FORTUNA BAY 319 



therefore turned the house over to the Magistrate's care and prepared to leave 

 immediately. 



The programme was to proceed north and survey the remaining harbour used as a 

 whaling station, Prince Olaf Harbour, and as many of the more generally used harbours 

 as time would permit. With this intention we proceeded to Stromness Bay on the first 

 fine day. Being informed that the ' Orwell ' had arrived at Husvik, bringing our season's 

 stores, we called there and sorted and checked them. We then visited Stromness and 

 Leith, and the weather being unsuitable for work, stayed a few dajs. Here we met the 

 zoological staff, who arrived in the Factory Ship 'Antarctic'. 



Fortiina Bay (Chart 3) 



We proceeded on October 15, the weather although calm being foggy, and we were 

 lucky in finding Fortuna Bay, which was our goal, at the first attempt. We arrived 

 there in an unexpectedly short time, and this caused us to suspect an error in its charted 

 position. That we heard the steam whistle from Stromness or Leith, although separated 

 from us by high hills, also showed the proximity of these stations. The error in position 

 was confirmed later, as our sights then put the bay some distance farther to the south- 

 east than charted. 



Fortuna Bay is a large open bay with some rocks, Fortuna Rocks, at the entrance, 

 which serve to protect it somewhat from the north. It is sheltered by high precipitous 

 mountains on all sides but the south. There is, however, a gap half-way down the 

 western side, a branch of the Fortuna Glacier, which is a conspicuous mark from seaward. 

 At this gap, where a glacier comes towards the bay, there is a small bay and anchorage. 

 Although owing to the gap there is more wind here, there is little swell, as compared 

 with the considerable swell usual in Fortuna Bay, and elsewhere the water is too deep 

 for anchoring. We called this Anchorage Bay. 



A camp was made a little to the south of Anchorage Bay and moorings laid out for the 

 'Alert'. 



At each new place we had difficulty in choosing the best camping site. We naturally 

 learnt by experience, but at first no one could say where the best place would, in fact, 

 turn out to be. The main consideration was shelter for the 'Alert', fairly near the 

 beach in shallow, but not too shallow, water. The kind of anchorage we found best was 

 in about 4 to 5 fathoms, within 50 yards of the beach, with good holding ground of mud 

 or fine sand and mud. It was essential that the camp should be in sight of the boat, and 

 of course above high-water mark. Then an adequate water supply, not too far away, was 

 needed, and finally, a piece of fairly level dry ground, clear of elephant seals, and fairly 

 clear of penguins. 



We always tried to avoid the immediate vicinity of elephant seals. The reason was 

 that they could become very great nuisances, especially at night and when the weather 

 was going to be bad — which was very frequently. The air was then always filled with the 

 bellowing and the bleating of the mothers and calves. Further unpleasantness was 

 occasioned by their apparent liking for the side of the tent to lie against, as it appeared 



