84 PROGRESS UP 



1824. land lay a-head of us. At four, however, a 

 Sept. heavy gale from e.n.e. brought us under main- 

 top-sail and trysails, and we went on the lar- 

 board tack, as promising the longest drift. 

 The soundings continued during the night at 

 from eighty to ninety-five fathoms ; a heavy 

 sea sent us as usual dead to leeward, s.w., and 

 our compasses on this tack were useless. 



The gale continued all the 4th, and as our 

 allowance of water was reduced to a quart per 

 diem, only half a ton remaining in the ship, I de- 

 cided on killing our two little ponies, for their 

 hay had all been thrown overboard to clear the 

 decks on the 1st., and their constant exposure 

 to the wash of the sea over the forecastle, on 

 which it was requisite in bad weather to sus- 

 pend them in slings, was reducing them very 

 fast. They were accordingly shot, to the infi- 

 nite regret of all hands, as they were very great 

 favourites. In the evening we had shoaled our 

 water gradually, from ninety-three at midnight 

 of the 3d, to forty-seven fathoms, and in wear- 

 ing ship had only forty-five, which led me to 

 suppose that we had neared the extensive shoal 

 off Cape Kendall. On standing with our head 

 N.N.W., but driving west, we deepened gradu- 

 ally to ninety-five fathoms at midnight. The 

 gale blew with undiminished violence all the 



