THE NARRATIVE OF CHARLES WILKES. 403 
Our situation was by no means such as I should have chosen to en- 
‘counter bad weather in, the bay being sprinkled with a great many 
large icebergs. Here we met with a large number of whales, whose 
curiosity seemed awakened by our presence. Their proximity, however, 
was anything but pleasant to us, and their blowings resembled that of 
a number of locomotives. Their close approach was a convincing proof 
that they had never been exposed to the pursuit of their skilful hunters. 
They were of the fin-back species, and of extraordinary size. 
Between ten and eleven o’clock at night it was entirely clear over- 
head, and we were gratified with a splendid exhibition of the Aurora 
Australis. It exceeded anything of the kind I had heretofore witnessed ; 
its activity was inconceivable, darting from the zenith to the horizon in 
all directions in the most brilliant coruscations; rays proceeding as if 
from a point in the zenith, flashed in brilliant pencillings of light, like 
sparks of electric fluid in vacuo, and reappear again to vanish; forming 
themselves into one body, like an umbrella, or fan, shut up; again 
emerging fo flit across the sky with the rapidity of light, they showed 
all the prismatic colours at once or in quick succession. So remarkable 
were the phenomena that even our sailors were constantly exclaiming 
in admiration of its brilliancy. The best position in which to view it 
was by lying flat upon the deck, and looking up. The electrometer 
was tried, but no effect perceived. The star Canopus was in the 
zenith at the time, and though visible through the aurora, was much 
diminished in brightness. On this night also the moon was partially 
eclipsed. 
Large icebergs had now become very numerous, and strengthened 
the belief that the land existing in this vicinity had taken a very 
decided trend to the northward. I accordingly followed up the northern 
barrier closely, and passed through the thickest of these bergs, well 
knowing from our experience that we should have little or no oppor- 
tunity of seeing the land unless on the inner side of them. It appeared 
as though they had collected here from other places, and it is impossible 
to form an idea of the small space to which we were at times confined. 
Upwards of 100 ice-islands could be counted at a time without the 
aid of a glass, some of which were several miles long. We enjoyed 
this beautiful sight with the more pleasure, for we had become used 
to them, and knew from experience that it was possible to navigate 
through them without accident. 
On the 18th we continued beating to the eastward, and found no 
end to the apparently interminable barrier. We had a smooth sea and 
better weather than I anticipated. At noon we had retraced our way 
about forty miles. To-day we again had snow, which fell in the form 
of regular six-pointed stars. The needles of which these stars were 
formed were quite distinct, and of regular crystals. The temperature 
at the time was 28°. The barometer stood at 28:76 in. about three- 
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