$O THE OCAN WORLD. 



sea an error which has very unjustly thrown discredit on the whole, 

 expedition. 



The English expedition, under Sir J. C. Ross, entered this region 

 on Christmas Day, 1840, which was passed by Ross in a strong gale, 

 with constant snow or rain. Soon after, the first icebergs were seen, 

 having flat tubular summits, and being in some instances two miles 

 in circumference ; they were bounded on all sides by perpendicular 

 cliffs of ice. On New Year's Day, 1841, the ships crossed the 

 Antarctic Circle, and reached the edge of the pack ice, which they 

 entered, after skirting it for several days. On the 5th the pack was 

 passed through, amid blinding snow and thick fog, which on clearing 

 away revealed an open sea; and on the nth of January land was 

 seen directly ahead of the ships. A coast line rose in lofty snow- 

 covered peaks at a great distance. On a nearer view, this coast is 

 thus described : " It was a beautifully clear evening, and two 

 magnificent ranges of mountains rose to elevations varying from 

 7,000 to 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. The glaciers which 

 filled their intervening valleys, and which descended from near the 

 mountain summits, projected in many places several miles into the 

 sea, and terminated in lofty perpendicular cliffs. In a few places the 

 locks broke through their icy covering, by which alone we could be 

 assured that masses of lava formed the nucleus of this, to all appear- 

 ance, enormous iceberg. This antarctic land was named Victoria 

 Land, in honour of the Queen of England. It was coasted up to 

 78 south latitude, and near to this a magnificent volcanic mountain 

 presented itself, rising 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, which 

 emitted flame and smoke in great quantities. The flanks of this 

 gigantic mountain were clothed with snow almost to the mouth of 

 the very crater from which the flame and smoke issued. At a 

 short distance, Ross discovered the cone of an extinct, or, at least, 

 inactive volcano. He gave to these two volcanoes the names of 

 his vessels, Erebus and Terror (Fig. 8) names perfectly in harmony 

 with the surrounding desolation. The ice-covered cliffs rose about 

 190 feet high, and appeared to be about 300 feet deep ; soundings 

 were found at about 400 fathoms. In the distance, towards the 

 south, a range of lofty mountains was observed, which Ross named 

 Mount Parry, in honour of his old commander. When Ross 

 commenced to retrace his steps, the expedition had advanced as far 

 as 79 of south latitude. 



It may be said of the polar countries that they form a transition 

 state between land and sea, for water is always present, although in a 



