98 



Southern Cross. 



was not improved by the dogs, who twice jumped out of the boat, so that 

 we had to catch them again. I got some rehef to my anger by thrashing 

 them soundly. I saw a number of Pagodroma and some Megalestris. This 

 afternoon Fougner and I went out on the ice to fish, with " pilk," and 

 I had the pleasure of catching the first six fishes taken here by our 

 Norwegian method. The largest were from six to eight inches long. 

 There were two different species, one grey and one brown, both bottom 

 species, very much like the Wolf-fish (Anarrichas), but with large scales 

 and not such strong teeth. 



April \Gth. — These last days the weather has been beautiful and 

 invigorating. Wind calm, with the temperature down to 0° Fahr. ; but 

 we do not feel the cold when there is no wind. Every day I have been 

 on the ice, fishing. I am generally accompanied by Fougner and the two 

 Finns when I indulge in this sport. All in all, we have caught fifty fish 

 of the same species as before. To-day Fougner caught fourteen, of which 

 one was a foot long. While we were on the ice to-day, the dogs found a 

 Seal which they had nearly half eaten before Ole killed it. It was a 

 female without an embryo. The Finns killed to-day a large Seal 

 {Leptomjcliotes). No birds seen to-day. Yesterday I saw some Megalestris. 



April ISfh. — The zoological results of this trip were two fishes and an 

 embryo, 18 inches long, which they took out of an old LeptonycJiotes, 

 which they killed for food for their dogs. They brought also the head 

 of the Seal with them. On examination I found the teeth entirely worn 

 out, so it must have been an uncommonly old animal. Yesterday and 

 to-day I have been very busy preparing the fishes we have caught till 

 now and photographing some of them. This forenoon Fougner was out 

 fishing and brought back to me four small white fishes. Is this perhaps 

 a new species 1 



April 20th. — It has been rather cold to-day. The temperature was 

 this forenoon down to —10° Fahr., but to-night it has risen to —2°. 

 To-day I took observations of the depth of the sea and the temperature 

 and currents round the point. I was assisted by Fougner and Ole, and 

 worked for some time on the north side of the Cape out towards the 

 point, but the swerving of the ice drove us soon on shore again. It was 

 only small floes of ice we had to walk on, and for the most part they 

 were so small that they could barely carry us. It is not over pleasant to 

 be dabbling in the water in a temperature such as we had to-day, and 

 we were not sorry to be driven on shore. Saw some Pagodroma while 

 we were out. No Megalestris and no Seals haA^e been seen these last 

 days. Evidently the Seals do not like the motion there has been 

 in the ice. 



April 2lst. — Evans, Ole and I were out taking observations of the 

 temperature of the sea to-day ; at 300 and 400 yards from the land we 

 found the highest temperature + 28-8° Fahr., lowest + 27-5° Fahr. On 

 the south side all our observations were below -J- 28° Fahr. 



April 24:th. — A gale is blowing. Of zoological interest I can note 

 that I saw a great number of the Brown-backed Fetvel J^Thalassceca 

 antarctica), and the Ice Petrel {Pagodroma 7iivea), which fished in the 

 mashed up ice. We saw some Seals in the ice, white and grey, and on 

 the beach I found washed up a brown thing, very much like a Hag 

 (Myxine), about a foot long, without fins. 



