356 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



'Foca\ latter part of December 1926. On January i the 'Foca' arrived at Leith (South Georgia) 

 from the South Orkneys and her captain told Mr L. H. Matthews^ that in the latter part of 

 December he had to wait several days before he could get in to the South Orkneys as Uruguay Cove 

 was full of heavy pack and Scotia Bay full of rotten "land" ice. (Information from Mr Matthews.) 



'Don Ernesto', L. H. Matthews, January 8-9, 1927. Although there were still many old and very 

 heavy floes scattered about, the group as a whole was comparatively clear or at any rate approachable. 

 There was heavy but broken pack in Uruguay Cove and in Scotia Bay, and at the head of the latter 

 the fast land ice still clung. On January 9 Washington Strait was blocked but Lewthwaite was clear. 

 (Information from Mr Matthews.) 



R.R.S. ' Discovery', J . R. Stenhouse, February 16-20, 1927. The pack lay close to the southern side 

 of the group. Shortly before February 16 Lewthwaite and Washington Straits, the south coasts of 

 Coronation and Laurie Islands, and the eastern side of Signy Island were completely blocked. By 

 February 17, however, the congestion to the south had apparently eased off considerably, since the 

 'Discovery' had no difficulty in reaching Borge Bay via the south-west corner of Coronation 

 Island on that date. She sailed in open water westwards for Clarence Island on February 20. 



Season 1927-8 



'OrweW (new), October 19, igzj-Aprtl 7, 1928. From October 19 until January 15 there seems to 

 have been much pack to the north of the group. During the first half of January the ice was breaking 

 up rapidly and the South Orkneys were in sight on the isth. The 'Orwell' reached Signy Island on 

 January 31. Small detached streams of pack remained around the islands during February. The 

 'Orwell' left the South Orkneys on April 7, as the winter pack was closing in around the group. 



Season 1928-9 



' Orweir (nezv). The winter pack appears to have been still north of the South Orkneys at the end 

 of December 1928. 



' Norvegia' , Nils Larsen, January 18-19, 1929. For about eight miles to the northward the group 

 was beset by compact ice preventing access to the land. The ice-edge trended slightly towards the 

 north-east.^ 



Season i 930-1 



R.R.S. 'Discovery IF, W. M. Carey, December 17, 1930. Pack blocked the northern side of the 

 group, which was apparently inaccessible. In the meridian of the western end of Coronation Island 

 the ice-edge lay in 60° S. From there it trended north-eastwards. 



R.R.S. 'Discovery IF, W. M. Carey, February i^-iS, 1931. On February 14 there was loose pack- 

 and drift-ice up to Signy Island but open water extended off the south-western part of Coronation 

 Island. To the west and north, also. Coronation Island was clear, but loose pack filled Washington 

 and Lewthwaite Straits and for about thirty miles to the north of Laurie Island there was loose but 

 navigable pack trending in a north-easterly direction. By February 18 the ice which was approaching 

 from the south had almost reached Sandefjord Bay where the 'Discovery II' had anchored. 



Season 193 1-2 



R.R.S. 'Discovery IF, W. M. Carey, December 6-9, 1931. The pack lay to the north of the group, 

 the ice-edge lying approximately along the 60th parallel and bending sharply northwards to about 

 58° 30' S in about 42° W. The islands were not accessible. 



R.R.S. 'Discovery IF, W. M. Carey, January 27, 1932. The northern edge of a large body of 

 heavy compact ice lay in 6 1 ° 24-4' S , 3 6° 00' W, about forty miles south of the latitude of the southern 

 tip of Signy Island. 



1 Formerly on the scientific staff' of the Discovery Investigations. 



2 Aagaard, B., 1930, Fangst eg Forskning i Sydiskavet, 11, p. 644 (Oslo). 



