ELSEHUL: RIGHT WHALE BAY 329 



was fortunate that this could be done ; no opportunity offered of obtaining any sights 

 whatever for position or bearing during our stay, and these were therefore taken 

 (calculated) from Undine. The outer harbour and approaches were difficult to deal with, 

 and although my assistant landed on Pillar Rock he could not take a theodolite and had 

 to use a sextant. It had been intended to make some sort of survey of Bird Sound 

 (Strait of Laroche) and the approaches, but the weather was so persistently unfavourable 

 that all these projects had to be abandoned in view of the lateness of the season and the 

 delays which were sure to occur on our return journey to Grytviken, observing that we 

 had to finish the work in the ' William Scoresby ' before we could complete our packing. 

 The eastern point of Bird Island and also Cape Alexandra were fixed, although not 

 rigorously. The inner and outer harbours were sounded out, showing that the anchorage 

 is made up of two basins with sandy and muddy bottom and 4-6 and 9-1 1 fathoms 

 depth respectively. In the outer harbour there are some foul patches guarded by kelp, 

 but the approaches to Elsehul on a middle course are quite clean. The Observation 

 Spot in Undine Harbour and the original triangle were found again, and the former, 

 marked by a large rock with a cross cut in the top, can be regarded as permanent. 



It had been decided that we should leave as soon after the 20th as possible, in order 

 to allow sufficient time for probable delays on our way, and for completing several 

 pieces of work. The first opportunity occurred on March 24, on the heels of a wes- 

 terly gale which had begun to blow itself out. The coast from Elsehul to Right Whale 

 Bay, where it was proposed to attempt a short survey, contains no glaciers and is very 

 high: no heavy wind was therefore to be expected from the south-west, that is, off 

 shore. On leaving, although the swell was very heavy, other conditions were perfect 

 and Right Whale Bay was reached after a very good passage. Some of the fuel taken 

 there earlier in the season had to be left in a cleft at Elsehul, owing to lack of storage 



space on board. 



Right Whale Bay (Chart 2) 



Owing to the entire lack of adequate shelter, it was imperative that the time spent in 

 Right Whale Bay should be as short as possible. It was accordingly intended to conduct 

 a running survey only; and the procedure followed, which is somewhat different in 

 detail from the usual method, may be of interest. It was as follows: 



From the middle of the entrance a conspicuous object near the middle of the beach 

 at the head of the bay was brought in line with the edge of the glacier behind it ; then 

 a previously prepared wooden mark was dropped and angles were taken all round to all 

 conspicuous objects ; after steaming out a little to gather way, we proceeded at full speed 

 past the mark, carefully taking the time by stopwatch when abeam. After running a 

 certain time, corresponding to approximately 3000 ft., another mark was dropped, the 

 course being carefully kept in transit with the previously mentioned shore marks and 

 noted: here the engines were stopped. A return to the second mark was then made, 

 when another round of angles was taken to the same points as at the first mark. A third 

 mark on the line of course was now dropped, distances between succeeding marks being 

 made approximately the same, and angles taken from the third mark to the chosen 



