NEW ZEALAND REACHED 
403 
longitude 159° 15' E. the Terra Nova passed close to an 
iceberg twenty-one geographical miles in length. 
On February 2, in latitude 62"^ 10' S., longitude 158° 15' 
E., during thick weather, the ship was beset with ice- 
bergs and at slow speed steamed for six miles along the 
face of one huge berg. She was in a narrow channel 
out of which she could not work owing to the close 
grouping of detached icebergs which lay on the other 
hand. 
This last season the ice conditions appeared to be the 
worst on record as far as the exterior ice was concerned, but 
close to Victoria Land we were never seriously hampered. 
The biological, magnetic, and hydrographical work was 
continued on our homeward voyage, and on February 10, 
at 3 A.M., the ship reached Oamaru, a small port on 
the east coast of South Island, New Zealand. Here 
Lieutenant Pennell and Dr. Atkinson were landed with 
the Commander's despatch, which was sent to the 
Central News for simultaneous distribution throughout 
the world. 
The Terra 'Nova remained at sea until Wednesday, 
February 12, when ^she returned to Lyttelton. 
Her entry into the harbour was very different from 
the happy return we had so looked forward to. 
With flags at half-mast we steamed into the port and 
were berthed alongside the Harbour Board shed by 
Captain Thorpe, the harbour-master. Thousands came 
to meet us and quietly notified their sympathy, and for 
many days afterwards we received messages of condolence 
from all parts of the world. 
