112 TASMANIA AND THE ANTAECTIC 



to the simple operation of boring packs, &c., which have 

 now vanished, though I am not going to tell everybody 

 so ; I do not here refer to travellers who do indeed undergo 

 unheard of hardships, but to voyagers who have a snug ship, 

 a little knowledge of the Ice, and due caution is all that is 

 required. At one time we thought we were really going 

 on to the true South Pole, when we were brought up by the 

 land turning from S. to E., where there was a fine Volcano 

 spouting fire and smoke in 79° S., covered all over with 

 eternal snow, except just round the crater where the heat 

 had melted it off. I can give you no idea of the glorious 

 views we have here, they are stupendous and imposing, 

 especially when there was any fine weather, with the sun 

 never setting, among huge bergs, the water and sky both as 

 blue, or rather more intensely blue than I have ever seen 

 it in the Tropics, and all the coast one mass of beautiful 

 peaks of snow, and when the sun gets low they reflect the 

 most brilliant tints of gold and yellow and scarlet, and 

 then to see the dark cloud of smoke tinged with flame rising 

 from the Volcano in one column, one side jet black and the 

 other reflecting the colors of the sun, turning off at a right 

 angle by some current of wind and extending many miles 

 to leeward ; it is a sight far exceeding anything I could 

 imagine and which is very much heightened by the idea that 

 we have penetrated far farther than was once thought 

 practicable, and there is a sort of awe that steals over us 

 all in considering our own total insignificance and helpless- 

 ness. Everything beyond what we see is enveloped in a 

 mystery reserved for future voyagers to fathom. 



But you are all this time wondering what are the fruits 

 of this Expedition to me especially. During our stay at 

 Lord Auckland's group I made a collection of plants with 

 which I hope you will be pleased, among them were two tree 

 ferns, and many hew species. I have accompanied them 

 with as full notes as I could, especially relating to geographical 

 position ; there are some most remarkable new genera, and 

 I think a new Nat. Ord. among them. . . . 



All my time when we have had fine weather to the 

 S. has been taken up in examining them, and I fully 

 think that Mr. Brown will be much pleased with the notes 

 and drawings, v/hich are numerous ; they must, however, 



