HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS 



143 



report states that "no anchorage was found in the southern waters between the islands, 

 and the soundings gave 90 fathoms without bottom".^ The night was spent at Visokoi, 

 the position of which is given as about lat. 56° 50' S, long. 26° 55' W, and here also volcanic 

 activity was noticed. Visits were paid to Zavodovski on January 27 and to Leskov on 

 the following day. On the return passage "a broad belt of ice-fields" was encountered 

 in lat. 55° 17' S, long. 32° 50' W, but was penetrated after one hour's steaming and the 

 vessel reached Husvik on January 29. 



The 'Busen VII' reported that whales were plentiful, and, notwithstanding the lack 

 of anchorages and fresh water, the T0nsberg Co. applied for a licence to work round the 



Table I. 



X = Visited or sighted. * = Landing made. 



islands. In the following season (1927-8) they sentoutthe whaling factory 'Anglo-Norse'. 

 Mr J. E. Hamilton, of the Discovery Committee's scientific staff, accompanied the 

 expedition, and according to his report the ' Anglo-Norse ' carried out most of her work 

 in the shelter of pack-ice and far from any land. In the first half of the season she was 

 to the north of the islands and in the second half to the south-east. Visokoi was once 

 sighted at a distance of 30-35 miles, and it was noticed that a steady stream of white 

 vapour was issuing from a small crater on the summit. On another occasion the vessel 

 was within 12 miles of Southern Thule, but the land was not visible owing to fog and 

 snow. The whale-catchers, however, naturally go further afield, and in one of these 

 Mr Hamilton visited Bristol, Montagu and Southern Thule. In the last-named group 



^ As will be seen farther on there are several good anchorages in the Candlemas Group, and a lo-fathom 

 channel between the islands. 



