312 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
of pack ice and bergs. We anchored off our main base in Stonington 
Island on March 12, 1947 (pl. 1, fig. 1). Shortly before my depar- 
ture from the United States, I had learned through the Department of 
State that, 2 years before, the British Government had established 
a permanent base on the island in continuance of a program begun 
in 1943 under wartime secrecy. It had also established and was 
maintaining other bases on the Palmer Peninsula. Great Britain, 
through the Falkland Islands, has long laid claim to this sector of 
Antarctica, and these five bases were under the administration of the 
Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. However, it has been the 
policy of the United States not to recognize the claim of any govern- 
ment in the Antarctic, nor has the United States Government made 
any claims of its own. 
I had knowledge that in the 6 years since the departure of the United 
States Antarctic Service Expedition in 1941 ships from several other 
countries had visited the American camp site. In 1943 the Argentine 
gunboat Primero de Mayo had visited the American base, and an 
Argentine ship and two Chilean vessels had been there shortly before 
we arrived in 1947. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the British 
leader, Maj. K. S. Pierce Butler, commander of the Falkland Islands 
Dependencies Survey, 1947-48, and later we became acquainted 
with the other 10 men,, who were occupying their own quarters 
constructed about 200 yards from the American camp site. As I 
investigated, I was appalled at the amount of wanton damage that 
had been done to the three large and three small buildings constitut- 
ing the American base. After much hard work the base was made 
livable again and occupied by our expedition (pl. 1, fig. 2). 
GEORGE VI SOUND TRIP 
I decided to attempt to establish an operational base at the south- 
east corner of George VI Sound, 300 miles to the south, before we 
anchored the ship in its final position for the winter freeze-in. I 
hoped to be able to set up a cache of gasoline, stores, and one of our 
two weasels at this halfway point and thus facilitate the transporta- 
tion of such heavy equipment into the field at a later date. The 
attempt did not prove successful, and we later abandoned this loca- 
tion in favor of Cape Keeler, on the Weddell Coast. However, the 
journey did reveal some new features. 
At 5 a.m. on March 23, after riding out a number of strong south- 
easterly gales with velocities of as much as 60 miles an hour, we hoisted 
anchor and steamed south along the Falliéres Coast, past Cape 
Berteaux, to the entrance of George VI Sound. A group of islands, 
which I named the Bugge Islands, were found in approximately 
69°10’ S., 68°55’ W. Three large islands, the largest about a mile 
