376 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
The Peacock stood into the bay which the Vincennes had found closed 
the day before, and saw the same appearance of high land in the dis- 
tance. The water was much discoloured, and of a dark, dirty green. 
They hove-to, for the double purpose of getting a cast of the lead, and 
of lowering the boats to carry the instruments to a small iceberg, on 
which it was possible to land for the purpose of making magnetic obser- 
vations. A line of 1400 fathoms was prepared to sound, and to the lead 
was attached the cylinder with Six’s thermometer ; the wind being fresh, 
several leads at different distances were attached to the line; they were 
not aware that the lead-line had touched bottom until they began to 
haul-in, when it was found that the lead bent on at 500 fathoms was 
filled with blue and slate-coloured mud. Attached to the lead also was 
a piece of stone, and a fresh bruise on it, as though the lead had struck 
heavily on rock. The remainder of the line had evidently lain on the 
bottom, as the copper cylinder was covered with mud, and the water 
inside of it was quite muddy. They then beat up a short distance to 
windward, and again sounded, when, with the line hanging vertically, 
bottom was reached at 320 fathoms; the matter brought up was slate- 
coloured mud. The temperature of the water at the surface was 32°, 
and at the above depth 274°, being a decrease of 44°. 
The boats now returned, and on approaching the ship the persons in 
them were much startled by hearing the crew cheer ship in consequence 
of finding soundings. This was a natural burst of joy on obtaining this 
unquestionable proof that what they saw was indeed the land ; a circum- 
stance that, while it left no doubt, if any had existed, in the mind of 
any one on board the Peacock, that what they had previously seen was 
truly terra firma, furnished a proof that cannot be gainsaid, even by 
those disposed to dispute the evidence of sight unsupported by so deci- 
sive a fact. Mr. Eld and Mr. Stuart, in the boats, succeeded in getting 
observations, and the mean dip by the needles was 86° 16’. 
Mr. Eld’s boat succeeded in taking a king-penguin of enormous size, 
viz. from tip of tail to the bill, 45 inches, across the flippers, 37 inches, 
and the circumference of the body, 33 inches. He was taken after a truly 
sailor-like fashion by knocking him down. ‘The bird remained quite 
unmoved on their approach, or rather showed a disposition to come 
forward to greet them. A blow with the boat-hook, however, stunned 
him, and before his recovery he was well secured. He showed, on coming 
to himself, much resentment at the treatment he had received, not only 
by fighting, but by an inordinate noise. He was in due time preserved 
as a specimen, and now graces the collection at Washington. In his 
craw were found thirty-two pebbles, from the size of a pea to that of a 
hazel-nut. 
Bergs and field-ice were in various directions around ; they had light 
baffling winds, clear and pleasant weather, with a smooth sea. The 
water was of a dark green colour. Standing into the bay for the purpose 
