Health of the crew. Lieutenant 

 Pinkney resolves to return. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



Arrival at the Bay of Islands. 



157 



necessary to reef the foresail, the men were so 

 deficient in physical strength as to make it im- 

 possible to accomplish it. 



The crew's apartment is in the most deplorable 

 state, leaking like a sieve, all their beds being wet, 

 their clothes on them being so, even to their 

 under flannels, for one week, and without a dry 

 change on hand, and no prospect of having one ; 

 so miserable is their situation, that at length you 

 have been compelled to allot them the cabin, in 

 common with us, for the purpose of cooking, eating, 

 and sleeping. 



Furthermore, sir, in the gale now abating, we 

 find that nearly constant application to the pump 

 is barely sufficient to keep the water from flooding 

 the cabin-floor, evidently having started a leak; 

 notwithstanding this, the condition of the crew is 

 more imperative, much more so in this, our recom- 

 mendation, for a return to the northward ; in fact, 

 we would cheerfully continue to the southward, if 

 we had a proper crew. 



Lastly, understanding that the crew, through 

 one of their body, have waited upon you, and, by 

 written application, also stated their inability to 

 live through these hardships much longer, and 

 begging your return. 



We are respectfully, your obedient servants, 

 (Signed) GEORGE T. SINCLAIR, 



Acting Master. 

 WILLIAM MAY, 

 GEORGE W. HARRISON, 



Passed Midshipmen. 

 LIEUT.-COM. R. F. PINKNEY, 

 Commanding U. S. Schooner Flying-Fish. 



Lieutenant Pinkney, in accordance with this 

 opinion, and his own conviction of the necessity of 

 an immediate return to milder latitudes, as the 

 only means of restoring the sick, and preserving 

 those on duty, who were then incapable of man- 

 aging the vessel without the assistance of the 

 officers, deemed it his duty to steer for the north, 

 which he accordingly did. 



The 6th and 7th continued thick, with occasional 

 squalls. On the 8th, the weather again broke up, 

 when they had several hours of sunshine, which 

 proved of great benefit to the sick. Lieutenant 

 Pinkney was enabled to come again on deck, who 

 had scarcely been able to quit his berth since 

 leaving Macquarie Island, from sickness. They 

 had reached the longitude of 139 45' E., latitude 

 61 S. At 11 P.M. the aurora was seen ; it was 

 first visible in the south-east quarter, in spots re- 

 sembling pale moonlight, extending to the zenith, 

 from whence it diverged in rays, some of which 

 reached the horizon, but the greatest number ter- 

 minated at an altitude of twenty-five or thirty 

 degrees. On the 9th, the aurora was also seen in 

 the west, in vertical rays of pale yellow light, com- 

 mencing about five degrees above the horizon, and 

 extending to an altitude of thirty degrees. After 

 a short time it disappeared, and was again seen in 

 the zenith, radiating in lines to the north-east and 

 west, reaching to within ten degrees of the horizon. 

 The wind was from the southward. Temperature 

 34. The following five days they had thick wea- 

 ther, and nothing occurred until the evening of the 

 14th, when they again had a display of the aurora; 

 the coruscations were frequent ami brilliant, but 

 did not exhibit any different form, until after mid- 



night, when it appeared in arches, reaching nearly 

 to the horizon, at from 45 to 73 of altitude, and 

 composed of short perpendicular lines, blending at 

 one moment into a sheet of misty light, and then 

 breaking out into brighter lines, some of which 

 were broad. It then again shifted to the zenith, 

 with radiations extending in every direction, in 

 straight and wavy lines. The changes were inces- 

 sant, but not shooting. 



On the morning of the loth, they again had a 

 display of the aurora. It first appeared in the 

 southern heavens, at an altitude of 45, flashing to 

 the zenith, where it disappeared. After midnight 

 it was again visible in the southern quarter, at 

 about 30 of altitude. It finally centered in a bright 

 spot, which changed into a crescent, with the 

 rounded side to the northward. From this, fea- 

 thery-edged rays of pale orange colour branched 

 off in every direction, over which the prismatic 

 colours seemed to flit in rapid succession. The 

 rays would sometimes fold into one another like a 

 fan, and reach the horizon in one direction, while 

 in another they were drawn up to the zenith, again 

 to burst forth in repetitions, until lost in daylight. 

 On the 19th, the aurora again appeared in an arch 

 of 15 altitude. 



They passed the last icebergs in latitude 55 30' 

 S., longitude 145 30' E. 



On the 22nd they spoke a French whaler from 

 Hobart Town, who expressed much surprise at 

 finding so small a vessel in such high latitudes. 

 The captain sent a boat on board, and invited them 

 to " soup" with him. 



On the 23rd they made the southern island of 

 New Zealand. On the 1st of March they experi- 

 enced a most violent gale. The wind about noon 

 on the 29th of February hauled to the southward 

 and eastward, and by midnight it blew a gale, 

 hauling to the eastward, until about 8 P.M., when 

 its violence moderated. Their latitude was 40 S., 

 longitude 178 30' E. For several days previous 

 to this, a noise was heard about the heel of the 

 main-mast ; an examination was had, and the 

 conclusion arrived at that it worked in the step, 

 the wedges in the partners having been driven 

 without obviating it. On the 9th of March they 

 arrived at the Bay of Islands, where they found 

 the gentlemen who had gone there to pursue 

 their researches in natural history waiting our 

 arrival. 



The Vincennes was left on the 21st of February 

 on her way north. On the night of the 22nd, we 

 had a beautiful and novel appearance of the aurora 

 australis. 



Black clouds were passing rapidly over the sky; 

 an orange glow of light seemed to cover the 

 heavens, emanating from a point, over which 

 flitted rays of the prismatic colours, directed 

 towards the horizon, lighting up both edges of the 

 clouds, and throwing them into bold relief. The 

 rays seemed to dart simultaneously towards the 

 horizon, on reaching which they would seem to be 

 gathered, as if by magic, towards the centre, and 

 slowly vanish, to reappear again and fold up. 



Strong gales from the west-north-west with 

 snow-squalls continued until the 27th, with thick 

 misty weather. Numerous ice-islands were passed 

 during this interval. The last iceberg seen, was in 

 the latitude of 53 S., and longitude 120 25' E., 

 the temperature of the water was 46. 



