SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Hitlorical. 



place for landing. It was a small, high, rocky island." No one else has ever seen 

 land in this place. Commodore Wilkes sailed over the site in the " Vincennes," 

 and his vessel the " Porpoise " separately did the same. In 1894 the " Antarctic " 

 also failed to find the island ; and, according to cable news recently received, so 

 did Lieutenant Shackleton's ship " Nimrod," though she made a special search 

 on her return voyage from New Zealand to England.* 



In about the same latitude, but much further to the east, the " Nimrod Group " 

 has been put down ; but even less seems to be known with regard to these reported 

 islands, and they could not be found by the " Nimrod " on her return voyage just 

 referred to. 



There is also shown on the map a group of small islands almost directly south 

 from Tasmania, in about lat. 50° S. and long. 143° E., known as the Royal Com- 

 pany Islands, though no scientific information about them is available. D'Urville 

 in 1840 made unsuccessful search for them. The " Antarctic," in 1894, endeavoured 

 to reach their position, but the winds were adverse and she was unable to do so. 

 According to reports published in the newspapers, the " Nimrod " on her homeward 

 voyage steamed over their reported site and spent a day looking for tliem, but witliout 

 success. She took soundings, but got no bottom at 2,500 fathoms. 



The story of the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand up to the discovery of 

 Macquarie Island has already been told by Mr. R. McNab in the preceding article, 

 bringing us down to the year 1810. By that time the sealing trade had been well 

 established, but, owing to the ruthless slaughter, the coast of New Zealand itself and 

 the islands nearer had ceased to yield such rich returns as they did at first, and the 

 trade was for a time directed towards Macquarie Island, which was visited by many 

 ships. These vessels usually left a gang of sealers on the island, and, owing to the 

 want of a safe harbour and to the severe gales, it sometimes happened that the gangs 

 were not relieved as soon as they should have been. For instance, a gang was left 

 on Macquarie Island by the " Betsy " on the 13th February, 1815. The ship then 

 proceeded to Auckland Island, and returned to Macquarie Island in August of the 

 same year ; but a few days afterwards she was blown out to sea, and failed to make 

 the land again, although three weeks were spent in the attempt ; the vessel there- 

 fore endeavoured to make her way to Sydney, but owing to scurvy and other troubles 

 the strength of the crew was greatly exhausted, and only after various attempts 

 did a few survivors succeed in reaching New Zealand. Finally, after much hard- 

 ship and suffering, only two Europeans out of the whole crew returned safely to 

 Sydney. The gang left, on Macquarie Island was aft.erwards rescued by the " Eliza- 

 beth and Mary," which left. Sydney on the 26th March, 1816, and returned on the 

 28th May, bringing also another gang that had been left by a former vessel, the 

 name of which has not been recorded. 



* The existence of Dougherty or Keates Island, supposed to be situated about half-way between 

 New Zealand and Cape Horn, seems to be equally uncertain. Its position was given as 59° S. lat. and 

 120° W. long., but on the homeward voyage of the " Discovery " Captain Scott found a depth of 

 2.318 fathoms at the supposed position, and, as the weather was clear and no land was in sight, 

 he thinks that the evidence against the existence of the island is too strong to allow of the explana- 

 tion that the original discoverer had largely miscalculated its position (1905. vol. ii, p. 401). The 

 "Nimrod" also failed to find the island on her homowajxl voyage in lOOi). 



