140 SOUTH AGAIN : NEW ZEALAND AND THE CAPE 



gamic plants, but no Phenogamic, all very scarce indeed but 

 one or two Lichens.' Among his finds he mentions : 



Uha crisjpa ! also I see found in Ross Islet, according to 

 your list of Parry's plants, [and here are pencilled in the 

 words] apparently exactly that of Europe, &c., so that unless 

 the Eed Snow of Forster should prove the real plant of 

 Antarctic regions, this is the only plant common to both 

 extremities of this globe, and it would be interesting to 

 ascertain which intermediate positions it inhabited. It is 

 probably found in Europe generally. 



This voyage was like to have had an untoward interruption, 

 if not termination, for the ships were nearly frozen in between 

 the islands, and only escaped after six days' struggle with the 

 ice. Another fortnight was spent in trying to pierce the main 

 pack, when again they were nearly frozen iii ; but once clear 

 of the pack, on February 4, they made for Weddell's track 

 in long. 40° W., where earlier in the century he had found clear 

 water as far as 74° S. But now this line was blocked by 

 a dense pack, while the weather was unpropitious. Crossing 

 the Antarctic Circle on March 1, next day they saw the sun 

 unclouded, the first time for six weeks, and on the 6th turned 

 back at 71 J° S., long. 14° 15' W., only to be overtaken by a 

 fierce gale lasting three days, during which they were repeatedly 

 in danger of shipwreck in the ice or of collision. On the 

 11th they recrossed the Antarctic Circle, as all devoutly hoped 

 for the last time, and bore up for the Cape, which was reached 

 on April 4, 1843. 



Officers and men alike were growing weary of the prolonged 

 voyage, and the threatened addition of a fifth year was as 

 unwelcome as it was unusual. The fatigues and monotony 

 of the South outweighed the solid allurements of double pay. 

 Ross, with his keen interest in the magnetic work and his 

 ambitions as an explorer, and Hooker, with new fields of science 

 opening before him and his heart in his work, were, as the 

 latter confesses, the only two who could have both pleasure 

 and gain in a fifth year or even longer voyage. * It is nothing 

 to me if they keep us out six, except the want of seeing my 



