84 THE ANTARCTIC. 



portant than the latitude attained was the view on the 

 further side of an extensive mass of pack-ice enclosing 

 numerous icebergs, and of land, or at all events the 

 appearance of land. Unfortunately it was impossible to 

 examine further whether it actually was land. The 

 advanced time of year, as already stated, favoured the 

 formation of fresh ice, and there was not a moment to be 

 lost in extricating the vessel from her position if the risk 

 of being helplessly frozen in was not to be encountered. 

 Fortunately the retreat was favoured by moonlight, so 

 that Walker was not compelled to lose the lengthening 

 nights while his ship lay to. On the 24th of March he 

 had reached latitude 69° 6' S. and longitude 96° 50' W., 

 and on the 25th of March the meeting with the Peacock 

 occurred. The two vessels sailed together as far as 

 latitude 6o° S., where they separated, the Flying Fish to 

 make for Orange Harbour, the Peacock steering for the 

 Chilian coast. Thus this advance to the south, spite 

 of its short duration, and spite of the advanced season, 

 attained important results by means of at least one of the 

 ships. It had reached a high latitude, and had made it 

 probable that land extended to the east of that seen by 

 Cook. If we take into consideration that these ships, 

 like those of D'Urville, were manned by crews having no 

 experience of polar navigation, and that the vessels them- 

 selves were in no wise prepared for it, we must admit 

 that they were decidedly successful, especially as they 

 were almost constantly opposed by mist and storm. 



After Wilkes had spent the year 1839 in valuable and 

 varied research in the waters of the Pacific, he deter- 

 mined to utilise the approaching southern summer of 

 1839-40 for a second attempt with his squadron in 

 Antarctic waters. As before said, he may have been 

 prompted by news of the expedition to be made by 

 Ross. He, like D'Urville, knew the plans of Ross, 

 but he was not yet acquainted with the discoveries 



