory equipped with every modern convenience, and directed by an official who was not only eager to render them every assistance, but was preparing himself to take an important part in the international programme of ob- servations which were to be taken in connection with our magnetic work in the Far South. E!ven with such facilities a long and troublesome task lay before our ob- servers, but luckily their complement was now complete, for we found the last of our officers, Mr. Bernacchi, awaiting us on our arrival ; so pushed had we been with many of our arrangements in England that this officer had been obliged to remain behind and to spend the

i9oi] PREPARATIONS FOR FINAL DEPARTURE 109

weeks which could be saved by a rapid steamer voyage in getting together and studying the delicate recording instruments which were needed for our Southern station. And so, for the time being, the members of our small community were scattered once more, and whilst each was working at his special task, in more than one place there was bustle and hurry to be prepared for the date of our final sailing.

At Lyttelton we found awaiting us large quantities of stores ready to be shipped for our long voyage, and since, as I have already mentioned, some of the stores in the ' Discovery ' had been damaged by the leaky state of the ship, it was necessary to replace these by purchases in New Zealand. It was when I appreciated the excellence of the goods obtained in this manner I regretted that we had not relied on New Zealand for the greater part of our provisions. Were I to go again on such an expedition, I should certainly do this. Tinned meat, flour, cheese, and, in fact, every necessary for a voyage, can be obtained at moderate prices and of most excellent quality ; and the fact that in such an expedition as ours these provisions would not have had to come through the tropics is, I think, of very great importance.

The case of butter may be especially mentioned, The tinned Danish butter which we had brought from Europe was as satisfactory as tinned butter could be, but in New Zealand we were able to purchase fresh butter which is largely exported in cases of white pine, and we found that it was quite possible to keep these cases sound through the short voyage to the Antarctic Circle, after

no THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

which they could be relied on to keep for any length of time.

Owing to the damage done to our provisions, and wishing, moreover, to know exactly where everything was stowed, we thought it advisable to re-stow our holds at Lyttelton, a task which meant a good deal of labour, but ensured our being able to take advantage of every corner of the hold-space. As soon as it could conve- niently be done, the ' Discovery ' was docked and every effort was made to stop the leak. This, as I have pointed out, was a difficult matter owing to the several layers of planking. A thorough examination of the ship's bottom revealed not a few defects which should have been remedied before the ship was launched, but though these defects were made good and the bottom was thoroughly caulked, we found, when the ship was again afloat, that the leak was not stopped. The chagrin of our excellent contractor, Mr. H. J. Miller, was as deep as our own, and for his own satisfaction he begged that the ship might be docked again at his expense : this time he removed all the heavy steel plates that protected the bow of the ship, hoping that the fault might be found beneath them ; but though more defects were made good and every inch of the bottom was examined, we had the intense annoyance of seeing the water again entering when the ship was once more afloat. Every effort had been made, we could do no more ; and the result served to show the extreme difficulty of localising such a fault in a ship of this kind. Amongst the many skilled work- men whose united labour had produced the solid structure

i9oi] DEPARTURE FROM LYTTELTON in

of the ' Discovery's ' hull, had been one who had scamped his task, no doubt knowing full well that he was free from all chance of detection, and for this we were condemned to suffer throughout our voyage. The leak never grew serious, and when we were in the ice it was very much reduced ; but, as I have said, first and last we spent on the pumps many a weary hour that could ill be spared with so much other work to be done.

As the month of December advanced the ' Discovery ' became a very busy scene ; parties of men were employed in stowing every hole and corner of the available storage- space, the upper deck was littered with packing cases of all sorts, whilst many truck-loads of stores still stood waiting on the wharf. As usual in such cases, the prospect of getting everything stowed seemed hopeless. Meanwhile, whenever permitted, flocks of curious visitors added to the confusion ; but as many of these had come from a long distance, it was impossible not to accede to their almost pathetic requests to be allowed to see the ship.

At last came the day for sailing from Lyttelton, but not for our final departure from civilisation, for we yet purposed to make a short visit to Port Chalmers in the south to complete our stock of coal. On Saturday, December 21, the 'Discovery' lay alongside the wharf ready for sea and very deeply laden. Below, every hold and stowage space was packed to the brim — even the cabins were invaded with odd cases for which no corner could be found. But the scene on deck was still more extraordinary. Here, again, were numerous packing-

ii2 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY' [Dec.

cases for which no more convenient resting-place could be found ; the afterpart of the deck was occupied by a terrified flock of forty-five sheep, a last and most welcome present from the farmers of New Zealand. Amidst this constantly stampeding body stood the helmsman at the wheel ; further forward were sacks of food, and what space remained was occupied by our twenty-three howling dogs in a wild state of excitement. Above the deck, the skid-beams, fitted for the car- riage of our boats, were in addition piled high with the woodwork of our huts, adding, as we estimated, a weight of some thirty tons, and therefore requiring to be secured with many lashings and much care. Here and there stood little groups of our friends waiting for the last handshake and to wish us Godspeed, and in- cidentally doing their best to separate the combatants in a dog-fight.

As may be imagined, the ship was not in a condition in which one could look forward with pleasure to cross- ing the stormiest ocean in the world. One could reflect that it would have been impossible to have got more into her, and that . all we had got seemed necessary for the voyage ; for the rest we could only trust that Providence would vouchsafe to us fine weather and an easy passage to the south

Before noon our small company was collected on the mess-deck and a short service of farewell was held by the Bishop of Christchurch — a simple, touching ceremony gratifying to all. At