i9l BACK TO NEW ZEALAND 265 



obtained part of the side of a snow-capped mountain with the 

 sun on it, a rarely beautiful sight, appearing to be quite detached 

 from anything to do with the earth herself. Before this one of 

 the beautiful little snowy petrels had appeared, telling of ice in 

 the vicinity, so the course was altered more to the northward and, 

 when the fog lifted, icebergs and smaller bits of ice were seen 

 on the port hand. It is seldom these little birds are found away 

 from the close vicinity of ice. 



Fires were put out on the i8th, a good offing having been 

 made, the position being 64 S., 160 12' E. 



Between the 2ist and the 25th it blew hard, the climax being 



reached on Sunday night (the 24th), when a severe storm was 



raging, the most severe encountered by the ship dur- 



March 24, , , , . T i r i T 



1912, 55 in g her whole commission. It is a wonderful sight 

 5/' S., 165 to see a comparatively small ship in a storm, particu- 

 49 larly at night; the marvellous way she rides over 



waves that look as if they must break on board, together with the 

 dense darkness in the heavy squalls, relieved only by the white 

 crests of the waves as they break, is a sight that makes up for a 

 considerable amount of discomfort. 



The gale was followed by two days' calm, when Ponting was 

 able to cinematograph the birds feeding close under the ship's 



March 26 Stem. 



and 27, 52 When off the coast of New Zealand a school of 



20' S., 167 sperm whales was seen and followed for some time 

 with the hopes of getting a photograph. The ani- 

 mals, however, were too shy for the ship to approach within rea- 

 sonable photographic range. 



At daybreak on April i the ship entered Akaroa harbour to 



despatch the telegrams with the season's news. Here 



we learned of Amundsen's success in his undertaking. 



On the 3rd she was berthed alongside the wharf 



in Lyttelton again, and, needless to say, received with true New 



Zealand hospitality. 



The season had in many ways been a hard one for the engine- 

 room department, but they never failed the ship in any of the 

 difficulties in which she found herself, and, although conditions 

 were often disheartening, the hands kept as willing and cheerful 

 as if everything was going well. 



Lieutenant Evans and Drake went home on expedition busi- 



