Sarah's Bosom. Proceedings of 

 the Flying Fish. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. Proceedings of the Flying- Fish. 



155 



Sarah's Bosom is not the most secure ; that of 

 Lawrie's is protected from all winds, and has a 

 large and fine streamlet of water at its head. The 

 rocks are covered with limpets, and small fish of 

 many varieties are caught in quantities among the 

 kelp. The crew enjoyed themselves on chowders 

 and fries. No geese were seen, and the only game 

 observed were a few gray ducks, snipes, cormorants, 

 and the common shag. The land birds are excel- 

 lent eating, especially the hawks ; and on the 

 whole, it is a very desirable place at which to refit. 



On the 9th of March they had finished, and 

 were prepared for sea, but the whether was threat- 

 ening and caused them to delay. The magnetic 

 dip was found to be 73 47' 30" S. 



A whaler, under Portuguese colours, but com- 

 manded by an Englishman, arrived, and anchored 

 in Lawrie's Cove, to await the coming of the 

 whales ! The night proved stormy ; the wind at 

 10 h 30 m from the north-east, blowing very heavy 

 in puffs. Towards noon it moderated, and at 2 P.M. 

 they got under way, with a light breeze from the 

 north-west, and stood to sea. 



The latitude of Sarah's Bosom is 50 38' S. ; the 

 longitude 165 28' E. 



On the 12th no current was found ; latitude 49 

 27' S., longitude 168 13' E. The weather ex- 

 perienced from this port to New Zealand was very 

 similar to that in passing from Cape Horn to Val- 

 paraiso : northerly winds with mist and fog pre- 

 vailing, with a heavy sea. On the 17th they fell 

 in with the whale-ship Mary and Martha, of Ply- 

 mouth, Coffin, master, who informed them that 

 there were at least one hundred whale-ships cruis- 

 ing in the neighbouring seas ; of these, several 

 were seen. This will give some idea of the number 

 of vessels employed, and how great a capital is 

 engaged in this business. 



On the 18th they had a gale from north-north- 

 west, which lasted through the day, moderating at 

 sunset. They were in latitude 43 2' S., longi- 

 tude by chronometer, 175 24' E. The barometer 

 sank to 29'30 in. A current was experienced 

 setting north-west, in the direction of Cook's 

 Straits. 



On the 20th, in latitude 41 S., longitude 

 177 E., the current was found setting north-east- 

 by-north, half a mile per hour. On the 22nd 

 and 23rd they experienced a heavy gale from 

 the south-east, when they were in longitude 179 

 35 E., and latitude 37 52' S. ; during the morn- 

 ing of the latter day the wind hauled to the 

 south-south-west ; the barometer, at 3 A.M., stood 

 at 29'10 in.; the weather cleared, with the wind at 

 south-west. 



On the 26th, they reached and anchored in the 

 river Kawa-Kawa, in the Bay of Islands, off the 

 American consul's, about three miles above its 

 mouth. Many vessels were passed lying at anchor 

 off the town of Kororarika. Here they found the 

 tender Flying- Fish ; all well. 



The cruise of the latter will now be taken up 

 from the 1st of January, on which day she parted 

 company with the Vincennes, in consequence of 

 having carried away a gaff, and being obliged to 

 shorten sail, in doing which their jib-stay got 

 adrift, and carried away the squaresail-yard be- 

 fore it could be secured. The vessel was in the 

 mean time exposed to a heavy sea beating over 

 her, and at midnight they were compelled to 



heave-to. They then steered for the first rendez- 

 vous, Macquarie Island, where they arrived on 

 the 10th, in the afternoon, and saw the Peacock, but 

 it becoming thick, they were not seen by that ship. 



On the llth, Acting-Master Sinclair landed for 

 the purpose of placing a signal on the island, 

 agreeably to instructions. The landing was found 

 difficult and dangerous, and their description of 

 the island agrees with that heretofore given of it 

 from the notes of Mr. Eld, as being dreary and 

 inhospitable. Large numbers of penguins, and 

 small green and yellow paroquets were seen. 

 Near where they landed, they saw about twenty 

 huge sea-elephants basking on the rocks, which 

 did not seem to heed them ; when disturbed, they 

 would only throw their carcasses over, open their 

 mouths, utter a loud growl, and go to sleep again ; 

 no measurement was taken of them, and one which 

 was killed could not be taken in the boat. The 

 soil was soft and spongy, yielding to the pressure of 

 the feet. The staff and signal being planted, they 

 returned on board, and now passed the serf with- 

 out difficulty. 



On the 12th, they put away for the next rendez- 

 vous, Emerald Isle. They reached its position on 

 the 14th, but nothing was seen of it ; the weather 

 was thick. 



On the 16th, they kept off to the southward, 

 with the wind from the south-west, accompanied 

 with sleet and snow. In latitude 61 S., longitude 

 164 E., they saw the first ice. The next day, the 

 19th of January, the water was very much dis- 

 coloured ; got a cast of the lead in ninety fathoms; 

 no bottom : passed a number of icebergs that were 

 all flat on the top, with perpendicular sides. 



On the 21st they made the icy barrier, in longi- 

 tude 159 36' E., and latitude 65 20' S. From 

 the number of icebergs and the frequency of snow- 

 squalls, they found great danger in running through 

 them, although the water was quite smooth. 



On the 22nd the weather proved pleasant, and 

 they followed the trend of the ice. The ice-islands 

 still showed flat tops and perpendicular sides, and 

 there were a number of birds, seals, and whales 

 around them; they were at noon in longitude 158 

 27' E. On this day they were close by an iceberg, 

 from the main body of which a large mass fell 

 with a noise like thunder; the snow flying into the 

 air resembled smoke, and the swell produced by 

 the immersion of the fragment caused the schooner 

 to roll water in on her deck. A number of large 

 penguins were in sight, differing from any they 

 had heretofore seen. 



On the 23rd the weather was pleasant, and they 

 had light winds from the southward and westward. 

 Longitude 157 49' E., latitude 65 58' S. They 

 continued coasting along the ice in search of an 

 opening. At 8 P.M. they discovered several dark 

 spots, which had the appearance of rocks, and on 

 approaching the margin of the ice, they could make 

 them out to be such with their glasses, but they 

 were situated too far within the field-ice for a boat 

 to get near them. This day being fine, an oppor- 

 tunity was afforded of drying the deck and clothes, 

 and searing the seams with a hot iron. The vessel 

 had been very wet, and her decks leaked badly, 

 notwithstanding the thorough calking and repairs 

 she had received at Sydney: the crew were almost 

 constantly wet, below as well as above deck. 



On the 24th they were obliged to steer again to 



