Nightingale Island has a single sharp peak about 2,000 feet high. Middle Island lies to the north, and is separated from it by a passage half a mile in width. Douglas says:
... The island owes its existence to two causes—first the lavas from Nightingale ... must have extended well to the north, and secondly, there has been local out-welling of lava. The latter lava is extremely hard and has formed the col which has resisted the action of the sea. The first lava is so soft that it is easily worn away, which accounts for its separation from Nightingale. The island is comparatively small, being less than half a mile on its longest axis. Being close to Nightingale its flora is similar. The island does not rise higher than two hundred feet, and is girt with vertical cliffs on the west, north and east sides. The landing is at the south-east point, and there is a large cave at the most southerly point.
The island of Stoltenhoff, a little more than half a mile distant, is a huge flat-topped rock rising from the water for two hundred feet. No landing possible. The island is probably an extension of “Middle” to the north, but may represent another separate centre of activity.
We remained at anchor for the night in the passage between Nightingale and Middle Islands, and sailed at 4 a.m. for Inaccessible Island.
This island has been the scene of several shipwrecks, including that of the Blendon Hall in 1821. It does not belie its name, for as we approached it certainly looked inaccessible enough. No low land is apparent, and the whole rises sheer from the sea on every side. The weather was so uncertain that when sending the party of scientists ashore I gave instructions that stores sufficient for several days should be taken in the boat in case it should be impossible to pick the men up when we wanted to. The party took also biological and geological gear, surveying instruments, two good Alpine axes and a coil of good Alpine rope.
A landing was effected near the north-east corner, largely through the help of the Tristan islanders, whose intimate local knowledge proved of the greatest value during the whole time we spent about these islands. The beach was steep and stony, and big curling seas were breaking on it. Intervals of comparative calm occur, and by taking advantage of them a boat can be fairly easily beached. The landing effected and the gear removed, the boat was hauled up whilst the party went about their work. The beach is about a mile long and forms a very narrow strip, behind which the cliffs rise vertically for an average height of from three to four hundred feet. Half a mile to the south-east of the landing-place a narrow waterfall drops in a cascade over the edge of the cliff about three hundred and fifty feet up and has hollowed out a deep pool below. The ascent to the summit lies beyond this, and here Douglas, with John Glass and Henry Green, started the climb. These two islanders are strong, active, nimble men and wonderful climbers. Douglas gave them the greatest praise, and said that but for their assistance he could never have attained the summit. On one occasion during the descent they had to lower him over a particularly steep part with the rope. Douglas writes:
Inaccessible Island is pear-shaped, the longer axis being about three miles and the shorter two and a half miles. The land rises around the island in almost vertical cliffs about five hundred feet high. On the south and south-east there is a gradual slope up to the highest point, which is about 1,500 feet above sea level. On the north and north-west sides the rim continues to rise to about 1,300 feet, and then it slopes down towards the interior and the foot of the slope of the central cone. In fact, it is a great caldera, with the southern side blown out and having a central small cone.
The interior is really a beautiful landscape of broken country, clad in verdure with a stream running through it.
Wilkins, assisted by Carr and Marr, carried out natural history investigations on the lower slope and shot a number of birds for preparation as museum specimens.