1902 ALONG THE GREAT BARRIER 129 



precisely the same manner as they had when they formed part 

 of the ice-sheet. Noon, long. 1S4 E., progress 91 miles. 

 Evening, appear to be passing inside a very large berg detached 

 from the barrier. Sounding 350 to 300 fathoms.' 



'■January 26. — The iceberg on the port bow turned out to 

 be attached to the barrier ; we appeared to be steaming through 

 a long channel until 5 a.m., when we found ourselves at the 

 head of an inlet. The ice on our right-hand side gradually 

 sloped down from 120 feet to 20 feet at the extremity of the 

 inlet ; here it suddenly dropped to 8 feet, and on our left very 

 gradually rose again to 90 feet. Our sounding here was 315 

 fathoms, and our lat. 78.36 S., the highest we have reached. 

 The weather was very misty and overcast, and we could not 

 see the ending of our channel until we were close on it. There 

 was nothing to be done but to turn round and come out again, 

 and on reaching the end of the ice-cliff, now on our right, we 

 found a stiff E.N.E. breeze blowing, with a short sea causing 

 the ship to pitch heavily. The temperature had risen to 31°. 

 As we could not hope to make headway against this wind, we 

 made plain sail on clearing the inlet, and allowing our steam 

 to drop, we stood to sea close-hauled on the starboard tack. 

 Later, the wind, which never blew above force 7, backed to 

 the S.E., and not wishing to run too far from the barrier, we 

 put about at 8 p.m. The glass, which has been low, is again 

 rising.' 



^January 27. — During the night the glass rose and the wind 

 fell, and as we approached the barrier we put over our 

 "Agassiz" trawl; the contents were not plentiful, but, I 

 understand, contain several new species. In the afternoon we 

 furled sails and steamed towards the barrier. When we 

 started to steam along it, we were evidently making little or no 

 headway against a westerly set of at least three knots. Our 

 very slow progress hitherto has been to a great extent due to 

 an adverse current, which is much stronger at some times than 

 at others : it is not improbable that there is a tidal effect 

 which alternately accelerates and retards the current, but the 

 net result is a strong set to the west. The present excessive 



VOL. I. K 



