177$ ROUND THE WORLD, 259 



course to the east. At noon the next day, we were 

 in the latitude of 64 49' S., longitude 149 19' W. 

 Some time after our longitude, by observed distance 

 of the sun and moon, was 149 19' W. ; by Mr. Ken- 

 dal's watch, 148 36'; and by my reckoning, 148 

 43', latitude 64 48' S. 



The clear weather and the wind veering to north- 

 west tempted me to steer south, which course we 

 continued till seven in the morning of the 20th, 

 when the wind changing to north-east, and the sky 

 becoming clouded, we hauled up south-east. In the 

 afternoon the wind increased to a strong gale, at- 

 tended with a thick fog, snow, sleet, and rain, which 

 constitutes the very worst of weather. Our rigging 

 at this time was so loaded with ice that we had 

 enough to do to get our top-sails down to double the 

 reef. At seven o'clock in the evening, in the longi- 

 tude of 147 46', we came the second time within the 

 antarctic or polar circle, continuing our course to 

 the south-east till six o'clock the next morning. At 

 that time, being in the latitude of 67 5 f S., all at 

 once we got in among a cluster of very large ice 

 islands, and a vast quantity of loose pieces ; and, as 

 the fog was exceedingly thick, it was with the ut- 

 most difficulty we wore clear of them. This done, 

 we stood to the north-west till noon, when the fog 

 being somewhat dissipated, we resumed our course 

 again to the south-east. The ice islands we met 

 with in the morning were very high and rugged, 

 forming at their tops many peaks, whereas the most 

 of those we had seen before were flat at top, and not 

 so high, though many of them were between two 

 and three hundred feet in height, and between two 

 and three miles in circuit, with perpendicular cliffs 

 or sides, astonishing to behold. Most of our winged 

 companions had now left us, the grey albatrosses 

 only remained, and instead of the other birds we 

 were visited by a few antarctic peterels. 



The 22d we steered east-south-east with a fresh 



s 2 



