130 



Preparations. The squadron sails 

 for Macquarie Island. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



Emerald Island. 

 Icebergs seen. 



At the above date we had reached the latitude 

 of 43 S. 



During this favourable weather, all hands were 

 employed in tightening the ports, in order to 

 secure the interior of the vessels as much as possi- 

 ble from the cold and wet, which were to be appre- 

 hended in the region to which we were bound. 

 For this purpose, after calking all the openings, 

 the seams were covered with tarred canvass, over 

 which strips of sheet-lead were nailed. The sailors 

 exhibited great interest in these preparations, and 

 studiously sought to make every thing snug; all 

 useless articles were stowed away in the hold, for 

 we were in truth full to overflowing. 



Among other preparations, rough casings of 

 boards were built around all the hatches, having 

 doors furnished with weights and pulleys, in order 

 to ensure that they should not be left open. Hav- 

 ing thus provided for the exclusion of cold air, I 

 contented myself with preparations for keeping 

 the interior of the vessel at a temperature no higher 

 than 50. I deemed this preferable to a higher 

 temperature, in order to prevent the injurious 

 effects which might be produced by passing sud- 

 denly from below to the deck. I conceived it far 

 more important to keep the air dry than warm, 

 particularly as a lower temperature would have the 

 effect of inducing the men to take exercise for the 

 purpose of exciting their animal heat. 



Aware that warm and dry clothing was an 

 object of the first importance, inspections of the 

 men's feet and dress were held morning and even- 

 ing, in which the wearing of a suitable number of 

 garments was insisted upon, as well as the greatest 

 personal cleanliness. With the same views, the 

 drying-stoves were particularly attended to; and 

 that every part under deck might be effectually 

 and quickly freed of moisture, additional stoves 

 had been procured at Sydney. Thermometers 

 were hung up in proper places, and frequently con- 

 sulted, in order by following their indications to 

 secure an equabte temperature, and at the time to 

 ascertain when the use of stoves might be dis- 

 pensed with, in whole or in part. The latter was 

 an important consideration, for we were under the 

 necessity of husbanding our stock of fuel, by ex- 

 pending it only when absolutely necessary. 



We also took advantage of the fine weather to 

 bend all our best sails, and to shift our top-gallant 

 masts. 



The 1st January, 1840, was one of those days 

 which are termed, both at sea and on shore, a 

 weather-breeder. The sea was smooth and placid, 

 but the sky was in places lowering, and had a 

 wintry cast, to which we had long been strangers; 

 the temperature shortly began to fall, the breeze to 

 increase, and the weather to become misty. In a 

 few hours we were sailing rapidly through the 

 water, with a rising sea, and by midnight it was 

 reported that the tender Flying-Fish was barely 

 visible. I shortened sail, but it was difficult to 

 stop our way; and on the morning of the 2nd of 

 January, the fog was dense, and the Peacock and 

 Porpoise only were in sight; we hove-to, and the 

 Peacock and Porpoise were ordered to stand east 

 and west, in order to intercept the tender, but they 

 returned without success; we also fired guns in 

 hopes of being heard. In the afternoon, I deemed 

 it useless to wait any longer for her, and that I 

 must take the chance of falling in with her at 



Macquarie Island, our first appointed place of 

 rendezvous, a visit to which I had flattered my- 

 self might have been avoided, but which it became 

 necessary now to make. We accordingly pro- 

 ceeded on our course for that island, with all sail 

 set. This separation of the tender took place in 

 the latitude of 48 S., and she was not again seen 

 until our return. The officers and crew were not 

 slow in assigning to the Fly ing- Fish a similar fate 

 with her unfortunate mate, the Sea-Gull. Men-of- 

 war's men are prone to prognosticate evil, and on 

 this occasion they were not wanting in various 

 surmises. Woeful accounts were soon afloat of the 

 distress the schooner was in when last seen, and 

 this in quite a moderate sea. 



The barometer now began to assume a lower 

 range, and the temperature to fall below 50. On 

 the 3rd, the fog continuing very thick, the Peacock 

 got beyond hearing of our horns, bells, drums, and 

 guns, and was parted with. This, however, I did 

 not now regret so much, as it was of little conse- 

 quence whether we sought one or two vessels at 

 our rendezvous, although it might cause a longer 

 detention there. 



The morning of the 7th was misty, with squally 

 weather. A heavy sea rising, and a strong gale 

 setting in, we lost sight of the Porpoise for a few 

 hours. Being unable to see beyond an eighth of a 

 mile, it was thought imprudent to run, for fear of 

 passing Macquarie Island, and we hove-to to await 

 its moderating. It cleared at noon, and we ob- 

 tained an observation, by which we found ourselves 

 in latitude 54 20' S., and longitude ICO 47' E. 

 I found that we had been carried to the eastward 

 upwards of twenty miles in less than eighteen 

 hours; this, with the wind hauling to the south- 

 west, brought us to leeward of the island, and the 

 sea and wind increasing, I saw it was useless to 

 attempt to reach it without great loss of time. I 

 therefore bore off to the southward for our second 

 rendezvous, Emerald Island, or its supposed locality. 



During the 9th we passed the site of Emerald 

 Isle, situate, as has been stated, in latitude 57 15' 

 S., and longitude 162 30' E., but saw nothing of 

 it, nor any indications of land, which I therefore 

 infer does not exist in the locality where it is laid 

 down. We again experienced the south-east cur- 

 rent of twenty miles a day. Our variation had 

 increased to twenty-two degrees easterly. Making 

 our course with all sail set, the Porpoise in com- 

 pany, we passed to-day some pieces of kelp. The 

 temperature continued at 38. Numerous flocks of 

 gray petrels around us. 



The 10th we encountered the first iceberg, and 

 the temperature of the water fell to 32. We 

 passed close to it, and found it a mile long, and 

 one hundred and eighty feet in height. We had 

 now reached the latitude of 61 8' S., and longi- 

 tude 162 32' E. The current to-day set in the 

 same direction as before, about half a mile per 

 hour. The second iceberg seen was thirty miles, 

 and the third about fifty-five miles south of the 

 first. These ice-islands were apparently much 

 worn by the sea into cavities, exhibiting fissures 

 as though they were ready to be rent asunder, and 

 showed an apparent stratification, much inclined to 

 the horizon. The weather now became misty, and 

 we had occasionally a little snow. I congratulated 

 myself that we had but few on the sick-list, and all 

 were in high spii-its at the novelty of the cruise. 



