254 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [OCTOBER 



company were on these occasions very thankful for the quiet 

 days in the ship, in comparison with the tossing about experienced 

 in easterly gales. Mr. Williams was also able to take advantage 

 of these days to clean boiler tubes. 



The time away was strictly limited to the period covered by 

 the insurance of the ship, and so, on September 22, she had to 

 leave for Lyttelton. On the way down she called in 

 Bay of Islands, at Russell, Bay of Islands, to take in fresh provisions 

 pick up her mail. Three days were spent here 



waiting for the mail and were much appreciated by 

 everyone, as it is an exceedingly pretty and, historically, very 

 interesting spot. Rennick without delay set about cleaning and 

 painting the ship so that she might be presentable for Lyttelton, 

 though frequent showers of rain did not help him. 



Lillie and a companion walked over the peninsula to the tiny 

 little Bay of Wangamumu, where there is a small whaling sta- 

 tion belonging to Messrs. Jaggers and Cook. After a delightful 

 walk through the bush, which took some seven or eight hours in- 

 stead of three or four as expected, they were lucky enough to 

 find Mr. Cook there himself, for he had arrived from the South- 

 ern Ocean only a few hours previously, and was preparing to 

 commence whaling round this station. 



Lillie was able to make arrangements to stay with them for 

 a month. 



On Thursday, the 28th, the Terra Nova weighed and pro- 

 ceeded south, calling at Wangamumu on the way, where Lillie 

 was landed with all his paraphernalia for collecting and pre- 

 serving specimens. 



The ship arrived off Kaikoura at daybreak on the 8th and, 



being now close to home and with three days' grace, was able 



to put in two days' sounding on the hundred fathom 



Oct 8^1011 ^ ne anc ^ so to ^ U P a rat her serious blank on the 



charts. The coast scenery here, on a fine day, is mag- 



nificent, as the seaward Kaikoura mountains run close to the coast 



and there are very many striking snow-capped peaks in the range. 



On October 10 the Terra Nova was once more berthed 



alongside the wharf at Lyttelton. It is only fitting here to 



acknowledge the real hospitality shown the Expedition by New 



Zealand. From the Prime Minister downwards all were anxious 



to help, and the extent of this help received both from individuals 



