of Captain Ross in the Southern: Ocean. 287 
the land, some exposed patches of rock appeared ; and steering 
towards a small bay, for the purpose of effecting a landing, we 
-found the shore so thickly lined for some miles with bergs and 
pack-ice, and with a heavy swell dashing against it, we were 
obliged to abandon our purpose and steer towards a more pro- 
mising looking point to the S.E., off which we observed several 
small islands ; and on the morning of the 12th I landed, accom- 
panied by Commander Crozier and a number of the officers of 
each ship, and took possession of the country in the name of 
Her most gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. 
The island on which we landed is composed wholly of igneous 
rocks, numerous specimens of which, with other imbedded 
minerals, were procured. Itisin latitude 71° 56’ S. and longi- 
tude 171° 7’ E. 
Observing that the east coast of the mainland trended to the 
southward, whilst the north shore took a N.W. direction, I 
was led to hope that, by penetrating to the south as far as prac- 
ticable, it might be possible to pass beyond the Magnetic 
Pole, which our combined observations placed in 76° S. near- 
ly, and thence, by steering westward, complete its circumnavi- 
gation. We accordingly pursued our course along this mag- 
nificent land, and on the 23d January we reached 74° 15’ Su, 
the highest.southern latitude that had ever been attained by 
any preceding navigators, and that by our own countryman, 
Captain James Weddell. 
Although greatly impeded by strong southerly gales, thick 
fogs, and constant snow-storms, we continued the examination 
of the coast to the southward, and on the 27th we again land- 
ed on an island in latitude 76° 8’ S., 168° 12’ E., composed, as 
on the former occasion, entirely of igneous rocks. 
Still steering to the southward, early the next morning, the 
28th, a mountain of 12,400 feet above the level of the sea was 
seen, emitting flame and smoke in splendid profusion. This 
magnificent voleano received the name of Mount Erebus. It 
is in latitude 77° 32’ S. and longitude 167° E. An extinct 
erater to the eastward of Mount Erebus, of a somewhat less 
elevation, was called Mount Terror. The mainland preserved 
its southerly trending, and we continued to follow it, until, in 
the afternoon, when close in with the land, our farther pro- 
