ne 30 the depot on Erebus
Cove was visited, where three white sheds contain the usual necessaries
for unfortunate castaways. The New Zealand Government steamer,
'Hinemoa', while on a scientific expedition to the Sub-Antarctic in
1907, rescued the sixteen survivors of the barque 'Dundonald',
two thousand two hundred and three tons, which had been wrecked on
Disappointment Island. The captain and ten men had been drowned and the
chief officer had died from the effects of exposure and starvation.

On July 2 we went to Observation Point, finding there a flat stone
commemorating the visit of the German Scientific Expedition of 1874.

The biologist found various kinds of petrels on Shoe Island, where the
turf was riddled in all directions by their burrows.

At Rose Island, close by, there are some fine basaltic columns, eighty
feet high, weathered out into deep caverns along their base.

In Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, there was an extensive depot. Among the
stores I found a Venesta case marked s.y. 'Nimrod', which contained
dried vegetables and evidently formed part of the stores which were sold
on the return of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907.

After leaving the Auckland Islands for New Zealand, we were fortunate in
having fairly good weather. Five soundings were taken, and, on July 9,
the trawl was put over in three hundred and forty-five fathoms. The
net unfortunately fouled on a rocky bottom and so we gained nothing but
experience in the operation.

The 'Aurora' arrived at Port Lyttleton on July 11 and we received a very
kind welcome from the people of Christchurch. Mr. J. J. Kinsey, well
known in connexion with various British Antarctic expeditions, gave us
valuable assistance during our stay. We were back again in Melbourne on
the 17th of the month.

While the first oceanographical cruise of the 'Aurora' did not prove
very fruitful in results, chiefly on account of the stormy weather, it
provided the necessary training for officers and men in the handling
of the deep-sea gear, and we were able to realize later how much we had
learnt on our first cruise.

The ship, after undergoing a thorough overhaul at the State dockyard at
Williamstown, Victoria, undertook a second deep-sea cruise.

Leaving Hobart on November 12, 1912, she laid her course to the
southward in order to obtain soundings for a complete section of the
sea-floor, as nearly as possible on the meridian of Hobart. Our time was
limited to one