edge and, rolling down, had
finally come to a stop on the ledge where they were found later, alive
and well.

On the 8th Adelie Land was heard by us calling the 'Aurora' to return
at once and pick up the rest of the party, stating also that Lieutenant
Ninnis and Dr. Mertz were dead. All of us were shocked at the grievous
intelligence and every effort was made by Sawyer to call up Adelie Land,
but without success.

On the following day we received news from Australia of the disaster to
Captain Scott's party.

Blake, who was now geologizing and doing topographical work, discovered
several lignite seams in the hills on the east coast; he had finished
his chart of the island. The mainland is simply a range of mountains
which have been at some remote period partly submerged. The land meets
the sea in steep cliffs and bold headlands, whose general height is from
five hundred to seven hundred feet, with many peaks ranging from nine
hundred and fifty to one thousand four hundred and twenty feet, the
latter being the height of Mount Hamilton, which rears up just at the
back of Lusitania Bay. Evidence of extreme glaciation is everywhere
apparent, and numerous tarns and lakes are scattered amongst the hills,
the tops of which are barren, wind-swept and weather-worn. The hill
sides are deeply scored by ravines, down which tumble small streams,
forming cascades at intervals on their hurried journey towards the
ocean. Some of these streams do not reach the sea immediately, but
disappear in the loose shingly beaches of peaty swamps. The west coast
is particularly rugged, and throughout its length is strewn wreckage of
various kinds, some of which is now one hundred yards from the water's
edge. Very few stretches of what may be called "beach" occur on the
island; the foreshores consisting for the most part of huge water-worn
boulders or loose gravel and shingle, across which progress is slow and
difficult.

[TEXT ILLUSTRATION]

A Section across Macquarie Island through Mt. Elder

Apparently the ground shelves very rapidly under the water, as a
sounding of over two thousand fathoms was obtained by the 'Aurora' at a
distance of eight miles from the east coast. The trend of the island is
about eleven degrees from true north; the axis lying north by east to
south by west. At either end are the island-groups already referred to,
and their connexion with the mainland may be traced by the sunken rocks
indicated by the breaking seas