100 THE ANTARCTIC. 



a southerly course along the edge of the pack-ice, on the 

 7th and 8th of February, passing a berg with a large rock 

 frozen in, and at midnight the ships were again near the 

 ice barrier. Here they saw an indentation towards the 

 east — the only bay worth naming, and, as the heavy 

 pack-ice lay at some distance to the north, it was possible 

 to approach the ice cliffs within a quarter of a mile. 

 These here showed a very striking conformation, for 

 while the height of the cliffs was 150 feet, the projecting 

 peninsula of ice ended in a cape 1 70 feet high, and the 

 connecting isthmus between the two elevations attained 

 only a height of scarcely fifty feet. This lower portion, 

 therefore, afforded a favourable opportunity of viewing 

 the upper surface of the enormous mass of ice from the 

 mastheads, and it appeared perfectly level and smooth. 

 From every projecting point of the ice-cliffs gigantic 

 icicles depended, a proof that it occasionally thaws, 

 which would not suggest itself with a midday mid- 

 summer temperature of only I4°F. In consequence of this 

 low temperature and the sheltered position, young ice 

 formed so rapidly that the ships were in danger of being 

 enclosed. Fortunately, the breeze, aided by the strenu- 

 ous exertions of the crews in breaking up the ice, was 

 strong enough to enable the ships to regain a freer 

 space. Scarcely had this been accomplished, when the 

 west wind set in ; had this occurred half an hour earlier, 

 the expedition, wedged in between the barrier and the 

 pack-ice, would have been enclosed and compelled to 

 winter there. 



The ships now took a course to the northward until 

 latitude 76° S. was reached. Their passage was greatly 

 obstructed by pack-ice and young ice, while the severe 

 cold of the north wind quickly froze and closed all 

 openings and channels in the pack, driving it southwards. 

 A violent snowstorm set in on the 12th, during which 

 the ships barely weathered an extensive chain of very 



