PREPARATIONS— SEASON 1928-9 303 



remembered that the ' Discovery ' was rather lively and also had to be allowed to lie 

 broadside to the wind when sounding. Thus the rolling often brought an unfair jerk on 

 the wire causing it to carry away, while the ship's drift to leeward sometimes caused the 

 wire to lead well out to windward. On such occasions the tension on the hand-brake 

 springs was often so reduced as to compel us to ease them, and frequently the bottom was 

 not detected owing to the difference of tension on striking being so small. In such cases 

 the depth record was unreliable, and as the wire coiled on the bottom it invariably 

 kinked, and snapped on heaving in. 



Two sorts of wire were tried. One was the usual 22-gauge single-strand piano wire. 

 This kinks very easily unless kept taut, but if properly cared for is very strong and 

 durable. The other wire, used as an alternative, does not kink nearly so readily. It is of 

 slightly greater diameter and six-stranded ; it is in my opinion superior, although not 

 so easy to keep in good condition, and is liable to strand very easily. Sounding wire 

 should be kept well oiled, and we added a self-oiling arrangement, besides various other 

 improvements, to our machine. 



Records of all deep-sea soundings made will be found in the Station List, Discovery 

 Reports, Vol. i, pp. 6-74. 



SURVEY OPERATIONS, SEASON 1928-9 



SURVEY WORK IN M.V. 'ALERT', OCTOBER 15, 1928 TO FEBRUARY 4, 1929, 



AND MARCH 19 TO APRIL 10, 1929 



Preparations 



On the 'Discovery's' return to England in October 1927, the work of drawing the 

 fair charts was taken in hand at the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty, and 

 at this time the possibility of a separate surveying branch was discussed by the Dis- 

 covery Committee. It was decided finally in June 1928, to organize a separate survey, 

 to be equipped with a 25 ft. motor boat and a 14 ft. pram, and all the necessary instru- 

 ments, camping equipment and provisions. It was proposed that the expedition should 

 winter in South Georgia in 1929 so that the work should be as little interrupted as 

 possible. In pursuance of this scheme a motor boat and pram were ordered from 

 Messrs J. S. White, of Cowes. 



Whilst the motor boat was being built, a crew consisting of an Assistant Surveyor, one 

 motorman and three able seamen was got together, the instruments, camping gear, 

 sounding gear, provisions and wireless telegraphy set were ordered, and by courtesy of 

 the Tonsberg Whaling Company, passages were obtained in the S.S. 'Busen' for the 

 assistant and seamen. They sailed from England on August 18, 1928, to South Georgia, 

 via Tonsberg in Norway. 



It was considered desirable that the motor boat should be taken out in the ship in 

 which I sailed, and that in order to look after her the motorman should go in the same 

 vessel. The limited accommodation of a whaling vessel, and the calls made upon it by 

 the numerous personnel requiring passage to the south, made this none too easy. By 



