NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 397 



foremost ports on the starboard side of the main deck, floating cveiy thing out of the 

 sick-bay, but fortunately there was no one ill enough to be occupying the swinging cots. 

 The gale broke shortly after this accident, and the barometer beginning to rise, at 4 A. m. 

 courses were set and the vessel bore up to the southward. At 8 a.m. the wind had 

 moderated sufficiently to allow of all plain sail being made, and the day was beautifully 

 clear, with a fairly dry atmosphere, which was appreciated after the five days' mist in 

 the vicinity of Heard Island. This fine weather enabled the ship to keep running south 

 all night, a sharp look-out being kept for icebergs, but none were seen although the 

 vessel was in lat. 56° S. 



On the 9th the weather still continued fine and clear, and the breeze moderate. A 

 few light scmalls accompanied with snow were experienced, during which the minimum 

 thermometer fell to freezing point. No icebergs were sighted. In the afternoon the 

 weather appeared very settled, with high clouds and a steady barometer (29 - 017 inches), 

 and a view of from 15 to 20 miles was commanded from aloft. 



On the 10th a fresh breeze was experienced all day till 6 p.m., the anemometer giving 

 a velocity of 19 miles per hour, the barometer standing at 29"050 inches, but seeming 

 towards evening inclined to rise. Mean temperature in shade 33°'8 ; position at noon, 

 lat. 60° 2' S., long. 77° 20' E. No ice seen. The direction of the wind (S.W. by W.) 

 prevented the ship being steered towards the spot in lat. 60° S., long. 72° E., where 

 Biscoe and Kemp reported the appearance of land in 1833-34, and the absence of 

 icebergs appeared to indicate that they were deceived. Occasional snow squalls were 

 experienced, which limited the range of vision to from two to four miles. 



On the 11th, at 2.50 a.m., the first iceberg was sighted. At 5 a.m. sails were furled, 





Fig. 151. — Iceberg first seen, 11th February 1874. 



and a sounding, trawling, and serial temperatures were taken in 1260 fathoms, Diatom 

 ooze, Station 152 (see Sheet 23). The cutter moored to the trawl line showed the surface 

 current to be setting N.E. true, one-third of a mile per hour, agreeing in direction, though 

 not in velocity, with the result obtained by astronomical observation. The position of 

 the ship was lat. 60° 52' S., long. 80° 20' E. The iceberg originally seen was in sight 

 during the trawling operations, and was found to be, by angular measurement, 219 feet 

 high and 2100 feet in length; if a cube, its depth under water would be about 1800 



