322 Voyage of Capt Sir James C. Ross to the Antarctic. 



made simultaneously by two magnetometers, once in every two 

 and a half minutes. 



November 12, 1840. — The ships sailed again for the south. 

 The aurora australis was faintly exhibited about midnight of 

 November 15, in lat. 45° 33' S., long. 152° 45' E. 



Auckland Islands, lat. 50° 48' S., long. 166° 42' E.— These 

 islands are situated between eight and nine hundred miles from 

 Hobartown, (Van Diemens Land.) They were discovered in 

 1806. After contending with fierce winds' from the land, the 

 ships anchored and found a painted board commemorating the 

 visit of D'Urville, March 11th to 20th, 1840, and claiming the 

 discovery of " la Terre Adelaide,"* January 19th to February 1st, 

 1840, and the determination of the south magnetic pole. Also 

 another board was observed, recording a visit by the U. S. brig 

 Porpoise, March 7th to J 0th, on her return from exploring along 

 the antarctic circle, and the icy barrier. 



An observatory was established here by Capt. Ross, lat. 50° 32' 

 30" S., long. 166° 12' 34" E. The magnetic dip was found to be 

 73° 40' E. ; the magnetic action of the rock however, rendered 

 the observations of little value. On the passage from Van Die- 

 mens Land, there had been observed a gradual increase in the dip ; 

 but the first observation on land was two degrees, and the second 

 eleven degrees in error. The rocks had a peculiar ferruginous 

 appearance, and on presenting a fragment M to a delicate compass 

 it turned round and round as swiftly as the hand could move f 

 it had also polarity, the position of the north and south pole be- 

 ing determined by the direction in which the rock had lain in re- 

 lation to the magnetic meridian. They were obliged to rely up- 

 on the dip as observed on board the Erebus, which was sufficient- 

 ly removed from the influence of the land, while the Terror was 

 too much affected by the proximity of the diminutive Shoe island. 

 Even at the distance of fifty feet, the needle was made to de- 

 viate 2°. Both Auckland and Campbell's islands are composed 

 chiefly of basalt and greenstone, and Deas Head, a promontory of 

 Auckland Island, exhibits fine basaltic columns 300 feet high, 



which are magnetic. Some of the hills are 1000 and 1300 feet 

 high. 



Vegetable product ions,— As none of the mountains rise to the 

 snow line, and there are few rocks or precipices, the whole land 

 seems covered with vein union. Some forests skirt the shores, 

 then comes a broad belt of brushwood, and grass slopes rise to the 

 hill top^. The forest is a dense thicket of stag-headed trees so 

 gnarled and stunted by violent gales of a boisterous ocean, as to 

 shelter effectually a luxuriant wider-growth of bright green feath- 

 ery ferns, and several gay flowered herbs. The trees and shrubs 



of the north are wanting. 



* A part of the great Southern continent. 



