COMPOSITE GAZETTEER OF ANTARCTICA

group name for Lambda Island, Gamma Island, Eta Island and Omega Island, and offliers (divided by The Sound into East Melchior Islands and West Melchior Islands) in Dallmann Bay, Palmer Archipelago, were sighted by GAE, 1873-74, in January 1974; roughly charted by FAE, 1903-05, in 1904-05 when the name IÎle Melchior was applied to Eta Island (q.v.) and Omega Island (q.v.) as one island, after Vice-Amiral Jules-Bernard-François Melchior (1844-1908), of the French Navy, who was in command at Brest and assisted FAE by providing a tug during its departure in August 1903 (Charcot, 1906a, map facing p.316; 1906b, p.470). Melchior Island (BA chart 1238, ix.1908; 3175.1.iii.1940). Melchion [sic] Island (BA chart 3205, vii.1909). The islands were further charted by FAE, 1908-10, in 1909 when the name IÎles Melchior was applied to the whole group (Matha and Rey, 1911, Pl.3). Gerit Eiland, referring to Eta Island and Omega Island presumably after Dirck Gerritsz Pomp (Gherritz Land, q.v.) (Easton, 1913, map facing p.278). Melchion [sic] Ö (HA chart, 1928). The islands were further charted by DI in 1927. Melchior Archipelago (BA chart 3205, 1.iii.1929; 18.vii.1947). Archipel Melchior (France. SHM, 1937, p.405). The islands were recharted by AAE in 1942, 1943 and 1948. Melchoir [sic] Archipelago (USHO, 1943, p.41). Archipiélago Melchior (Argentina. MM chart 101, 1946; Pierrou, 1970, p.514; Chile. IHA, 1974, p.198). Archipiélago de Melchior (Vila Labra, 1947, p.120). Isla(s) Melchior (Ihl C. and Ayala A., 1947, map facing p.64, p.72). Melchior (CACA, 1949b, p.30). Grupo Melchior ([Chile. IGM], 1949, p.98). Melchior Arkipelagen (Frödin, 1951, p.370). Melchior Islands (BA chart 3570, 5.i.1951; APC, 1955, p.15; BA chart 3213, 23.iii.1956). Arcipelago Melchior (Zavatti, 1952, p.509). Melchoir [sic] Islands (USHO chart 6639, 1955). Melchior Eilanden (Knapp, 1958, p.580). Ostrova Mel'chior (Soviet Union. MMF chart, 1961). The islands were photographed from the air by USN, 1968-69. [For history of occupation

Group of many low, ice-covered islands lying near the center of Dallmann Bay in the Palmer Archipelago. First seen but left unnamed by a German expedition under Dallmann, 1873-74. Resighted and roughly charted by the FrAE under Charcot, 1903-05. Charcot named what he believed to be the large easternmost island in the group "Ile Melchior" after Vice Admiral Melchior of the French Navy, but later surveys proved Charcot's "Ile Melchior" to be two islands, now called Eta Island and Omega Island. The name Melchior Islands has since become established for the whole island group now described, of which Eta Island and Omega Island form the eastern part. The group was roughly surveyed in 1927 by DI personnel in the Discovery, and was resurveyed by Argentine expeditions in 1942 and 1943, and again in 1948.

Fue descubierto por la Expedición Antártica Alemana, al mando del comandante Eduard Dallmann, entre 1873-1874, pero no se le dio nombre. La Expedición Antártica Francesa de los años 1903-1905, liderada por el Dr. Jean B. Charcot, volvió a verlo, y lo cartografió en forma incompleta. Charcot le dio el nombre, a lo que él creyó era una isla grande de más al E del grupo Isla Melchior, en honor al vicealmirante Melchior de la Armada Francesa, pero posteriores levantamientos, probaron que la isla Melchior de Charcot, eran dos islas, llamadas ahora isla Eta e isla Omega. El nombre archipiélago Melchior se ha aplicado desde entonces para todo el grupo de islas ahora descrito, y de las cuales, las islas Eta y Omega forman la parte oriental. El grupo de islas fue levantado en forma incompleta en el año 1927 por el personal del Discovery y fue levantado nuevamente por Expediciones Argentinas en 1942 y 1943, y otra vez en 1948.