130 



King-penguin taken. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. Perilous situation of the Peacock. 



brought up was slate-coloured mud. The tem- 

 perature of the water at the surface was 32, and 

 at the above depth 27s, being a decrease of 4 j. 



The boats now returned, and on approaching the 

 ship the persons in them were much startled by 

 hearing the crew cheer ship in consequence of 

 finding soundings. This was a natural burst of 

 joy, on obtaining this unquestionable proof that 

 what they saw was indeed the land ; a circumstance 

 that, while it left no doubt, if any had existed, in 

 the mind of any one on board the Peacock, that 

 what they had previously seen was truly terra 

 tirma, furnished a. proof that cannot be gainsaid, 

 even by those disposed to dispute the evidence of 

 sight, unsupported by so decisive a fact. Mr. Eld 

 and Mr. Stuart, in the boats, succeeded in getting 

 observations, and the mean dtp by the needles was 

 86" 16'. 



Mr. Eld's boat succeeded in taking a king-pen- 

 guin of enormous size, viz. from tip of tail to the 

 bill forty-five inches ; across the nippers thirty- 

 Beveu inches ; and the circumference of the body 

 thirty-three inches. He was taken after a truly 

 sailor-like fashion, by knocking him down. The 

 bird remained quite unmoved on their approach, 

 or rather showed a disposition to come forward to 

 greet them. A blow with the boat-hook, however, 

 stunned him, and before his recovery lie was well 

 secured, lie showed, on coming to himself, much 

 resentment at the treatment he had received, not 

 only by fighting, but by an inordinate noise. He 

 was in due time preserved as a specimen, and now 

 graces the collection at Washington. In his craw 

 were found thirty-two pebbles, from the size of a 

 pea to that of a hazel-nut. 



24th. Bergs and field-ice were in various di- 

 rections around. They had light baffling winds, 

 clear and pleasant weather, with a smooth sea. 

 The water was of a dark green colour. Standing 

 into the bay for the purpose of approaching the 

 land, they at 5 A.M. passed through drift-ice into an 

 open space, and when they had again approached 

 the field, hove- to for the purpose of sounding. 

 Here bottom was found at the depth of eight hun- 

 dred fathoms ; and the matter brought up was 

 similar to that obtained the day before. The dis- 

 tance between the points where these two soundings 

 were obtained was but short. 



At 8 h 30'" A.M., while attempting to box off the 

 ship from some ice under the bow, she made a 

 stern-board, which brought the stern so forcibly in 

 contact with another mass of ice, that it seemed 

 from the shock, as if it were entirely stove in ; the 

 rudder was so much canted from its position, as 

 to carry away the starboard wheel-rope, and to 

 wrench the neck of the rudder itself in such a 

 manner as to render it unserviceable, or even 

 worse than useless. In hopes of lessening the diffi- 

 culty, relieving-tackles were applied to the tiller, 

 but without effect, for it was discovered that the 

 rudder had been so far twisted as to make a con- 

 siderable angle with the keel, and every exertion to 

 move it proved ineffectual. 



All hands were no\v called, and every officer and 

 man was speedily at his station. The ship was 

 found to be rapidly entering the ice, and every 

 effort to direct her course by the management of 

 the sails proved fruitless. In this helpless con- 

 dition scarcely a moment passed without a new 

 shock in some quarter or other from the ice, and 



every blow threatened instant destruction. The 

 hope was not yet abandoned, that some temporary 

 expedient might be found to bring the rudder again 

 into use, until they should be extricated from this 

 perilous situation. A stage was, therefore, rigged 

 over the stern, for the purpose of examining into 

 its state, but it was found to be so much injured 

 that it was impossible to remedy its defects while 

 in its place, and preparations were forthwith made 

 for unshipping it In the mean time the position 

 of the vessel was every instant growing worse, sur- 

 rounded as she was by masses of floe-ice, and 

 driving further and further into it, towards an im- 

 mense wall-sided iceberg. All attempts to get the 

 vessel on the other tack failed, in consequence of 

 her being so closely encompassed, and it was 

 therefore thought expedient to attempt to bring 

 her head round, by hanging her to an iceberg by 

 the ice-anchors, and thus complete what had been 

 partially effected by the sails. The anchor was 

 attached, but just at the moment the hawser was 

 passed on board, the ship took a start so suddenly 

 astern, that the rope was literally dragged out of the 

 men's hands before they could get a turn around 

 the bits. 



The ship now drove stern foremost into the 

 midst of the huge masses of ice, striking the 

 rudder a second time. This blow gave it the 

 finishing stroke, by nearly wringing off the head, 

 breaking two of the pintles, and the upper and 

 lower brace. 



The wind now began to freshen, and the floe-ice 

 to set upon the ship. The sails were furled, and 

 spars rigged up and down the ship's sides as fen- 

 dei's. Attempts were again made to plant the ice- 

 anchors, for which purpose the boats were lowered; 

 but the confined space, and the force with which the 

 pieces of ice ground against each other was so great, 

 that the boats proved nearly as unmanageable as 

 the ship. After much exertion, however, the ice- 

 anchors were planted, and the hawser hauled taut. 

 Here they for a time enjoyed comparative security, 

 as the vessel hung by the anchors, which were 

 planted in a large floe. The ice continued to close 

 in rapidly upon them, grinding, crushing, and car- 

 rying away the fenders; and the wind, that had 

 changed to seaward, rose with appearances that 

 foreboded bad weather. 



At 10 h 30 m this security was at an end ; for the 

 anchors, in spite of the exertions of the officers and 

 men who were near them, broke loose, and the ship 

 was again at the mercy of huge floating masses. 

 A rapid stern-board was the consequence ; and a 

 contact with an ice-island, vast, perpendicular, and 

 as high as the mastheads, appeared inevitable. 



Every possible preparation was made to meet the 

 expected shock. There was no noise or confusion, 

 and the self-possession and admirable conduct of 

 the commander inspired courage and confidence in 

 all. Preparations were made to -cockbill the yards, 

 and spars were got out. 



While these preparations were going forward, 

 the imminence of the danger lessened for awhile : 

 the anchors again held, and there was a hope that 

 they might bring the vessel up before she struck. 

 This hope, however, endured but for a moment; 

 for the anchors, with the whole body of ice to 

 which they were attached, came in, and the ship 

 going astern, struck quartering upon a piece of ice 

 which lay between her and the great ice-island. 



