The Hubble Deep Field South (HDF-S) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) obser
vations are expected to begin in 1998 October. We present a composite
spectrum of the QSO in the HDF-S held covering UV/optical/near-IR wave
lengths, obtained by combining data from the Australian National Unive
rsity 2.3 m telescope with STIS on the HST.(1) This intermediate-resol
ution spectrum covers the range 1600-10000 Angstrom and allows us to d
erive some basic information on the intervening absorption systems whi
ch will be important in planning future higher resolution studies of t
his QSO. The QSO J2233 - 606 coordinates are alpha = 22(h)33(m)37(s).6
, delta = -60 degrees 33'29'' (J2000), the magnitude is B = 17.5, and
its redshift is z(em) = 2.238, derived by simultaneously fitting sever
al emission lines. The spectral index is alpha = -0.7 +/- 0.1, measure
d between the Ly alpha and Mg II emission lines. Many absorption syste
ms are present, including systems with metal lines redward of the Ly a
lpha emission line at z(abs) 2.204, 1.942, 1.870, 1.787 and a few very
strong Ly alpha features at z(abs) = 2.077, 1.928, without similarly
strong metal lines. There is a conspicuous Lyman limit (LL) absorption
system that is most likely associated with the z(abs) = 1.942 system
with a neutral hydrogen column density of N-HI = (3.1 +/- 1.0) x 10(17
) cm(-2). There is some evidence for the presence of a second LL absor
ber just to the blue of the conspicuous system at z = 1.870. We have e
mployed a new technique, based on an analysis of the shape of the obse
rved spectrum in the region of the LL absorption, to explore the prope
rties of the gas. We tentatively conclude that this system might have
suitable characteristics for measuring the deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H)
ratio.