328 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



during the passage, Right Whale Bay not being suitable. The Manager of Prince Olaf 

 Station very kindly offered to put the ' Southern Pride ' at our disposal to tow or escort 

 us, and in preference to wasting time I accepted, although I was disappointed at being 

 compelled to accept assistance at the last stage of our work ; it was the only assistance 

 we should have needed throughout. This help, however, was found to be unnecessary. 

 On March 12, just after the engine had been re-assembled and tested successfully, the 

 day broke calm, though dull and with a steady and low barometer. The prospect was 

 thus fair, as the dangerous winds are northerly and are accompanied by a falling 

 barometer, while a rising glass means a southerly, and therefore off-shore wind. We 

 made all speed to leave, and getting under weigh proceeded, watching the barometer 

 carefully. At Cape Buller, our last chance of sheltering, after two hours' run, it was 

 decided to proceed, although the glass showed a tendency to fall and the sky to the north- 

 west was darkening. The breeze began to freshen from the north-west, and sail was set. 

 This, as it turned out, made a considerable difference to our eventual success. The wind 

 was fortunately backing slightly, and remained fair. The going was excellent until The 

 Brothers, north of Elsehul, were reached, when, course having to be altered to the 

 southward, the following seas threatened to come over the stern ; the wooden canopy, 

 however, which had been built over the cockpit and for 3 ft. forward saved nearly all of 

 it. The pram also made many attempts to climb on board — as usual in a following 

 sea — and had to be kept off' with a boathook. The wind by now was rather too fresh to 

 reduce sail. Nothing of any moment happened and we made the shelter of Elsehul 

 after almost exactly five hours' passage, helped greatly, of course, on the last 20 miles 

 by the sail. The petrol consumption was 15 gallons. 



Elsehul, a charming little harbour (Plate XIJI, fig. 2), is spoilt by the swell, which 

 almost continuously prevails except on the western beach (where landing is always 

 possible), and by the excessive precipitation. This was my third visit to the neighbour- 

 hood, as I had spent two periods at Undine a few hundred yards away across Survey 

 Isthmus ; and during twenty-six days altogether spent here there were only three really 

 fine days. The harbour is much used by whale-catchers, both for shelter and for mooring 

 whales ; it is, moreover, far less exposed to wind than Undine. Once during our present 

 stay no less than seven catchers were anchored in the inner and outer harbours quite 

 comfortably. 



During the day of our arrival the wind rose to gale force, with heavy gusts, and no 

 work was possible. The camping ground on the western shore was found to be quite 

 excellent, and the landing good on a sandy beach. These harbours, however, can often 

 spring unpleasant surprises when everything appears safe, as we know to our cost. 

 Behind the camp we subsequently found in a large brick oven, covered with tussac, 

 three large trying-out pots, similar to those found at other places in the island. These 

 pots were brought by early sealers and had been undisturbed for probably almost a 

 century. 



The base, a short one, was measured on this western beach. The survey here pre- 

 sented no special features, except that it was proposed to connect it with Undine. It 



