Voyage of Capt. Sir James C. Ross to the Antarctic. 325 



cry the sailors had learned to imitate, responded and followed 

 the wake of the ships in increasing numbers, playing about like 

 porpoises. 



During the following three days the ice became more packed, 

 and slow progress was made. In a calm, magnetic observations 

 were made on a cake of ice, which agreed with those on board 

 the ships. 



January 9. — They had forced their way into a clear sea ; a 

 gale ensued, but there were no icebergs, and it was evident that 

 there was an open space of considerable extent. 



January 10. — A violent storm subsided, no ice was visible. 

 They were in lat. 70° 23' S., long. 174° 50' E., and the mag- 

 netic dip was 85°. 



The magnetic pole was now the object of their eager search, 

 but instead of it, while steering south, they discovered land. 

 The Antarctic Continent rose in lofty peaks entirely covered with 

 perennial snow; it stretched S.S.W. to S.E. by S.,and appeared 

 to be 100 miles distant. They named it Victoria land. Capt. 

 Cook's highest latitude, reached in 1774, was 71° 15", and this 

 the ships had now attained. As they advanced fifteen leagues 

 towards Mount Sabine, (so named by Capt. Ross after his early 

 friend and patron,) they discovered other mountainous regions 

 extending to the right and left. On the 11th, within two leagues 

 of the shore they observed it lined with heavy pack ice and could 

 find no place to land. A remarkable projection of high dark 

 cliffs was supposed to be volcanic ; it was strongly contrasted 

 with the rest of the snow-covered coast, and other rocks sev- 

 eral miles to the north showed their black summits conspicuously 

 among the white foam of the breakers. Soundings were made 

 at 160 fathoms and the lead brought up volcanic stones. 



The lofty peaks of two magnificent ranges of mountains were 

 covered with eternal snow, and rose seven to ten thousand feet 

 above the ocean. The glaciers that filled the intervening val- 

 leys descending from near the mountain summits, projected in 



many places miles into the sea, and terminated in lofty perpen- 





dicular cliffs. In a few places the rocks broke through |pir 

 icy covering, by which alone they were assured that land formed 

 'he nucleus of this, to appearance, enormous iceberg. 



Mount Sabine, by several measurements, was tbnnd to fall 

 a little short of ten thousand feet, and the other mountains were 

 from seven to nine thousand. 



Position of the magnetic pole. — The dip had increased to 86° 

 and the variation amounted to 44°. The magnetic pole was. 

 therefore, inferred to be in 76° S., long. 145° 20' R, and distant 

 about 500 miles S.W. from their position. The interposition of 

 the land prevented their direct approach to the magnetic pole, 

 and they determined to proceed to the south in the hope of pene- 

 trating: farther in that direction. 



