COASTAL SURVEY WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14806, 9 October 1911, Page 8

COASTAL SURVEY WORK.

TERRA NOVA'S CRUISE."

POSITION OF THE THREE - KINGS.

[BT TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION*.] CfERisTCHtmcH, Saturday. The Terra Nova, which has been engaged on coastal survey work, arrived at Lyttelton about noon to day. The object of . her cruise, the defining of a 100-fathom line in the vicinity'of North Cape and the Three Kings, was duly attained, 535 absolutely fixed soundings having been taken. These have yet to be worked out, but roughly they demonstrate the fact that the 100fathom line instead of continuing unbroken from off the mainland round * the outermost island is divided by a narrow, deep channel between the most southerly point of the group and the mainland. It was also ascertained that the configuration of the islands as shown on the chart is incorrect, and their configuration and position will be definitely fixed as soon as the information collected by the ship has been plotted.

Dredging operations were carried out, and Mr. Lillie secured a good collection. On the passage southward one or two deepsea soundings were taken. Kaikoura was reached at 3.30 a.in. on. Thursday, and the work of defining the 100-fathom line from thp point some distance south from Kaikoura, where the Admiralty soundings ended, was begun. Three miles south of Kaikoura a depth of 500 fathoms war. recorded, and about a mile from that point a sounding of only 50 fathoms was found. The ships soundings extended for 30 miles along the coast northwards, 46 soundings being taken.

The hands will be given leave on Tuesday for a fortnight. After that there will be refitting to be done, and stores will be shipped. A hut for the Antarctic will also be taken on board. The Terra Nova will leave Lyttelton for the expedition's base at McMurdo Sound on December 15.