Ons 



/U 



PART I 



ON COLLECTING AT- <CAPE ROYDS* 



BY JAMES MURRAY 



Ix making the biological collections, almost every member of our small party lent 

 more or less assistance. Though busy with other occupations, all were ready to bring 

 home to the biologist anything strange which they noticed. Armytage found a sea- 

 urchin during a walk on the sea-ice before we had made a landing, and while landing he 

 picked up the first scrap of sea-weed. Mr. Shackleton brought in some moss and lichen 

 soon after the Nimrod departed. Wild got specimens of the lake vegetation. Adams 

 found a starfish on the beach, and the others in like manner helped when opportunity 

 offered. 



All these indications that there was life in the district, coming as they did before 

 the biological work was properly started, were encouraging for the future. 



When the dredging operations began there were many willing helpers. Mr. 

 Shackleton, with David, Mawson, and Priestley, were always interested in the dredg- 

 ing and ready to help, not only at hauling the dredge, but at the more disagreeable 

 labour of conveying the collections to the hut. It is no disparagement to others to 

 acknowledge the share which Priestley took in the biological work. Without him the 

 greater part of the collections would not have been made. When the biologist was 

 debarred by some trifling but mastering indisposition from active participation in the 

 dredging during the midwinter weeks, Priestley kept the dredging-holes open, no small 

 labour with the temperature sometimes as low as from minus 30 to minus 40 Fahr. 

 With the assistance of Mr. Shackleton, David, and others, he kept up the dredging 

 and brought home the proceeds to be examined. 



Throughout the entire season practically the whole of the arduous labour of digging 

 holes in the sea-ice and of sinking shafts in the lakes fell upon Priestley, and he did the 

 active hauling of the dredge as well. It does not lessen our indebtedness to him to 

 tell that he enjoyed his self-imposed task, and his voice might be heard issuing in 

 light-hearted song from some deep shaft in lake or sea. 



The Field of Operations. This was extremely limited. The great majority of the 

 collections were made within a radius of a few miles from our base camp at Cape 



* Cape Royds is the westernmost point of Ross Island, South Victoria Land, and is situated in about 

 latitude 77 32' S., longitude 1G6 12' E. 



BRIT. ANTARCT. EXPED. 1907-9. VOL. I. PART 1, ISSUED APRIL 1910 A 



13 

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