386 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
course to the westward. About noon, to my surprise, I learnt that one 
of the officers, Lieutenant Underwood, had marked on the log-slate that 
there was an opening of clear water, subtending three points of the 
compass, at the bottom of Disappointment Bay. Though confident that 
this was not the fact, in order to put this matter at rest, I at once deter- 
mined to return, although 40 miles distant, and ordered the ship about, 
to refute the assertion by the officer’s own testimony. This was most 
effectually done the next morning, 25th, when the ship reached the 
identical spot, and all were fully convinced that no opening existed. 
The whole bay was enclosed by a firm barrier of ice from north-north- 
west to east-north-east. 
The weather proved delightful, with light airs from the southward, 
and I determined to take this opportunity to fill up the water-tanks 
with ice. The ship was hove-to,a hawser got in readiness, the boats 
lowered and brought alongside of an iceberg well adapted to our 
purpose. 
The same opportunity was also taken to make the magnetic observa- 
tions on the ice, and to try the local attraction of the ship. 
Many birds were seen about the ship, of which we were fortunate in 
obtaining specimens. The day was remarkably clear, and the same 
appearance of land was seen that had been witnessed on the 24th. We 
filled nineteen of our tanks with ice, after having allowed it to remain 
for some time on deck for the salt water to drain off in part, and it 
proved very potable. 
The view of the ship in this position will give an idea of her 
situation. 
At about 5 p.m. we had completed our required store of ice, and cast 
off, making sail to the northward. 
In order that no further mistakes should take place as to the openings 
being passed, I issued an order, directing the officer of the deck on being 
relieved to go to the masthead and report to me the exact situation of 
the ice; and this was continued during the remainder of our cruise 
among it. 
In threading our way through the many icebergs, it occurred to me 
that they might be considered as islands, and a rough survey made of 
them, by taking their bearings at certain periods and making diagrams 
of their positions. This was accordingly done, and every few hours 
they were inserted on the chart which I was constructing in my 
progress. 
[One of the diagrams is given in the next page. ] 
This I found to be very useful, and it gave me confidence in proceed- 
ing, for I had a tolerable chart to retreat by in case of need, at least for 
a few hours, during which time I had reason to believe that there was 
not much probability of the icebergs changing their relative positions. 
The dip observed on the ice was 87° 30', and the variation 12° 46 
