Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

People of the Expedition

The Scotia party with the Union Flag, the Scottish Royal Standard and the St Andrew's flag

This is probably the party left behind on Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands after the homeward departure on 22 February 1904 of the remainder of the 1902-1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.

Robert C Mossman, the expedition's meteorologist, and Bill Smith, its house-steward, remained on the island along with three Argentinians: E Szmula (meteorologist), L H Valette (naturalist), and H Acuņa (postmaster general).

Under the terms of an agreement between the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition leader and the director of the Argentinian Meteorological Office (Walter G Davis), observations begun during the expedition were continued under the auspices of the Argentine government, which has faithfully maintained the practice there at its Orcadas station until the present day.