212 SOUNDINGS AS BEFORE. [CHAP. IV. 



low land farther south. From the mast-head, 

 with a glass, about two points of the compass 

 presented a clear horizon, and then began the 

 low land, which after making a long curve 

 approached the ship to within four or five miles. 

 This part not having been surveyed, many 

 conjectures were made as to the probability of 

 a passage to the south of the bluff land ahead, 

 which it was further supposed might be found 

 to lead into Evan's Inlet of Lyon. It was how- 

 ever impossible at our remote situation to form 

 any conclusion, because, notwithstanding appear- 

 ances, the clear space might be nothing more than 

 the circular trending of the coastline, terminating 

 somewhere about Seahorse Point. The change 

 in the rounded and shelving outline of the hills 

 was too remarkable to escape the notice of the 

 most careless observer, though this did not seem 

 to affect the soundings, which at noon were in 

 one hundred and fifty fathoms, with the same 

 description of mud as before. The extremes of 

 land at the above hour were from E. 65° S., to 

 W. 55° N., and the latitude was 64° 32' N. 



The whole of the 8th was foggy •, nor did the 

 weather clear until near midnight, when the 

 aurora shooting up to the zenith threw a faint 

 light around, and enabled the officer of the watch 

 to catch a glimpse of the land, which he fancied 

 to be nearer. At broken intervals there was a 



