HISTORY OF DISCOVERY. 55 



As soon as Weddell had reached the course taken by 

 Cook to the west of the South Sandwich Isles, and had 

 convinced himself of the non-existence of any land in the 

 region he had just traversed, he again on the 5th of 

 February shaped his course south under meridian 31° 

 W. On the 10th of February the Antarctic circle was 

 crossed after a passage surrounded by numerous icebergs, 

 in longitude 32 32' W. — one of the icebergs covered 

 with the rubble carried down to the sea giving the delusive 

 appearance of land in sight. In latitude 68|° S. the 

 imperilled ships were compelled warily to steer their 

 course through countless icebergs ; and yet, only four 

 days later, on the 18th of February, in a latitude 72° 38' S. 

 not a trace of ice was to be seen, the sun shone bright 

 from a clear sky, and the sea was literally covered with 

 birds, especially stormy petrels. These conditions re- 

 mained practically unchanged during the subsequent two 

 days, and on the 20th of February the vessels had at- 

 tained a latitude of 74 15' S. in longitude 34° 17' \Y. 

 Nowhere on the horizon was land to be seen, and the 

 only objects visible above the level of the sea besides 

 the ships were four little icebergs. Weddell would gladly 

 have continued his course south in these favourable cir- 

 cumstances, but the condition of his ships crews and 

 provisions, as well as the prospect of a long return voyage, 

 compelled him to steer north again. The Antarctic circle 

 was rapidly reached owing to the favourable winds mostly 

 from the south, but here the former perils and delays of a 

 region of innumerable icebergs were again encountered 

 by the ships, and during a heavy storm on the 5th of 

 March the little cutter was separated from the principal 

 vessel. The two, however, happily met again in safety 

 on the 1 2th of March in Adventure Bay, on the southern 

 coast of South Georgia, where Weddell took the oppor- 

 tunity of letting his crews, who were suffering from 

 scurvy, rest and recruit, and also of exploring and in- 



