ch. lxii] Mawson" s Expedition 
487 
On January 3rd, 1912, the ice cliffs were sighted, 50 to 
80 ft. high, and the Aurora sailed along them all day. 
On the 6th she crossed the Antarctic Circle and sighted 
Adelie Land, with small rocky islets off the coast. On 
the 8th a landing was effected, and winter quarters were 
established in 66° 48' S. and 143 0 5' E. Mawson landed 
with Dr Mertz, Lieut. Ninnis, and 15 men, all hands 
working hard at landing the hut, stores, and provisions. 
Their quarters were at the western end of Adelie Land, in 
a bay with ice cliffs on both sides. It received the name 
of Commonwealth Bay. 
On January 19th, 1912, the Aurora sailed eastward 
to land another party of eight men under Frank Wild. 
They met with many icebergs and heavy pack, but the 
Cote Clarie of Dumont d'Urville had disappeared. From 
the 24th to the 27th the Aurora encountered gales and 
heavv seas. It was not until February 19th in Lat. 
66° 18' 28" S. and Long. 94 0 58' E. that Captain Davis 
found a place on the ice cliffs to land Wild's party and 
their provisions, and it was only with the greatest 
difficulty that Wild got his stores on shore and managed 
to haul them up to the top of the ice cliff. The two 
stations were 1200 miles apart. Having passed the winter 
on this ice, Wild and his companions made two important 
journeys. One was nearly to Sabrina Land, the other 
connected Wild's base with Kaiser Wilhelm II Land. 
The Aurora returned to Hobart on March nth, 1912, 
In the spring Dr Mawson, with Dr Mertz and Ninnis, 
undertook a journey with dogs over the ice cap to the 
S.E. While travelling over the ice, many days after 
leaving the winter station, the sledge, dogs, and Ninnis 
suddenly disappeared down a crevasse and were seen no 
more. Mawson and Mertz were left with scarcely any 
food and only six dogs, and began to make their way 
back, undergoing terrible privations from which Dr Mertz 
died. Mawson, now the sole survivor, succeeded in 
reaching the winter quarters after 31 days of untold, 
hardship and danger. 
The loss of Lieut. Ninnis was deeply felt by his friends. 
He was full of life and energy, and deeply interested in his 
work. He had the makings of a very good officer, in what- 
ever branch of the service he might have been employed. 
