forth, on a
strictly limited water ration.

The wind increased from bad to worse, and great seas continued to rise
until their culmination on the morning of December 5, when one came
aboard on the starboard quarter, smashed half the bridge and carried
it away. Toucher was the officer on watch, and no doubt thought himself
lucky in being, at the time, on the other half of the bridge.

The deck-rings holding the motor-launch drew, the launch itself was
sprung and its decking stove-in.

On the morning of December 8 we found ourselves in latitude 49 degrees
56 minutes S. and longitude 152 degrees 28' E., with the weather so far
abated that we were able to steer a course for Macquarie Island.

During the heavy weather, food had been prepared only with the greatest
difficulty. The galley was deluged time and again. It was enough to
dishearten any cook, repeatedly finding himself amongst kitchen debris
of all kinds, including pots and pans full and empty. Nor did the
difficulties end in the galley, for food which survived until its
arrival on the table, though not allowed much time for further mishap,
often ended in a disagreeable mass on the floor or, tossed by a lurch
of more than usual suddenness, entered an adjoining cabin. From such
localities the elusive piece de resistance was often rescued.

As we approached our rendezvous, whale-birds** appeared. During the
heavy weather, Mother Carey's chickens only were seen, but, as the wind
abated, the majestic wandering albatross, the sooty albatross and the
mollymawk followed in our wake.

** For the specific names refer to Appendix which is a glossary of
special and unfamiliar terms.

Whales were observed spouting, but at too great a distance to be
definitely recognized.

At daybreak on December 11 land began to show up, and by 6 A.M. we were
some sixteen miles off the west coast of Macquarie Island, bearing on
about the centre of its length.

In general shape it is long and narrow, the length over all being
twenty-one miles. A reef runs out for several miles at both extremities
of the main island, reappearing again some miles beyond in isolated
rocky islets: the Bishop and Clerk nineteen miles to the southward and
the Judge and Clerk eight miles to the north.

The land everywhere rises abruptly from the sea or from an exaggerated
beach to an undulating plateau-like interior, reaching a maximum
elevation of one thousand four hundred and twenty-five feet. No