32 



Unfavourable weather for a southern 

 cruise. Fire on board. 



SOUTHERN CRUISE. 



The Relief at Noir Island. 

 Perilous situation of the ship. 



termined to return, and was making his way to the 

 north when he fell in with the Peacock. 



The nights having become long, with .the inter- 

 ruptions occasioned by fogs and snow-storms, 

 afforded but little time for running the vessels 

 among the icebergs, whose numbers rendered the 

 navigation extremely hazardous. The condition 

 of the Peacock for a winter's campaign was mise- 

 rable, and on board the Flying-Fish there was no 

 protection in the event of being frozen in. The 

 positive nature of his instructions, combined with 

 the report of Lieutenant Walker, convinced Cap- 

 tain Hudson of the necessity of turning the ves- 

 sels' heads towards a more temperate climate. On 

 holding a council with his officers, he found them 

 all of the opinion that the season for active opera- 

 tions in these latitudes had passed, and that it was 

 advisable for the vessels to proceed without delay 

 to the north. 



The vessels accordingly steered to the north- 

 ward. 



The weather, during the cruise south, was ex- 

 ceedingly unfavourable; for, with few exceptions, 

 during their stay in the antarctic circle, they were 

 enveloped in dense fogs, or found only occasional 

 relief from them in falls of snow. The crew during 

 the whole time enjoyed an unusual degree of 

 health, which is not a little surprising; for since 

 leaving Orange Harbour, the state of the ship had 

 been such as to promote disease. The precau- 

 tions and endeavours to keep the men dry entirely 

 failed, from the condition of' the ship, heretofore 

 referred to. 



The weather proved thick on the 28th and 29th, 

 and they had little opportunity of making progress 

 to the north, against the north-west winds, which 

 were light. On this night a new danger beset 

 them, that of being consumed by fire ! At mid- 

 night, on the 29th of March, they were aroused by 

 the smell of burning and smoke, issuing from the 

 main hold. The usual orders were given relative 

 to the magazine. The drum beat to quarters. On 

 opening the main hatch, smoke issued out in 

 volumes, and fire was discovered under it, pro- 

 ceeding from a bag in full blaze. This was soon 

 passed on deck, and the fire extinguished. It was 

 fortunately discovered in time, and was found to 

 proceed from a quantity of coffee, which had been 

 put below in the bag, after it had been burnt or 

 roasted, the previous afternoon. 



On the 1st of April, in latitude 60 12' S., longi- 

 tude 84 20' W., Captain Hudson despatched the 

 tender to Orange Harbour, with his reports to me, 

 and continued his route to Valparaiso. On the 

 evening of the 19th they made the land of Chili; 

 and on the 21st the Peacock arrived in Valparaiso, 

 where to their surprise they found our store-ship 

 the Relief, which had arrived at Valparaiso some 

 days previous. The last icebergs seen were in 

 latitude 62 30' S-, longitude 87 41' W. ; the 

 temperature of air 33; of water 35. 



The Relief left Orange Harbour on the 26th of 

 February, for the purpose of visiting various places 

 in the Straits of Magellan, to afford an opportu- 

 nity of making investigations, and opening a larger 

 field for our naturalists during the fifty or sixty 

 days they were to be detained on the coast. Most 

 of the scientific gentlemen were accordingly trans- 

 ferred to her; and she was ordered to enter the 

 Brecknock Passage, and thence into Cockburn 



Sound, of which we had King's valuable chart; 

 and I thought that the passage into the strait was 

 more feasible, and might be sooner accomplished 

 by that route than by taking the eastern passage, 

 particularly as the wind was favourable. I also 

 thought it would enable them to explore more 

 parts of the straits, and those which had been 

 least visited. 



Various difficulties prevented her reaching the 

 entrance to the Brecknock Passage, principally 

 that of keeping too far off the coast on long tacks to 

 the southward. 



On the 17th of March, after being at sea twenty 

 days, they approached the coast, and a gale ensuing 

 from the south-west, Lieutenant- Commandant 

 Long, on the following day, determined to run in 

 and anchor under Noir Island, which is spoken of 

 by King as an excellent harbour. The wind was 

 blowing a gale from the south-west, with thick 

 weather and hail-squalls. Noir Island was disco- 

 vered under the lee, judged to be about twelve 

 miles distant, when they steered for it. It becom- 

 ing thick, they did not discover the Tower Rocks 

 until they were almost up with, and just had time 

 to clear them. These rocks presented a magnifi- 

 cent and fearful sight, the sea, breaking completely 

 over them. Three anchors were prepared. They 

 rounded the south-east point of the island, and 

 stood in for the bay. At about five o'clock they 

 anchored in seventeen fathoms, and the anchor 

 took effect. 



On the morning of the 19th, the highest point 

 of Noir Island was seen, capped with snow ; the 

 wind had abated somewhat, but not enough to 

 permit of their landing in a snug little cove abreast 

 of them. In the afternoon the wind again in- 

 creased, and another anchor was let go. There 

 was much sea, and the ship rode very uneasy at 

 her anchor. The sea broke tremendously on the 

 reef astern, shooting up in columns, such as are 

 seen to appear under the effect of mirage. After 

 it became dark, the wind shifted to the southward 

 and eastward, which brought the sea from that 

 quarter, and exposed them more both to it and the 

 wind. The anchors shortly after began to drag, 

 and the vessel was urged in the direction of a rock. 

 Fortunately the wind abated towards morning, 

 and came from its old quarter, south-west, more off 

 the land, but still blew with violence. 



On the morning of the 20th, one of their chain 

 cables was found to have parted. The chain was 

 hove in with some difficulty, and another anchor 

 let go. The weather towards evening became 

 again threatening, and produced no little anxiety. 

 At nightfall it shifted in the same way it had done 

 the previous evening, blowing again heavily. The 

 ship was felt to be constantly dragging, accom- 

 panied by that grating kind of noise of the chain 

 moving on the bottom, which is any thing but 

 agreeable. The rock astern, together with the 

 reef toward which the wind and sea were both 

 setting the ship, rendered their situation truly 

 appalling. The prospect of any one surviving, in 

 case they had struck, was extremely slight. The 

 night was dark and stormy, and the dragging con- 

 tinued occasionally until midnight, when they found 

 they had passed and escaped the rock, and were 

 near the reef. They now shipped a heavy sea 

 over the bows, the shock of which was so great 

 that it parted their cables, and their drifting be- 



