Details
ALASTAIR FORBES MACKAY (d.1920)
A 3pp. A.L.S on B.A.E. 1907 S.Y."Nimrod" headed notepaper, "At sea Lat. 66 (circa) 16-1-08", to "Mr Mackay", 8vo, thanking him and Dr.Davis for their hospitality, and continuing "We have had a pretty rough time since leaving you, but the weather is much better now. The poor ponies are not quite as well as they might be, but we all feel that it is a wonder that any of them are alive. The rest of us, and my humble self in particular are as fit as fiddles, one might almost say Stradivariuses. There is no good trying to recount all our adventures now, and besides, if I say nothing, I will have all the more yarns to spin when we come back, and less chance to contradicting myself. Please give my respects to Mrs Mackay, and to Mrs and Miss Davis", with post scriptum requesting that Mr. Mackay should look after his diploma and war medal. (Mounted on card, some creasing.)
Forbes Mackay, a Boer war veteran and some-time naval surgeon, was the second surgeon to the expedition and a member of the shore party on Shackleton's 'Farthest South' expedition. The Nimrod, in an effort to save fuel, was towed to just outside the Antarctic Circle, by the 1,200 ton tramp steamer Koonya, commanded by F.P.Evans. At this point, on the 15/16th of January, the Koonya dropped the tow line, and carrying the expedition's final group of Mail, returned to New Zealand.
A 3pp. A.L.S on B.A.E. 1907 S.Y."Nimrod" headed notepaper, "At sea Lat. 66 (circa) 16-1-08", to "Mr Mackay", 8vo, thanking him and Dr.Davis for their hospitality, and continuing "We have had a pretty rough time since leaving you, but the weather is much better now. The poor ponies are not quite as well as they might be, but we all feel that it is a wonder that any of them are alive. The rest of us, and my humble self in particular are as fit as fiddles, one might almost say Stradivariuses. There is no good trying to recount all our adventures now, and besides, if I say nothing, I will have all the more yarns to spin when we come back, and less chance to contradicting myself. Please give my respects to Mrs Mackay, and to Mrs and Miss Davis", with post scriptum requesting that Mr. Mackay should look after his diploma and war medal. (Mounted on card, some creasing.)
Forbes Mackay, a Boer war veteran and some-time naval surgeon, was the second surgeon to the expedition and a member of the shore party on Shackleton's 'Farthest South' expedition. The Nimrod, in an effort to save fuel, was towed to just outside the Antarctic Circle, by the 1,200 ton tramp steamer Koonya, commanded by F.P.Evans. At this point, on the 15/16th of January, the Koonya dropped the tow line, and carrying the expedition's final group of Mail, returned to New Zealand.