THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



sounding in 2430 fathoms. The bottom specimen was 

 lost through the wire parting while heaving in. On May 

 18, at 2 P.M., in fine clear weather, we sailed over the posi- 

 tion assigned to the Royal Company Island, with nothing 

 in sight. I stood east till 4 p.m., and then south, but saw 

 nothing to indicate the existence of land in the vicinity. 



" On May 24, when 190 miles off Macquarie Island, 

 we encountered a heavy north-west gale, which the vessel 

 weathered with very little damage, though deeply loaded. 

 This was followed on the 25th by a heavy gale from the 

 south-west, but at 11.45 p.m. of this day we sighted the 

 island and managed to get to leeward of it till daylight, 

 when the wind and sea were less violent. My instruc- 

 tions were to visit Macquarie Island for the purpose of 

 making zoological and geological collections to connect 

 those already obtained in the Antarctic with the life and 

 rocks of Australia and New Zealand, and also of observ- 

 ing whether any Ajitarctic birds or penguins migrated 

 there in the winter months, as they (the penguins particu- 

 larly) leave the far south when the sea freezes over in 

 April, and do not return until the following summer; 

 where they migrate to has so far not been discovered. 

 We sighted the island on the night of May 26, and stood 

 off till daylight, when we were soon able to make out its 

 distinctive features. Approaching from the eastward one 

 is at once struck by the rugged boldness of the coast-line, 

 which rises sheer out of the water to a height of nearly 

 1500 ft. in places. At the south-east extremity there is a 

 reef of dangerous ragged rocks on which the sea breaks 

 heavily, and as we got nearer we were able to see that the 

 mountain slopes were green, and to trace the course of 

 several waterfalls. A wide bay or rather curve in the 

 coast-line forms the southern anchorage called Lusitania 



438 



