Proceedings of the Vincennes. 

 Disappointment Bay. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



Disappointment Bay. 

 Diagrams of icebergs. 



139 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. PROCEEDINGS OF THE VINCENNES. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE VINCENNES FROM THE TWENTY-SECOND OF JANUARY DISAPPOINTMENT BAY WATERING ON 

 THE ICE DIAGRAMS OF THE ICE-ISLANDS THEIR UTILITY VIOLENT GALE AND SNOW-STORM NARROW ESCAPE 

 FROM STRIKING THE ICE THE OPEN SEA REACHED RETURN OF FINE WEATHER VINCENNES STANDS AGAIN 

 TO THE SOUTH, AND REACHES THE ICY BARRIER PINER's BAY SOUNDINGS IN THIRTY FATHOMS ANOTHER 

 VIOLENT GALE REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OPINION OF THE WARD-ROOM OFFICERS DETERMINATION 

 TO PROCEED WITH THE CRUISE ITS EVENTS UP TO THE FOURTEENTH OF FF.BRUARY LANDING ON AN ICEBERG 

 SPECIMENS OF ROCKS OBTAINED INttUIRY IN RELATION TO THE FORMATION OF ICEBERGS THEIR SEPARA- 

 TION FROM THE LAND THEIR PROGRESS FURTHER EVIDENCE IN RELATION TO THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENT 

 ESTIMATE OF THE RATE AT WHICH THE FLOATING ICE MOVES THE VINCENNES BEGINS HER RETURN TO 

 THE NORTH. 



IN taking up the narrative of the disaster sustained 

 by the Peacock, with which the preceding chapter 

 closes, the Vincennes and Porpoise were left ou the 

 22nd of January. 



On that day the Vincennes passed the place 

 through which the Peacock entered, as has been 

 related, on the 23rd, and found no opening. To 

 judge from the manner in which the ice moved 

 during the time the Peacock was enclosed in it, I 

 am inclined to ascribe the alternate opening and 

 closing of the passage into the bay, to a tide set- 

 ting along this coast. In support of this opinion 

 it is sufficient to state, that the strength of the 

 winds experienced on board that vessel was at no 

 time sufficient to account for the manner in which 

 the ice was found to move. 



About thirty miles to the westward of this point, 

 the Vincennes passed a remarkable collection of 

 tabular icebergs, for whose existence I can account 

 in no other manner than by supposing them to be 

 attached to a rocky islet, which formed a nucleus 

 to which they adhered. It was quite obvious that 

 they had not been formed in the place where they 

 were seen, and must, therefore, have grounded, 

 after being adrift. 



On the 23rd of Januai-y, after passing around this 

 group of icebergs, the sea was found comparatively 

 clear, and a large open space showed itself to the 

 southward. Into this space the course of the Vin- 

 cennes was immediately directed. While thus 

 steering to the south, the appearance of land was 

 observed on either hand, both to the eastward and 

 westward. 



Pursuing this course, we by midnight reached 

 the solid barrier, and all approach to the land on 

 the east and west was entirely cut off by the close 

 packing of the icebergs. I was, therefore, re- 

 luctantly compelled to return, not a little vexed 

 that we were again foiled in our endeavour to reach 

 the antarctic continent. This was a deep inden- 

 tation in the coast, about twenty-five miles wide : 

 we explored it to the depth of about fifteen miles, 

 and did not reach its termination. This bay I have 

 called Disappointment Bay : it is in latitude 67 

 4' 30" S., longitude 147 30' E. The weather 

 was remai'kably fine, with a bracing air : the 

 thermometer in the air 22, in the water 31. 



The next day, 24th, we stood out of the bay, and 

 continued our course to the westward. About 

 noon, to my surprise, I learnt that one of the 



officers, Lieutenant Underwood, had marked on 

 the log-slate that there was an opening of clear 

 water, subtending three points of the compass, at 

 the bottom of Disappointment Bay. Though con- 

 fident that this was not the fact, in order to put 

 this matter at rest, I at once determined to return, 

 although forty miles distant, and ordered the ship 

 about, to refute the assertion by the officer's own 

 testimony. This was most effectually done the 

 next morning, 25th, when the ship reached the 

 identical spot, and all were fully convinced that no 

 opening existed. The whole bay was enclosed by a 

 firm barrier of ice, from north-north-west to east- 

 north-east. 



The weather proved delightful, with light airs 

 from the southward, and I determined to take this 

 opportunity to fill up the water -tanks with ice. The 

 ship was hove-to, a hawser got in readiness, the 

 boats lowered, and brought alongside of an iceberg 

 well adapted to our purpose. 



The same opportunity was also taken to make 

 the magnetic observations on the ice, and to try the 

 local attraction of the ship. 



Many birds were seen about the ship, of which 

 we were fortunate in obtaining specimens. The 

 day was remarkably clear, and the same appear- 

 ance of land was seen that had been witnessed on 

 the 24th. We filled nineteen of our tanks with ice, 

 after having allowed it to remain for some time on 

 deck for the salt water to drain off in part, and it 

 proved very potable. 



At about 5 P.M., we had completed our required 

 store of ice, and cast off', making sail to the north- 

 ward. 



In order that no further mistakes should take 

 place as to the openings being passed, I issued an 

 order, directing the officer of the deck on being 

 relieved to go to the masthead, and report to me 

 the exact situation of the ice ; and this was con- 

 tinued during the remainder of our cruise among 

 it. 



In threading our way through the many icebergs, 

 it occurred to me that they might be considered 

 as islands, and a rough survey made of them, by 

 taking their bearings at certain periods, and making 

 diagrams of their positions. This was accord- 

 ingly done, and every few hours they were inserted 

 on the chart which I was constructing hi my pro- 

 gress. 



This I found to be very useful, and it gave me 



