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sented as being of the greatest and most universal influence, as it is, in fact, no other than a direct measure of the moving force by which the great currents of the trade-winds are produced; so that the measure of its amount, and the laws of its geographical distribution, lie at the root of the theory of these winds."

feet high. The root tastes like horse-radish, and the young leaves or hearts resemble in flavor coarse mustard and cress. For 130 days our crews required no fresh vegetable but this, which was for nine weeks regularly served out with the salt beef or pork, during which time there was no sickness on board."

Out of the sixty-eight days that the vessels lay in Christmas Harbor, forty-five were so windy, with such violent gusts, as frequently to blow them over on their beam-ends; and any of the party who happened to be on shore on such occasions were obliged to lie down, to avoid being blown into the sea; and rain or snow fell every day but three. Severe gales attended them in their way to Van Diemen's Land, where, at Hobart Town, a third party was landed with instruments for a magnetic observatory. While lying here, Sir J. Ross heard of the French and American exploring expeditions, both of which had made discoveries to the south as far as 67 degrees of latitude; and, to avoid entering on the scene of his labors by the same track, he departed from his original intention, and chose the meridian of 170 degrees east, being that on which Balleny had sailed up to 69 degrees.

In the course of the following month another interesting fact was observed-the line of no dip. "We had watched," writes the captain, "the progressive diminution of the dip of the needle; and steering a course as nearly south as the wind permitted, in order to cross the line of no dip at right angles, we found the change so rapid, as to be ascertained with great precision; so much so, that the signal for our being on the exact point of no dip, where the needles, being equally poised between the northern and southern magnetic systems, assumed a perfectly horizontal position, was being hoisted from both ships at the same instant of time. Nothing could be more satisfactory than the perfect accordance of our observations in a determination of so much importance; nor could it fail to be of more than ordinary, interest to me to witness the needle thus affected; having some years previously, when at the north magnetic pole, On November 12, 1840, the summer season of seen it in a directly vertical position; nor was it that side of the world, the vessels having been fully unnatural, when we saw the south pole of the refitted, were found to be more efficient than when needle beginning to point below the horizon, to in-they left England, and the party sailed in search dulge the hope that ere long we might be permitted of new lands in unknown seas. They touched at again to see it in a similar position at the south the Auckland Islands, and remained, until Decemmagnetic pole of the earth."` Shortly afterwards, the curve of least magnetic intensity was crossed; this point is found on each meridian of the earth; in sailing from the equator towards each pole, there is a point where the influence, having gradually increased from nil, becomes most perceptible these points form a curve round the world, and, being variable, their exact determination becomes of much importance to science.

After touching at the Cape, and landing a party with materials and instruments for the establishment of a magnetic observatory, as had previously been done at St. Helena, the ships proceeded to Kerguelen's Island, in approaching which they encountered the tempestuous weather so characteristic of high southerly latitudes. They remained here until the 20th July, pursuing diligently their magnetical, meteorological, geological, botanical, and other researches. Abundance of coal was found, a fact which in these days of ocean steam navigation may perhaps be turned to good account. The plants are much less numerous than in higher latitudes in the north; Parry met with sixty-seven species at Melville Island, and forty-five have been discovered at Spitzbergen, while Kerguelen Island produces but eighteen. Among these there is one which deserves especial mention-the Kerguelen cabbage, first noticed during Cook's stay at the island. Captain Ross remarks-" To a crew long confined to salt provision, or indeed to human beings under any circumstances, this is a most important vegetable, for it possesses all the essentially good qualities of its English namesake, while, from its containing a great abundance of essential oil, it never produces heartburn, or any of those disagreeable sensations which our potherbs are apt to do. It abounds near the sea, and ascends the hills to their summits. The leaves form heads of the size of a good cabbage lettuce, generally terminating an ascending or prostrate stalk, and the spike of flowers, borne on a leafy stein, rises from below the head, and is often two

ber 17, occupied with magnetic observations. On leaving this anchorage, every heart beat high with proud expectations of future success, for now the real voyage was begun. Christmas-day, which, though only four days after the midsummer day of those latitudes, was cold, wet, and snowy; it was, however, celebrated in the old English style. On the 27th the first icebergs were seen, in latitude 63° 20' south. "Unlike the icebergs of the arctic seas, they presented very little variety of form, but were generally of large size, and very solid appearance; bounded by perpendicular cliffs on all sides, their tabular summits varied from 120 to 180 feet in height, and several of them more than two miles in circumference." Three days afterwards, they crossed the track of the Russian navigator, Bellinghausen, in latitude 64° 38′ south, longitude 173° 10 east; soundings taken here gave a depth of 1560 fathoms. The 1st of January, 1841, found them on the outskirts of the pack or belt of ice which more or less densely engirdles the antarctic regions, as though nature here interposed

the storm rampant of her sanctuary : The insuperable boundary, raised to guard Her mysteries from the eye of man profane.

The good cheer of New Year's Day was not forgotten, and a suit of warm clothing was served out gratis to every one of the crews. On the 5th they beat into the main pack, and when fairly entered, found it lighter and more open than it appeared from the outside. Penguins, albatrosses, petrels, and seals, crowded about the vessels, and followed them in their winding course among the hummocks and floes. They got through the pack, which was here 200 miles wide, in four days; and on the 10th-one of those singular phenomena peculiar to the frozen latitudes-"not a particle of ice could be seen in any direction from the masthead." The dip was 85 degrees, an amount which marked their proximity to the magnetic pole, to which the ships were now directly steered. But

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on the next morning land, with lofty mountains, have rendered our return to the ships imposwas seen ahead; one of these, 10,000 feet high, sible." was named Mount Sabine; and later in the same day the latitude was found to be 71° 15', the highest which it produced, indications were gained of a A heavy gale came on, but in the rolling sea point reached by Cook in 1774. "It was," observes large space of open water to windward, in the Ross," a beautifully clear evening, and we had a direction most desired by the explorers. While beatmost enchanting view of the two magnificent ing about, to prevent losing ground, other portions ranges of mountains, whose lofty peaks, perfectly of land were scen; and, on the 17th, when the covered with eternal snow, rose to elevations vary-weather cleared, mountain ranges were discovered ing from seven to ten thousand feet above the level at a distance of 100 miles, so great is the refractive of the ocean. The glaciers that filled their inter-power of the atmosphere in icy regions. On the vening valleys, and which descended from near the 21st, the dip was 87° 39', denoting a considerable mountain summits, projected in many places several approach towards the magnetic pole; and some miles into the sea, and terminated in lofty perpen- vexation was felt that the barrier of land ice stood dicular cliffs. In a few places the rocks broke in the way of a direct course to the interesting through their icy covering, by which alone we spot; the alternative was, to beat up and seek a could be assured that land formed the nucleus of westerly route. this, to appearance, enormous iceberg." It need gaged, "it was," to quote the narrative, "the hardly be said that the various heights and head-most beautiful night we had seen in these latitudes, On one occasion, while thus enlands within view were duly named after eminent the sky perfectly clear and serene. individuals in England.

On the 12th, advantage was taken of fine weather to effect a landing; when about three miles from the shore, a boat put off from each ship with the captains and several of the officers. found," says Sir J. Ross, "the shores of the "We mainland completely covered with ice projecting into the sea, and the heavy surf along its edge forbade any attempt to land upon it; a strong tide carried us rapidly along between this ice-bound coast and the islands amongst heavy masses of ice, so that our situation was for some time most critical; for all the exertions our people could use were insufficient to stem the tide. But taking advantage of a narrow opening that appeared in the ice, the boats were pushed through it, and we got into an eddy under the lee of the largest of the islands, and landed on a beach of large loose stones and stranded masses of ice. The weather had now put on a most threatening appearance, the breeze was freshening fast, and the anxious circumstances under which we were placed, together with the recall flag flying at the ship's mast-head, which I had ordered Lieutenant Bird to hoist, if necessary, compelled us to hasten our operations.

horizon at an altitude of about 2 degrees, the sky
when the sun was skimming along the southern
At midnight,
overhead was remarked to be of a most intense
indigo blue, becoming paler in proportion to the
day; the ships were in latitude 74° 20′, higher
distance from the zenith."
than had ever been reached by any former naviga-
The 22d was a notable
tor; an event which naturally called forth much
rejoicing. The dip had increased to 88° 10' on the
25th, leaving the presumption that the pole was not
more than about 200 miles distant. Two days
later, formal possession was again taken of an
island, to which the name of Franklin Island was
given, in latitude 76° 8' south, longitude 168° 12′
east.
devoid of all appearance of vegetation; even the
It is about twelve miles long and six broad,
hardy mosses and lichens were absent, from which,
and other instances, Sir J. Ross considers "that
the vegetable kingdom has no representative in
antarctic lands."
renness; and who, on reading the description, will
not recall the lines-
It is the very sublimity of bar-

But here above, around, below,
On mountain or in glen,

Nor tree, nor shrub, nor plant, nor flower,
Nor aught of vegetative power,

The weary eye may ken.

For all is rocks at random thrown,
Black waves, bare crags, and banks of stone,
As if were here denied

The summer sun, the spring's sweet dew,
That clothe with many a varied hue

Early on the 28th, the vessels stood towards the
high land seen the day before; "it proved to be a
mountain 12,400 feet of elevation above the level
profusion; at first the smoke appeared like snow-
of the sea, emitting flame and smoke in great
drift, but as we drew nearer, its true character
became manifest.

The bleakest mountain-side!

"The ceremony of taking possession of these newly-discovered lands in the name of our most gracious Sovereign, Queen Victoria, was immediately proceeded with; and on planting the flag of our country amidst the hearty cheers of our party, we drank to the health, long life and happiness of her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert. The island was named Possession Island. It is situated in latitude 71° 56′ and longitude 171° 7 east, composed entirely of igneous rocks, and only accessible on its western side. smallest appearance of vegetation, but inconceivable We saw not the myriads of penguins completely and densely covered the whole surface of the island, along the ledges of the precipices, and even to the summits of the hills, attacking us vigorously as we waded a southern latitude cannot but be esteemed a cir"The discovery of an active volcano in so high through their ranks, and pecking at us with their cumstance of high geological importance and insharp beaks, disputing possession; which, together terest, and contribute to throw some further light with their loud, coarse notes, and the insupportable on the physical construction of our globe. I named stench from the deep bed of guano, which had been it Mount Erebus; and an extinct volcano to the forming for ages, and which may at some period eastward, little inferior in height, being by measbe valuable to the agriculturists of our Australian urement 10,900 feet high, was named Mount colonies, made us glad to get away again, after Terror." having loaded our boats with geological specimens and penguins. After a long and heavy pull, be 76° 6', and the vessels were to the southward Later in the same day the latitude was found to we regained our ships only so short a time before of the magnetic pole, the approach to which was so thick a fog came on, with a strong northerly impeded by land ice. Standing in for the land breeze, that to have been a few minutes later would under all sail, "we perceived a low white line

12

extending from its eastern extreme point as far as | spotless white, without the smallest patch of ex

seen,

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the eye could discern to the eastward. It pre-
sented an extraordinary appearance, gradually in-
creasing in height as we got nearer to it, and
proving at length to be a perpendicular cliff of ice,
between 150 and 200 feet above the level of the
sea, perfectly flat and level at the top, and without
any fissures or promontories on its even seaward
face." Far in the rear a range of mountains was
which were named the Parry Mountains, in
honor of the eminent arctic explorer. They are
the most southerly land as yet known on the globe.
The sight of this barrier was a great disappoint-
ment to all on board, for they had anticipated being
able to push their researches far beyond the 80th
degree; but, as Sir J. Ross observes, they "might,
with equal chance of success, try to sail through
the cliffs of Dover as penetrate such a mass.
They coasted along this icy wall to the eastward;
and on the 2d February had increased the latitude
to 78° 4′, the highest point ever reached; on the
9th they stood closer in, to a bay where the cliff,
being low, enabled them to look down upon it
from the mast-head. "It appeared to be quite
smooth, and conveyed to the mind the idea of an
immense plain of frosted silver; gigantic icicles
depended from every projecting point of its perpen-
dicular face." Although in a season answering
to the month of August in England, the tempera-
ture was not higher than 12 degrees, and did not
rise above 14 degrees at noon; and so much young
ice was formed during the nights, as to threaten
a sudden stoppage to the exploration, which, how-
ever, was continued until the 13th, in hopes of
coming to the end of the icy barrier, or to find some
passage through it to the southward. But these
expectations were not to be realized. After sailing
along the frozen cliff for 450 miles, the vessels bore
up to the westward, to make another attempt to
reach the magnetic pole before the season finally
closed. Unlike the bergs of the northern regions,
which are dismembered by the action of the sea,
"this extraordinary barrier of probably more than
1000 feet in thickness, crushes the undulations of
the waves, and disregards their violence; it is a
mighty and wonderful object, far beyond anything
we could have thought or conceived."

By the 17th it became apparent that the endeavor
was useless; a secure harbor was then sought for,
in which the vessels might winter, and from which
parties could be sent overland in the spring to visit
the burning mountain, whose frequent eruptions
afforded a magnificent spectacle, and to discover
the great centre of magnetic attraction. But, after
a hard struggle to reach an island through sixteen
miles of intervening land ice, this attempt was also
abandoned, not without much regret on the part of
the commander, who had indulged the hope of
planting the British flag on the southern magnetic
pole as he formerly had on the northern. Still there
was much satisfaction in knowing that they had
penetrated further towards the south than any other
explorers, however adventurous, and that they had
traced the coast of a great unknown continent from
the 70th to the 79th degree of latitude. They were
then in latitude 76° 12′ south, longitude 164° east,
the dip 88 40', and "were therefore only 160
miles from the [magnetic] pole."

On the 25th, as Ross relates, "we had a good view of the coast. The whole of the land being perfectly free from cloud or haze, the lofty range of mountains appeared projected upon the clear sky beyond them beautifully defined; and although of a

posed rock throughout its whole extent to relieve
it, yet the irregularities of the surface, the numer-
ous conical protuberances and inferior eminences,
and the deeply-marked valleys, occasioned many
varieties of light and shade, that destroyed the mo-
notonous glare of a perfectly white surface, but to
which it is so very difficult to give expression
either by the pencil or description. It was a most
interesting scene to us, as it was truly the best
view we had of the northern shore and mountains
of Victoria Land, and of which the western ex-
tremity was by no means the least remarkable feat-
ure.

The nights were lengthening; stars became
visible; everything betokened the rapid approach
Ross, however, determined on ascer-
of winter.
taining whether any connection existed between
the new-found continent and the Balleny Isles, and
bore up for this purpose. On the evening of the
28th, the party had their last sight of Victoria
Land, and the first of the aurora australis, which
differs from the northern lights"in the greater
length of the vertical beams, and the frequency and
suddenness of its appearances and disappearances-
more like flashes of light: it was again also per-
fectly colorless, had considerable lateral flitting
motion, and formed an irregular arch about 30
degrees high, whose centre bore west.

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On the 2d March land was seen which had the appearance of two islands; if not part of the group discovered by Balleny in 1831, it was considered they might eventually prove to be mountains. Here Sir J. Ross takes some pains to distinguish between the English, French, and American explorations, and to show the propriety of not laying down a chain of islands as the coast of a continent. He believes that the priority of discovery between On the 4th the meridians of 47 degrees and 163 degrees of east longitude belongs to the English. March the ships recrossed the antarctic circle, having been to the southward of it for sixty-three days; and until the 7th the party were searching for the land which Lieutenant Wilkes thought he had discovered; but soundings were taken in 600 fathoms, in the very centre of the position assigned to the land on the chart, and Ross is of opinion that the On the last-mentioned day they American commander was deceived by ice-islands or fog-banks. were for several hours in a position of extreme danger: it fell calm, and under the dead set of the waves the ships were slowly drifted down to a range of huge icebergs, against which the sea broke with appalling violence. Every eye was transfixed with the tremendous spectacle, and destruction appeared inevitable: thus were they driven for eight hours, until within half a mile of the bergs, when a gentle air stirred, the heavy ships yielded slowly to its influence; it freshened to a On the breeze, and before dark, to the heart-felt thankfulness of all, they were far from danger. 6th April they anchored once more at Hobart Town, all hands well, after an absence of five months.

In July of the same year, 1841, the ships sailed again for a second voyage to the southward after touching at New Zealand, they took an easterly course, and having thereby gained twelve hours, it became necessary, on crossing the 180th degree, and entering on west longitude, to lose a day, so as to make the date correspond with that in Eng"We had, therefore," says Captain Ross, land.

On

"two Thursdays and two 25th days of November | ing, drifting, hauling, making fast, hawsers snapin succession; so that, after crossing the meridian, ping, and efforts to stem the opposing current. and having made the alteration of a day, instead of this day, while the ships were endeavoring to keep being twelve hours in advance, we became so much company by signals during a thick fog, a gale came in arrear of the time in England, which would on from the north: "the sea," as Sir J. Ross degradually diminish as we pursued our easterly scribes, "quickly rising to a fearful height, breakcourse, until on our return we should find them in ing over the loftiest bergs, we were unable any exact accordance." On the 4th December, sound- longer to hold our ground, but were driven into the ings were taken in 1050 fathoms; the temperature heavy pack under our lee. Soon after midnight, of the water at that depth was 40 degrees-thirteen our ships were involved in an ocean of rolling degrees lower than at the surface. A current was fragments of ice, hard as floating rocks of granite, found setting to the south-east at the rate of fifteen which were dashed against them by the waves with miles a day; a similar stream has been noticed at so much violence, that their masts quivered as if Kerguelen Island, and there is reason to believe they would fall at every successive blow; and the that it circulates continually round the Antarctic destruction of the ships seemed inevitable from the Ocean in a stream about 10 degrees wide on either tremendous shocks they received. By backing and side of the fiftieth parallel of latitude. A few days filling the sails, we endeavored to avoid collision afterwards a thick fog afforded opportunity of test- with the larger masses; but this was not always ing the relative value of sound-signals, and the possible. In the early part of the storm the rudder effects were as extraordinary as those observed in of the Erebus was so much damaged as to be no the north. "The bell was most distinct, and the longer of any use; and about the same time I was gong very little inferior, when the musket was informed by signal that the Terror's was completely scarcely audible; but I was much surprised," re- destroyed, and nearly torn away from the sternmarks the captain, "on hailing through a speak-post. We had hoped that, as we drifted deeper ing trumpet, to receive an immediate and so clear into the pack, we should get beyond the reach an answer from the officer of the watch of the of the tempest; but in this we were mistaken. Terror, that we might have carried on a conversa- Hour passed away after hour without the least tion." On the 16th, having reached the meridian mitigation of the awful circumstances in which we of 146° 43′ west, the ships' heads were directed to were placed. Indeed, there seemed to be but little the south, this being the most favorable line for probability of our ships holding together much observations on the magnetic intensity, and the one longer, so frequent and violent were the shocks on which land was most likely to be met with. they sustained. The loud crashing noise of the Having passed the outskirts of the pack, the main straining and working of the timbers and decks, as body was entered on the 19th, through which their she was driven against some of the heavier pieces, progress was slow and toilsome; the party, how- which all the activity and exertions of our people ever, managed to spend Christmas-day cheerfully, could not prevent, was sufficient to fill the stoutest notwithstanding their imprisonment. Sometimes heart-that was not supported by trust in Him who they were obliged to moor the vessels on either controls all events-with dismay; and I should side of a large floe, and drift with it, to prevent commit an act of injustice to my companions if I collision. "It seldom happened that a piece ex- did not express my admiration of their conduct on ceeding a quarter of a mile in circumference was this trying occasion, throughout a period of twentymet with, thus presenting a striking difference of eight hours, during any one of which there apcharacter in the pack of the antarctic from that of peared to be very little hope that we should live to the arctic sea, where floes of several miles in see another: the coolness, steady obedience, and diameter are of common occurrence, and sometimes untiring exertions of each individual were every 'fields,' as they are termed, whose boundary is way worthy of British seamen. beyond the reach of vision from a ship's mast-head. The cause of this is explained by the circumstance of the ice in the southern regions being so much more exposed to violent agitations of the ocean, whereas the northern sea is one of comparative tranquillity."

The antarctic circle was crossed on the 1st day of 1842, the anniversary of the crossing on the former voyage, but 1400 miles more to the west. Here the ice was met with at a lower latitude, and during several days ground was lost by a current drifting the ships to the northwards. While beset, the crews were frequently employed in catching seals, or collecting such specimens of natural history as came in their way, many of which are now to be seen in the British Museum. What the land lacks in vegetable life, is made up by the teeming and varied animal life in the ocean; from the minute infusoria, in inconceivable myriads, up to the huge whale and sea-elephant, multitudinous gradations exist, the grand circle of existence ever maintained by the lesser serving as food for the larger. The penguins were found extremely difficult to kill when required to be preserved unmutilated; at last prussic acid was resorted to, and a table-spoonful of this destroyed them in less than a minute. Thus it continued until the 19th, alternately hunt

The storm reached its height at two P. M., when the barometer stood at 28-40 inches, and after that time began to rise. Although we had been forced many miles deeper into the pack, we could not perceive that the swell had at all subsided, our ships still rolling and groaning amidst the heavy fragments of crushing bergs, over which the ocean rolled its mountainous waves, throwing huge masses one upon another, and then again burying them deep beneath its foaming waters, dashing and grinding them together with fearful violence. The awful grandeur of such a scene can neither be imagined nor described, far less can the feelings of those who witnessed it be understood. Each of us secured our hold, waiting the issue with resignation to the will of Him who alone could preserve us, and bring us safely through this extreme danger; watching with breathless anxiety the effect of each succeeding collision, and the vibrations of the tottering masts, expecting every moment to see them give way without our having the power to make an effort to save them.

"Although the force of the wind had somewhat abated by four P. M., yet the squalls came on with unabated violence, laying the ship over on her broadside, and threatening to blow the storm-sails to pieces; fortunately they were quite new, or they

never could have withstood such terrific gusts. At | topsails and foresail; and as it was impossible for this time the Terror was so close to us, that when she rose to the top of one wave, the Erebus was on the top of that next to leeward of her; the deep chasm between them filled with heavy-rolling masses; and as the ships descended into the hollow between the waves, the main-top-sail-yard of each could be seen just level with the crest of the intervening wave from the deck of the other. From this some idea may be formed of the height of the waves, as well as of the perilous situation of the ships. The night now began to draw in, and cast its gloomy mantle over the appalling scene, rendering our condition, if possible, more hopeless and helpless than before; but at midnight the snow, which had been falling thickly for several hours, cleared away as the wind suddenly shifted to the westward, and the swell began to subside; and although the shocks our ships still sustained were such that must have destroyed any ordinary vessel in less than five minutes, yet they were feeble compared with those to which we had been exposed, and our minds became more at ease for their ulti-consort clear the end of the berg, and of feeling mate safety."

her to clear both the berg and the Erebus, collision was inevitable. We instantly hove all aback to diminish the violence of the shock; but the concussion, when she struck us, was such as to throw almost every one off his feet; our bowsprit, foretopmast, and other smaller spars, were carried away; and the ships hanging together, entangled by their rigging, and dashing against each other with fearful violence, were falling down upon the weather-face of the lofty berg under our lee, against which the waves were breaking and foaming to near the summit of its perpendicular cliffs. Sometimes the Terror rose high above us, almost exposing her keel to view, and again descended as we in our turn rose to the top of the wave, threatening to bury her beneath us; whilst the crashing of the breaking upper works and boats increased the horror of the scene. Providentially the vessels gradually forged past each other, and separated before we drifted down among the foaming breakers; and we had the gratification of seeing our that she was safe. But she left us completely disabled; the wreck of the spars so encumbered the lower yards, that we were unable to make sail so as to get headway on the ship; nor had we room to wear round, being by this time so close to the berg, that the waves, when they struck against it, threw back their sprays into the ship. The only way left to us to extricate ourselves from this awful and appalling situation, was by resorting to the hazardous expedient of a stern board, which nothing could justify during such a gale, and with so high a sea running, but to avert the danger which every moment threatened us of being dashed to pieces. The heavy rolling of the vessel, and the probability of the masts giving way each time the lower yardarms struck against the cliffs, which were towering high above our mast-heads, rendered it a service of extreme danger to loose the mainsail; but no sooner was the order given, than the daring spirit of the British seaman manifested itself-the men ran up the rigging with as much alacrity as on any ordinary occasion: and although more than once

On the morning of the 21st Captain Ross was enabled to visit the Terror in a boat. He found the rudder broken to pieces, and other damage; yet so well fortified were the vessels, and their holds so well stowed, that the bottoms remained sound. During the calm which followed, the rudders were hoisted on board, and carpenters and armorers worked busily at their repair; a new one was made for the Terror. While waiting for the ice to open, the latitude was taken, 66° 39', the same which they had passed three weeks before, in addition to which the five best weeks of the season had been lost by fighting through the pack. By the 24th both rudders were hung and secured; and, still moored to a floe, the vessels drifted before the wind slowly to the southward. They were not far from the spot where Cook had found a clear sea; so different is the situation of the pack in different years. At length, on February 2d, after a struggle of fifty-six days, they cleared the ice, the pack where they crossed it being 1000 miles wide. Passing the outer barrier through a line of threat-driven off the yard, they, after a short time, sucening breakers was not accomplished without much difficulty, and, to the great joy of all on board, the vessels were once more in open water. On the 20th, although not more than thirty miles to east of the point from which they turned back in the former year, no ice was visible; but the wind blowing from the south over the accumulated ice in that direction was piercing cold-so much so, that a small fish washed against the ice accumulated on the Terror's bow was at once frozen fast. On the 23d, they were off the great icy barrier in latitude 78° 9′ 30′′ south, longitude 161° 27′ west; and, from its being comparatively low, they hoped to get round its eastern end, but soon saw it trending to the northwards. Young ice now formed so rapidly, that they were obliged to retreat, the result of this voyage being the attainment of a somewhat higher latitude than in the previous year, and an examination of the barrier 10 degrees more to the east. The vessels recrossed the antarctic circle on March 6th, after passing sixty-four days within it, and bore up for the Falkland Islands. A week later, when all further danger from the ice was considered to be at an end, a chain of bergs was seen, and preparations were made to lie to. "Just at this moment," writes Sir J. Ross, "the Terror was observed running down upon us, under her

ceeded in loosing the sail. Amidst the roar of the wind and sea, it was difficult both to hear and to execute the orders that were given, so that it was three quarters of an hour before we could get the yards braced by, and the maintack hauled on board sharp aback-an expedient that perhaps had never before been resorted to by seamen in such weather; but it had the desired effect; the ship gathered sternway, plunging her stern into the sea, washing away the gig and quarter-boats, and with her lower yard-arms scraping the rugged face of the bergwe in a few minutes reached its western termination; the undertow,' as it is called, or the reaction of the water from the vertical cliffs alone preventing us being driven to atoms against it. No sooner had we cleared it, than another was seen directly astern of us, against which we were running; and the difficulty now was to get the ship's head turned round, and pointed fairly through the two bergs, the breadth of the intervening space not exceeding three times her own breadth. This, however, we happily accomplished; and in a few minutes after getting before the wind, she dashed through the narrow channel, between two perpendicular walls of ice, and the foaming breakers which stretched across it, and the next moment we were in smooth water under its lee."

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