102 THE ANTARCTIC. 



to approach nearer to the magnetic pole, which he 

 calculated was only 160 nautical miles distant, as the 

 magnetic dip was 88° 4c/. The cape with the islet off 

 it, which had seemed suitable for winter quarters, received 

 the name of Cape Gauss. 



At a great distance from the low coast line, a range 

 of mountains was seen. These were of great elevation, 

 and evidently the connecting range between Mount 

 Melbourne and Mount Erebus. They received the 

 name of Prince Albert Mountains, in honour of the 

 Prince Consort, while the whole extensive tract of 

 country had already been called Queen Victoria Land. 

 There was nothing left but to retrace their way through 

 the pack and the young ice into the open, and the 

 success of the laborious work seemed very problematical, 

 for the young ice had increased in thickness very fast. 

 When the breeze freshened, the vessels were able to 

 make some way ; at other times the boats were lowered 

 and the young ice broken by rolling them, for the surface 

 was not strong enough to support a party of men to saw 

 a passage for the ships. In this way they at length 

 emerged into clear water on the morning of the 19th 

 of February, and hastened northward, keeping, as far as 

 possible, near the edge of the ice. This already extended 

 so far to the east that the coast line between Cape 

 Gauss and Mount Melbourne, or more correctly Cape 

 Washington, entirely disappeared below the horizon, 

 while the chain of the Prince Albert Mountains re- 

 mained constantly in sight far away in the west. Near 

 the edge of the pack-ice either an island or a large berg, 

 covered with rock and debris, was passed, and named 

 Doubtful Island, as it was impossible to ascertain its 

 true character. Even Mount Erebus remained in sight 

 clearly above the horizon, in spite of its being 150 nauti- 

 cal miles distant, and while Mount Melbourne was again 

 in view. To the north of this lofty summit the pack 



