324 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



shouts from the look-out man, of ''Ice on the starboard 

 bow," " ice on the port-bow, " ice right ahead," repeated at short 

 intervals, and presently the bows of the vessel came in con- 

 tact with a large fragment with a force that made her shiver. 

 A little later the officer of the watch sent to let me know 

 that we were surrounded by masses of ice, and on going on 

 deck the spectacle presented was very remarkable. We 

 were now passing the entrance of Eyre Sound, and the 

 water all around us was studded with large blocks of ice, 

 some many yards in extent, derived from the glaciers of the 

 Sound, and now illuminated by the beams of the rising sun, 

 their submerged portions appearing of a vivid green tint, 

 while those above the water were dazzling white. It was a 

 fine frosty morning, followed by an even more beautiful day 

 than the preceding, and we had an endless succession of the 

 most lovely views of densely wooded islets, winding inlets, 

 and snowy mountains. We noticed many ridges that were 

 knife-like in their sharpness, and at one place a peak which 

 presented almost an exact representation, on a smaller scale, of 

 the famous Matterhorn. In the course of the forenoon several 

 large whales were seen not far from us, one of which, when pre- 

 paring to make a dive, lifted the characteristic tail-fin several 

 feet out of the water. They were blowing vigorously, the sound 

 produced, as usual, resembling a loud sigh. We also observed 

 numerous seals gambolling about in the water, and a number 

 of gulls, cormorants, and penguins, as wxll as a couple of 

 vultures, perched on a low island. Between ten and eleven a.m. 

 we anchored in Eden Harbour, at the head of Indian Eeach, 

 and immediately to the south of the English Narrows, to 

 allow of sights being obtained; and two of the officers, with 

 myself, at once landed for a ramble. We spent about an hour 

 and a half on shore very pleasantly, the sun shining brightly 



