DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS: THE CANDLEMAS GROUP 



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he visited the south-western coast. On the course taken he would not have had many 

 chances of sighting the second island and he notes that the weather was foggy on both days. 



Filchner visited the group in very bad weather and his account seems to be largely 

 based on Larsen's notes and erroneous sketch-plan. It is clear, however, that he saw 

 both islands. When he states that the circumference is about 33 km. (18 miles), he is no 

 doubt taking both together; for the larger island is about 3 miles long by i mile broad, 

 and the smaller about i mile long by | mile broad, the circumference of the two being 

 some 14 miles. His sketch, moreover (p. 117), shows both, the snow summits and vol- 

 canic crater of the larger island, with the peaks of the 

 smaller seen across the intervening low-lying land. 



After our survey was completed we learnt at South 

 Georgia that Capt. Hansen, when he visited the 

 South Sandwich Is. in 1927 (see p. 142), had also 

 reported the presence of two islands in the Candle- 

 mas Group. 



Cook called the islands Candlemas Islands, after 

 the day on which they were discovered, but we 

 think it will be convenient to retain this name only 

 for the larger of the two, giving a separate name to 

 the other. And since the re-discovery of the smaller 

 island has so strikingly vindicated the truth of 

 Cook's original description, we suggest that it 

 should be called Vindication Island. 



As will be seen from the chart there are a number 

 of outlying rocks round the islands, and a dangerous 

 reef, on which stands the rock that Cook reported, 

 extends from Vindication Island half-way across 

 Nelson Strait.^ The strait is however navigable, 

 probably with at least 10 fathoms,- and there is deep 

 water inside Santa Rock, which lies some 2 miles 

 north of Vindication Island. To the west of this 

 island soundings are very uneven, and on the south side of Candlemas there is a bank 

 with a minimum depth of 42 fathoms, separated from the coast by a channel of over 

 100 fathoms.^ 



Fig. 10. Larsen's sketch-plan of Candle- 

 mas Island. 



^ The names attached to the more conspicuous features in the topography of the Islands have mainly been 

 selected by the Navigating Officer, Lieut. A. L. Nelson. We have, however, thought it right that his own 

 name should find some place on the charts, and we have therefore called the strait between Candlemas and 

 Vindication Island Nelson Strait. — S. Kemp, W. M. Carey. 



^ At one point a sounding of only 6 fathoms was obtained, but we believe that deeper water is to be 

 found nearer the reef. 



^ The existence of this bank became evident when our first series of soundings, taken on March 3 and 4, 

 was plotted. Thinking that some error might have occurred, an additional series was taken in the same area 

 when we revisited the island on March 17, the result proving the accuracy of the earlier observations. 



