The lands of silence

by Sir Clements R. Markham

The Morning

It became necessary to raise funds and bring down the price of the Morgen. The Council of the Royal Geographical Society subscribed nothing, but the Royal Society generously sent me £500. With his usual munificence Mr Longstaff subscribed £5000, and later Sir Edgar Speyer gave another £5000. With these exceptions very rich people refused to help. But hundreds of our countrymen with small means sympathized and sent all they could afford. Money came from officers in South Africa and on the Gold Coast, in the Sudan and Uganda, from a Gurkha regiment at Chitral, from 24 Admirals and Captains, from several men-of-war, and a large and most generous subscription from the acting Sub-Lieutenants at Greenwich. One schoolboy, who was saving up his money to buy a bicycle, sent 5s., a real act of sympathy and self-sacrifice. Mr Cyril Longhurst was untiring and indefatigable in seconding my efforts. I also appealed to the Government, as there were 32 naval officers and men on board the Discovery, who ought not to be abandoned to their fate. The reply was that the Government denied any responsibility and expressed surprise at being asked. On the other hand the New Zealand Government granted £1000. From Norwich, due to the exertions of Mr and Mrs Colman, nearly £200 was received. The Duke of Westminster kindly gave the use of Grosvenor House for a concert, which yielded £483. On February 14th the Prince of Wales sent for me to enquire about my progress and subscribed £50, while His Majesty the King gave £100. By July 2nd, 1902, the receipts amounted to £22,000.

I then went to Norway again and met Captain Bonnevie at Tönsberg to inspect the Morgen. Mr William Colbeck, R.N.R., then Chief Officer of the Montebello (Wilson line) accompanied me, as I had decided upon offering him the command, and ultimately I succeeded in getting the price of the vessel reduced to £3,880. The Morgen was built specially for strength by Mr Svend Foyn of Tönsberg. The engines were old-fashioned but strong, the boilers strong and serviceable. I bought the vessel on October 23rd, 1901, and became the managing owner, and on the 30th she was delivered over to Bonnevie as our agent. Her length was 140 ft., breadth 31 ft., depth 16½ ft., tonnage 452. I had her painted black, with a white ribbon like the dear old Assistance, with Morning on her stern in white. On arrival in England she was handed over to Messrs Green of Blackwall for considerable repairs and alterations, which were effected under the superintendence of Lieut. Colbeck.

William Colbeck, born at Hull in 1871, was educated at Hull grammar school, and went through a six months’ course of navigation before going to sea as an apprentice, at the age of 15. He passed for first Mate in July 1892, and got a Master’s extra-certificate in 1897. Since 1900 he had served as chief officer of the Montebello under Captain Pepper. After going through a course of magnetism at Kew, he joined the Newnes Antarctic Expedition as navigator, cartographer, and one of the magnetic and meteorological observers. He proved himself to be an acute and intelligent observer and his descriptions of parts of the coast of Victoria Land are excellent. He had acquired experience in Antarctic ice navigation. There could not be a better man to command our relief ship, and he was appointed on February 10th, 1902. After some delay, he received his commission as a Lieutenant R.N.R. and I had the pleasure of conferring upon him Sir George Back’s geographical award for his former services in the Antarctic regions.

Captain Colbeck chose for his chief officer Mr Rupert England, who held the same position on board the Angelo of Wilson’s line. He was a steady attentive officer who knew his work, and saw that the men did theirs. Mr Morrison, the engineer, was an excellent and zealous officer, always making the best of everything. Dr Davidson, the surgeon, a distinguished student and medallist of Edinburgh University, was an excellent doctor and very popular. Two friends, formerly cadets of the Worcester, came to volunteer, Evans a naval Sub-Lieutenant, and Doorly a P. and O. officer, and they were very anxious to be taken as junior executive officers. Evans had excellent certificates, was keen, able, and full of zeal. Gerald Doorly was a musician, an athlete, and a student, in the racing boat’s crew of the Worcester, and Queen’s Gold Medallist on board that ship. He proved to be very popular and clever, always bright and cheerful, and a hard worker. Then came Mulock, a naval Sub-Lieutenant who was very pressing and said he must go; so I got leave from the Admiralty for him also. He was an acquisition, for he had served in the Triton surveying ship under Captain Cust, who had the highest opinion of him. He was a surveyor and an excellent draughtsman. There were two midshipmen, Maitland Somerville and a son of Captain Pepper.

For the crew, as a nucleus, Captain Colbeck got several volunteers from his old ship the Montebello, and the rest appeared satisfactory. Cheetham, the boatswain from the Montebello, was a very smart respectable man who could be trusted to take charge of a watch. He continued in the service and now has a long record of Antarctic work.

The officers were entertained at dinner by the Geographical Club, when a glee was sung specially composed for the occasion. Afterwards the Bishop of Stepney kindly came on board and conducted a farewell service. The ship was loaded with letters and papers, and supplies of all kinds for the Discovery. I had been rather anxious about the pemmican, and I sent out a fresh supply which I believed to be very good, manufactured by the Bovril Company.

During the long voyage to Lyttelton all went well; and the ship was received in New Zealand with cordial hospitality. On the 6th December, 1902, they sailed for the Antarctic. The Morning met with adverse winds and frequent gales at first, until she reached 60° S. in longitude 170° 30′ E., when Captain Colbeck was able to stand away to the south with a W.S.W. wind and fine clear weather. He decided to work south between longitudes 178° and 180° E., well to the eastward of the Balleny Islands. The Antarctic Circle was crossed on Christmas Day in 179° 30′ E., when icebergs became numerous. At 2 p.m. two small islands were sighted, and later the Morning steamed round them. The largest was about 1¼ miles long and three-quarters of a mile broad, rising to about 250 ft. The other islet or rock was only about 200 ft. in diameter and 250 ft. high. Captain Colbeck, accompanied by Mulock and two others, effected a landing with some difficulty on a beach on the southern side of the larger island, and collected some rock specimens. Thousands of birds were on both islands. Mulock made a careful survey and the position was fixed. It received the name of Scott Island and is a discovery of special interest, from its isolated position.

Making her way through much heavy pack ice, the Morning came in sight of the lofty mountains of Victoria Land on the 3rd January, 1903, when a very heavy gale was encountered. On the 8th Captain Colbeck landed at Cape Adare and then proceeded to the south, guided in his search by the information in Captain Scott’s letter. Reaching Franklin Island, England landed and searched the beach, but could find no record. Captain Colbeck and Mulock then landed at Cape Crozier and found the record announcing the position of the winter quarters of the Discovery in M’Murdo Sound. The Morning then proceeded to Cape Bird and announced her arrival to the Discovery by signal. The mails, stores, and provisions were transferred to the Discovery with all possible speed. The distance between the ships was six miles of ice, and 14 tons of stores were transported, officers and men carrying out the work with admirable zeal and determination. The Mornings dragged the loads to a half-way flag, and the Discoveries took them on—a heavy job completed with alacrity and despatch.