THE VOYAGE OF THE HURON AND THE HUNTRESS 



the wind becoming westerly, Captain Davis got some more observations which 

 help establish his exact position. He noted: 



". . . Deception Island bore north, Land bearing from SSW to E by N, 

 Low Island W by S, President Island NW [by] N and Bluff Point SE 

 by E, off of which lays a number of Single rocks at the distance of 8 to 10 

 miles. Ends with light winds from the north and westward. On 

 Bonnets and out reefs, making the best of our way for the Ship." 



At this time he was approximately in latitude 63° 18' south and longitude 

 61°03' west. Trinity Island was the nearest island geographically. Austin Rocks 

 (the single rocks) were off his weather beam, and Bluff Point on Trinity Island 

 bore SE by E. Deception Island was due north, allowing for compass variation 

 of 25' easterly. 



BAIE D£ HUGHES (Vub prise ues Rocu&rs Austin) 



I. des Deux Hummocks D* de Gerlache I. Brabant I. Ltige I. Hoseason 



(From: "Deuxierae Expedition Antartique Francais" — Charcot, 1908-1910) 



In returning from the cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula, Captain Davis recorded 



sighting the Continent again from the same vantage point of Austin Rocks from 



which Charcot observed it some ninety years afterward 



These bearings help to establish not only the Cecilia's position but the further 

 sighting of the Antarctic Peninsula as well, this latter from south-southwest 

 to east by north. As this fact also supports a similar observation made by 

 Captain Burdick of the Huntress a few days later, it is of considerable im- 

 portance to note it here. 



When conditions were right for such observations, the clarity of the atmos- 

 phere in these latitudes has been amply aflirmed by several Antarctic explorers. 

 Such long-range sightings, however, tend to shorten distances. Thus, the 

 "Land" which Captain Davis reported bearing from "S.S.W. to E. by N.," 

 was the high mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula now called Palmer Land, 

 some thirty miles away at this point. 



During the next twelve hours the Cecilia clawed her way to the north, 

 battling a northeast breeze which alternated between moderate and fresh. It 

 was not until 2 o'clock in the afternoon on February 9 that she got into the 

 lee of Deception Island which at 8 o'clock the previous evening (some 18 

 hours before) had been due north of her. The weather became foggy and un- 

 pleasant and it was rainy when Captain Davis closed his log on that day. The 



[56] 



