appentity Bint 



THE NIMROD'S HOMEWARD VOYAGE. IN 

 SEARCH OF DOUBTFUL ISLANDS 



rpHE homeward voyage of the Nimrod, after the mem- 

 bers of the shore-party had been landed at Port Lyt- 

 telton, was made interesting by a search for some charted 

 islands, the existence of which was doubtful. J. K. Davis, 

 who had been first officer, was in command at this time, and 

 he had under him the members of the ship's staff, all the 

 members of the shore-party proceeding from New Zealand 

 by the ordinary passenger routes. The Nimrod went first 

 to Sydney, where the naval authorities very generously 

 assisted in effecting certain necessary repairs. The ap- 

 pended report by Captain Davis deals with the voyage 

 from that point. 



"Monte Video, July 8, 1909. 

 " Leaving Sydney on May 8, I steered south on the 

 151st meridian against moderate southerly winds. On 

 May 12, when the position was latitude 43° South, longi- 

 tude 151° East, the wind came away fresh from the south- 

 east, and as I did not consider that I was far enough to 

 windward of Macquarie Island to allow me to stand east 

 in that latitude, I stood west and decided to carry out your 

 instructions regarding the Royal Company Island if the 

 wind continued south-easterly. This was a fortunate 

 decision, for the wind continued from the south and east 

 for four days, so that on May 17 I was only ninety-seven 

 miles from the position of the islands as given on the 

 chart. At noon, after ascertaining our position, I took a 



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