SY ''Morning'' was a steam yacht, known for her role as a relief vessel to Scott's British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–1904). She made two voyages to the

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and othe ...

to resupply the expedition.

Acquisition for the British National Antarctic Expedition

''Morgenen'' was a Norwegian whaling ship, built in 1871 by

Svend Foyn Svend Foyn (July 9, 1809 – November 30, 1894) was a Norwegian whaling, shipping magnate and philanthropist. He pioneered revolutionary methods for hunting and processing whales. Svend Foyn introduced the modern harpoon cannon and brough ...

of Tønsberg, Norway. In 1901 she was purchased as a relief ship for the British National Antarctic Expedition for £3,880. In September 1901, she sailed from Norway to England where she was refitted and renamed ''Morning'', the same name translated into English.

Ships' company

The officers that set sail from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1902 were: Captain William Colbeck RNR; Rupert G. England, First Officer; Lieutenant E.R.G.R. Evans RN, Second Officer; Gerald Doorly RNR, Third Officer; Sub-Lieutenant G.F.A. Mulock RN, fourth officer; Doctor G.A. Davidson; J.D. Morrison, Chief Engineer; and F. L. Maitland-Somerville and Neville Pepper, both midshipmen. The crew consisted of eight petty officers, nine seamen, and three firemen. During the voyages, the people filling these posts sometimes changed.

London to New Zealand

''Morning'' sailed from London to Lyttelton, New Zealand via

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

. She left London on 2 July 1902 and arrived in Lyttleton on 16 November the same year.

Voyage of the ''Morning''

Although making two voyages to restock the expedition, it is the first that is known as ''the voyage of the Morning''. She sailed from Lyttelton for the Antarctic, under the command of Captain William Colbeck, on 6 December 1902. On

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

, the crew sighted two uncharted islands, now known as

Scott Island Scott Island is a small uninhabited island of volcanic origin in the Ross Sea, Southern Ocean, northeast of Cape Adare, the northeastern extremity of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It is long north–south, and between and wide, reaching a ...

and Haggitt's Pillar. A landing was made and the islands were claimed for the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. ''Morning'' became stuck on a rock for 20 minutes here. The crew also collected scientific specimens as she voyaged south. ''Morning'' called at several pre-arranged mail depositories in an attempt to locate ''

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discove ...

'', the expedition's main ship. At Cape Crozier, they found a message giving the location of her winter quarters. ''Discovery's'' masts were sighted just before midnight on 23 January 1903. Supplies were sledged across the ice to the ''Discovery'' when it became apparent that the ice would not break up.

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age o ...

joined the crew of ''Morning'' as he was suffering from

scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease, disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, ch ...

, and Mulock took his place on the ''Discovery''. Several other seamen joined the ''Morning'' for the voyage back to New Zealand. She left McMurdo Sound on 2 March 1903 and arrived in New Zealand on 25 March. A log of the voyage compiled by Leonard Burgess, a seaman, is held in the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Second voyage

''Morning'' returned to the Antarctic a second time in the company of the '' Terra Nova'' later in 1903. They were sighted at Hut Point on 5 January 1904. The two ships were to evacuate the ''Discovery'' if she could not be freed from the ice. The ice broke, however, and all three ships returned together. A log of the voyage, compiled by Leonard Burgess, a seaman, is also held in the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury.

Cats

The ''Morning'' had several ship's cats. *''Bobs'' belonged to J.D. Morrison. It was lost overboard on the voyage between Madeira and New Zealand. *''Night'', a black female. *''Noon'', ''Night's'' white kitten. *''Morning'', a grey

tabby A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, d ...

, lost overboard. The Leonard Burgess log records "Nig" giving birth to 5 kittens at 11:30pm on 24 December 1903.

The Songs of the ''Morning''

Doorly dictated ''The Songs of the Morning'', a compilation of songs written during the voyages. In most cases, the words were written by the Chief Engineer, John Donald Morrison, and were put to music by Doorly. It was published by the Melbourne Bread and Cheese Club in 1943. Two linking narratives are extant. In 2002, a recording entitled ''The Songs of the Morning: a Musical Sketch'' was published. This is a mixture of songs, poems and narrative, mostly related to the voyage from London to Lyttelton and the first voyage to the Antarctic. Royalties from the recording are split between the Dundee Heritage Trust's Antarctica 100 Discovery Restoration Fund and the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morning, SY 1871 ships Ships built in Tønsberg Steam yachts Barques Tall ships of Norway Steamships of Norway Fishing vessels of Norway Whaling ships Exploration ships of the United Kingdom Robert Falcon Scott