378 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



uncommon. As a rule the westerly winds bring moderately clear weather, the easterly 

 much fog and mist. December is the finest month, and at this season of the year a fort- 

 night's really fine weather may be sometimes experienced, but it cannot be depended on. 

 In the winter the whole island is snow-clad, and the sealers at the settlement have to 

 melt snow or ice to obtain water ; in the summer the lower lands, protected by eleva- 

 tions from the descendiug glacier, are free from snow, but at all seasons a fall may take 

 place at any moment. The icebergs occasionally seen in the neighbourhood are not 

 generated by the glaciers from either Kerguelen or Heard Islands, for the sea water in the 

 vicinity is too warm to permit the base of the glacier to remain undissolved, and conse- 

 quently only small pieces of ice, comparatively speaking, can be derived from this source. 



Landing at Heard Island is always difficult and frequently impracticable. Only the 

 one boat's party above referred to landed during the Challenger's stay, the weather having 

 become unfavourable immediately afterwards. 



With reference to the direction of the wind and state of the weather, it may perhaps 

 be as well to draw attention here to the fact that easterly winds seldom if ever blow at 

 Kerguelen Island, but 100 miles south of it and in the neighbourhood of Heard Island they 

 are quite common. It would appear, therefore, unadvisable for sailing vessels running 

 down their easting to adopt a route south of Kerguelen, even supposing the chances of 

 meeting icebergs were equal on both sides of that island, but considering the much less 

 danger of meeting those obstructions to navigation on the northern side, there can hardly 

 be a doubt as to which is the preferable route. 



On the 7th February shortly after midnight the barometer began to fall rapidly, 

 the wind became light, and snow, fell all the middle watch. At 4 a.m. the wind shifted 

 to the southeast, a slight swell came into Corinthian Bay, and the weather being thick 

 and misty it was considered unadvisable to remain longer at anchor in such an exposed 

 position, so steam having been got up the anchor was weighed at 5 a.m. and the ship 

 proceeded towards Shag Island to ascertain its position by a patent log distance from 

 Rogers' Head. At 7 a.m. the vessel stopped off Shag Island, being then within half a 

 mile of it, but the weather was so thick that its outline could only just be discerned 

 through the mist. There being little wind, a sounding and dredging were obtained here 

 in 75 fathoms. 



At 9 a.m. the ship steamed towards Red Island, which was rounded at 10.30 a.m., 

 obtaining no bottom with 45 fathoms. The course was then altered gradually to the 

 southward, the weather remaining thick, so that the land could not be distinguished at 

 any distance. At noon a breeze sprang up from the northwest and sail was made to the 

 southward, the fires being banked. At 12.15 p.m. the land was completely obscured, 

 although the ship was but 1\ miles from the coast, and nothing more was seen of it. 

 The wind freshened quickly to a gale, so that it was necessary to reef the topsails and 

 courses, and at 11 a.m. the ship "laid to" under triple-reefed topsails; it was then 



