ch. lviii] The Societies' Expedition 
For the crew, as a nucleus, Captain Colbeck got several 
volunteers from his old ship the Montebello, and the rest 
appeared satisfactory. Cheetham, the boatswain from the 
Montebello, was a very smart respectable man who could 
be trusted to take charge of a watch. He continued in 
the service and now has a long record of Antarctic work. 
The officers were entertained at dinner by the Geo- 
graphical Club, when a glee was sung specially composed 
for the occasion. Afterwards the Bishop of Stepney 
kindly came on board and conducted a farewell service. 
The ship was loaded with letters and papers, and supplies 
of all kinds for the Discovery. I had been rather anxious 
about the pemmican, and I sent out a fresh supply which 
I believed to be very good, manufactured by the Bovril 
Company. 
During the long voyage to Lyttelton all went well; 
and the ship was received in New Zealand with cordial 
hospitality. On the 6th December, 1902, they sailed for 
the Antarctic. The Morning met with adverse winds and 
frequent gales at first, until she reached 6o° S. in longitude 
170 0 30' E., when Captain Colbeck was able to stand away 
to the south with a W.S.W. wind and fine clear weather. 
He decided to work south between longitudes 178 0 and 
i8o°E., well to the eastward of the Balleny Islands. 
The Antarctic Circle was crossed on Christmas Day in 
I 79° 3°' E., when icebergs became numerous. At 2 p.m. 
two small islands were sighted, and later the Morning 
steamed round them. The largest was about i£ miles 
long and three-quarters of a mile broad, rising to about 
250 ft. The other islet or rock was only about 200 ft. in 
diameter and 250 ft. high. Captain Colbeck, accompanied 
by Mulock and two others, effected a landing with some 
difficulty on a beach on the southern side of the larger 
island, and collected some rock specimens. Thousands 
of birds were on both islands. Mulock made a careful 
survey and the position was fixed. It received the name 
of Scott Island and is a discovery of special interest, from 
its isolated position. 
Making her way through much heavy pack ice, the 
Morning came in sight of the lofty mountains of Victoria 
Land on the 3rd January, 1903, when a very heavy gale 
was encountered. On the 8 th Captain Colbeck landed at 
