DISCOVEEIES WITHOUT HARDSHIPS 111 



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^B All the polar voyagers were astonished beyond measure 

 ^Hat the stupendous masses of ice, and their singularly regular 

 ("figure ; they are all square or oblong squares generally about 

 60 to 100 feet out of the 'water, and of course seven times 

 that below, its | being always under water, they are all 

 formed along the coast and drifted north from it, — 84 have 

 at one time been counted from the mast head, of all sizes, 

 from I mile to 6 miles long ; this was in about 70° South. 

 The whole of the land surveyed from 72° to 79° presented 

 the appearance of range upon range of peaked mountains, 

 covered everywhere with snow, except where the precipices 

 were too perpendicular for it to lie, and these are exposed 

 to constant disintegration from the masses of snow rolling 

 from above down their faces, and sweeping huge masses on 

 to the Icebergs below, which when they are removed from 

 the coast by a gale, transport these erratic boulders. All 

 the coast of one of the Islands we landed on, is lined with 

 masses of ice covered more or less with sand, stones and 

 rocks. In such situations it is impossible for plants to grow, 

 and I add that during the whole time that we were within 

 the Circle, the Thermometer never rose above 82° and very 

 rarely so high, you will not be surprised at this ; on board 

 the ship its average range was 18°-24°, never lower than 

 12°, of course ashore it must be much colder. The sun is 

 very powerless here ; at 75° North the sun in summer raises 

 the mercury in a black bulb Therm, to 100° and upwards, 

 but here only to 42°. The sea is equally unproductive, 

 its temperature 29°, and 28° is the freezing point of sea 

 water. When near the shore, I have always been looking 

 for some trace of vegetation in the sea, but now I am perfectly 

 convinced that in this longitude vegetation does not enter 

 the Circle. Emerald Island, off which we passed some 

 seaweed, is probably the Southern limit. 



The success of the Expedition in Geographical discovery 

 is really wonderful, and only shows what a little perseverance 

 will do, for we have been in no dangerous predicaments, 

 and have suffered no hardships whatever ; there has been 

 a sort of freemasonry among Polar voyagers to keep up the 

 credit they have acquired as having done wonders, and 

 accordingly, such of us as were new to the Ice, made up our 

 minds for frost bites, and attached a most undue importance 



