I90I] LYTTELTON, NEW ZEALAND 79 



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 windward 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 55°, and kept us in considerable discomfort below. 

 Late on the 29th we arrived off Lyttelton Heads, and on the 

 following day 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 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 kindness 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 



