made by the Antarctic Expedition. 143 



near the mountain summits, projected many miles into the 

 ocean, and presented a perpendicular face of lofty cliffs. As 

 we neared the land, sonie 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, that we were obliged to abandon our purpose and steer 

 towards a more promising looking point to the S.E., off wiiich 

 we observed several small islantis; and on the mornin<>- of the 

 12th I landed, accompanied 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 i^r- 

 neous rocks, numerous specimens of which, with other im- 

 bedded minerals, were procured. It is in latitude 71° 56' S. 

 and longitude 171° 7' E. ' 



Observing that the east coast of the mainland tended 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 

 practicable, it might be possible to pass beyond the magnetic 

 pole, which our combined observations placed in 76° S. nearly, 

 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' S. 

 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 examina- 

 tion of the coast to the southward, and on the 27th we aoain 

 landed on an island in latitude 76° 8' S., 168° 12' E., com- 

 posed, as on the former occasion, entirely of igneous rocks. 



Still steering to the southward, earJy the next morning, the 

 28th, a mountain of 12,400 feet above the level of the sea was 

 seen, emitting fluuie and smoke in splendid profusion. This 

 magnificent volcano received the name of Mount Erebus. It 

 is in latitude 77" 32' S., and longitude 167° E. ; an extinct 

 crater to the eastward of Mount Erebus, of a somewhat less 

 elevation, was called Mount Terror. The mainland preserved 

 its southerly tending, and we continued to follow it, until, in the 

 afternoon, when close in with the lanti, our further proo-iess 

 in that direction was prevented by a barrier of ice stretdiin.r 

 away from a projecting cape of the coast directly to the E.S.e! 



This extraordinary barrier presented a perpendicular face 

 of at least 150 feet, rising, of course, far above the mast-heads 

 of our shij)s, and completely concealing from our view every- 



