X SUMMARY OF THE VOYAGE. 



the coast (Cockburn's Island), we landed upon it. The vegetable productions only 

 amounted to twenty Cryptogamic species, three of them Seaweeds. Unable, after a 

 series of fruitless efforts, to penetrate farther than 65°, and after having been more or 

 less entangled in the ice for thirty-seven days, Sir James Ross finally bore up, and when, 

 with great diflSculty, the ships had been extricated from the pack-ice, we commenced 

 tracing its edge to the eastward. A succession of easterly gales rendered the pro- 

 gress in the advancing season tedious, most uncomfortable, and hazardous. At last 

 however, on the 22nd of February 1843, the pack was lost sight of, trending to the south- 

 west. On the 28th the Antarctic Circle was recrossed, and in spite of the rapidly 

 shortening days, dark nights, and continual bad weather (for throughout the month 

 of February, corresponding to an English August, only one day elapsed without 

 snow), the Commander persevered in holding a southerly course. On Sunday the 5th 

 of March, the weather being very thick, with snow-squalls, white petrels were seen, a 

 bird whose appearance affords a sure indication of the proximity of pack-ice, and on 

 the afternoon of the same day a heavy pack was descried, only a few yards ahead, with 

 a terrific surf beating on it. The ice here was such as not to allow of being " taken" 

 (or entered), even under the most favourable circumstances, and the ships were accord- 

 ingly put about in lat. 71° 30' S., long. 15° W. 



The thickness of the weather made it impossible to ascertain the course and posi- 

 tion of the pack, and the Northward Voyage was commenced under violent N.E. equi- 

 noctial gales. Beating to the northward, the ice occurred on both tacks, and the vessels 

 were found to be in a bight of the pack, with the ocean loaded with bergs, and while the 

 continued snow-squalls prevented the possibiUty of seeing any object ahead, the heavy 

 seas and snow-laden state of the rigging rendered all human exertions ineffectual. From 

 that date till the 11th of March, matters remained much the same, the ships beating to 

 the northward with as much press of sail as could be exposed, trusting to Providence 

 alone for guidance among the bergs. On the 19th the position assigned to Bouvet's 

 or Circumcision Island was gained, but the weather rendered all endeavours, for three 

 days, to discover land in this place of no avail. Both ships had a narrow escape of 

 running foul of an iceberg, over which the sea was breaking, eighty feet high. The 

 " Erebus," passing to windward, struck one of the floating masses from it ; and the 

 " Terror," to windward of her consort, did not discover the danger till almost too late, 



