156 Bibliography. 
The Vincennes and the Porpoise, as well as the Flying Fish, also 
combated the perils of this very dangerous navigation. ‘The Vincennes 
passed the place where the Peacock entered, and found no opening 
beyond. She observed a group of tabular and stranded icebergs, and 
by midnight on the 23d of January, (1840,) reached the solid barrier, 
while all approach to the land was entirely cut off on the east and west 
by the close packing of the icebergs. ‘There was an indentation of the 
coast twenty five miles deep, which Capt. Wilkes penetrated about 
fifteen miles without reaching its termination: he called it Disappoint- 
ment Bay. Its lat. was 67° 4! 30” S.—long. 147° 30’ W. : 
They had fine weather, and many birds appeared about the ship. 
They took the opportunity to fill nineteen tanks with ice—having first 
allowed the salt water to drip from it, and it proved very potable. 
They met with snow storms and thick weather, so that they could not 
always run, even with a fair wind, and when they did it was with ex- 
treme hazard on account of the floating ice; but as long as they could 
see the fixed barrier they persevered. On the 28th, in beautifully 
clear weather, they passed through many tabular icebergs—one hun- 
dred being in view at once, and of great dimensions—being froma 
fourth of a mile to three miles in length. Capt. Wilkes had taken the 
precaution to make a chart of the icebergs as he met them; and he 
was surprised at the great number which he had passed and which still 
surrounded them. ‘The land was plainly in view, but he felt his situa- 
tion to be extremely critical, as a gale was evidently coming on, with 
the barometer falling, and destruction appeared before them unless they 
effected a retreat. This they attempted, but their path was thickly 
beset with their floating enemies, many of large size and near at hand, 
and perpetually nearing. To return towards the land was out of the 
question, and no alternative remained but to keep a good look-out and 
dash on. 
“ At 8 P. M. it began to blow very hard, with a violent snow storm 
circumscribing our view, and rendering it impossible to see more than 
two ship’s lengths ahead. The cold was severe, and every spray that 
touched the ship was immediately converted into ice. At 9 P. M., the 
barometer still falling and the gale increasing, we reduced sail to close 
reefed fore and main topsails, reefed foresail and trysails, under which 
we passed numerous icebergs, some to windward and some to leeward 
of us. At 10. 80m. we found ourselves thickly beset with them, and 
had many narrow escapes: the excitement became intense—it required 
a constant change of helm to avoid those close aboard, and we were 
compelled to press the ship with canvass in order to escape them, by 
keeping her to windward. We thus passed close along their weather 
sides, and distinctly heard the roar of the surf dashing against them. 
