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[Handwritten heading in blue ink:] Sailing Orders

SECRET. [Underlined.]

Being in all respects ready for sea, and having embarked all necessary personnel, equipment and stores, you are to leave Capetown on October 15^th or at the earliest possible date thereafter, and proceed to Kerguelen Island, calling at the Crozet Islands at your discretion. Having completed coaling at Kerguelen Island you will proceed to the western extremity of Queen Mary Land (west of Mount Gauss), calling at Heard Island en route if you deem it advisable to do so. From thence you will cruise westward to Enderby Land following the coast or ice barrier as circumstances permit to longitude 45 [degrees] east, and, at your discretion, if conditions are favourable, to 40 [degrees] east. You will then cruise back along the coast eastward to Kemp Land and then to Queen Mary Land and Knox Land, subject to any change of course which you may find it necessary to make either by reason of coaling requirements or otherwise. When conditions make further cruising in Antarctic regions impracticable you will proceed to Australia, calling first at such port in the Commonwealth as may be most convenient.

You will use your best endeavours to make a hydrographic survey of the coast and its contiguous waters between the western extremity of Queen Mary Land and Enderby Land at 45 [degrees]/40 [degrees] east, such survey to comprise the correct

[Addressed:] To Sir Douglas Mawson,

Commander of the British, Australian and

New Zealand Antarctic Expedition,

His Majesty’s Research Ship “Discovery”.

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location and charting of coasts, islands, rocks and shoals.

On such lands or islands within the area specified in the preceding paragraph you will plant the British flag wherever you find it practicable to do so, and in doing so you will read the proclamation of annexation as set out in Annexure A to these Sailing Orders, attach a copy of the proclamation to the flagstaff, and place a second copy of the proclamation in a tin at the foot of the flagstaff. [The following sentence is marked with handwritten square brackets.] You will keep a record of each act of annexation in the form set out in Annexure B.

[The following paragraph is emphasised with a large bracket in the margin.] During the course of the Expedition you will carry out to the best of your ability all scientific work and investigations which it is practicable for you to do in respect of all the matters falling within the competence of the scientific staff which has been selected to accompany you, comprising, amongst other things, meteorological and oceanographic observations and investigations concerning the fauna, notably whales and seals, of the seas and lands visited by you, and all matters connected therewith which may assist in the future economic exploitation of such fauna. All written records made, and all specimens of whatever sort taken and preserved, and all negatives and photographs made during the course of the Expedition, will be the property of the Expedition, and you will be responsible that no improper use is made of them by any member of the Expedition. [End emphasis bracket.]

On your arrival in Australia you will furnish the Commonwealth Government with a full report of the work which you have carried out in respect of each and all of the objects of the Expedition as set out above.

The receipt of these Sailing Orders is to be acknowledged.

[Handwritten signature:]  (Sgd) S. M. BRUCE

Prime Minister.

18^th September, 1929.

[Handwritten initials ‘WH.’ In bottom left corner, dated ’12-IX-29’.]