NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 



407 



channel for 20 or 30 miles, whereas in the Antarctic as soon as one piece is blown to 

 leeward its place is occupied by another ; however, except in a very heavy pack, there 

 is more chance of escaping collision with a berg in the Antarctic than in the Arctic. 

 The temperature of the water in the pack was 29°. Eoss generally registered 28°. 

 After getting clear of the pack at 11 a.m. the ship sailed along its edge until noon, 

 being from 10 a.m. until that time within about 15 miles of the supposed position 

 of Wilkes' Termination Land, but neither from the deck nor masthead could any 

 indication of it be seen. The limit of vision as logged was 12 miles, and had 

 there been land sufficiently lofty for Wilkes to have seen it at a distance of 60 

 miles (which was the distance he supposed himself off it), either the clouds capping 

 it or the land itself must have been seen. If Wilkes' distance was overestimated, 

 that of the Challenger would be increased, and it may stdl be found, but as the 

 expression in Wilkes' journal is "appearance of land was seen to the southwest, and its 



Fig. 156.— Iceberg and Pack Ice, seen 25th February 1874. 



trending seemed to be to the northward," and not that land was actually sighted, and a 

 bearing obtained, it is probable that Termination Land does not exist ; still it is curious 

 that pack ice and a large number of bergs should have been found in nearly the same 

 position as by Wilkes in 1840, and this would seem to indicate that land cannot be very 

 distant. At noon the northern part of the pack was reached, and it was found to trend 

 to the southeast (true), the position being lat. 63° 49' S., long. 94° 51' E. As no 

 advantage was to be gained by following the pack 80 miles to the eastward, until it 

 joined Wilkes' main pack, and as Moore, Cook, and Wilkes had seen much ice 

 north of this position, the vessel stood to the northward with a fine southwesterly 

 breeze. 



It is a fair indication of the limit to the navigable season in the Antarctic if the dates 

 each explorer has turned his ship's head to the northward and left the edge of the pack 

 be compared, as in the following table : — 



