THE NARRATIVE OF CHARLES WILKES, 419 
large ice-islands and bergs. At 5 o'clock the boats returned with ice. 
The current was found to be setting north-north-east, 5 fathoms an 
hour; the weather continued clear and healthful; made the field-ice 
ahead and on the lee bow; shortly after, cleared it. The twilight in 
the southern horizon presented a beautiful appearance, a bright salmon 
colour radiating from the sun throwing its tints over the whole sky, 
tinging the few cirro-stratus clouds that were in the northern quarter, 
and giving a soft colour to the immense ice-islands that were slumbering 
along the barrier, and aiding to lend to the scene its peculiar character 
of silence, solitude and desolation. 
The weather was clear and pleasant on the 11th, with a light wind 
from the south-east; many penguins and whales were seen. The ice- 
bergs were numerous, and some of great beauty, with almost regularly 
turned arches, and of the most beautiful aqua-marine tints. Longitude 
was 106° 10' E., latitude 65° 28’ S. 
During the morning of the 12th running along high broken fields of 
ice, with a light breeze from the southward; weather overcast. Dis- 
covered a large piece of ice of a dark-brown colour floating by, re- 
sembling a piece of dead coral ; lay-to, and sent a boat to bring it along- 
side ; obtained from it several pieces of granite and red clay, which were 
frozen in. The ice was extremely hard and compact, composed of alter- 
nate layers of ice and snow; the strata of snow were filled with sand. 
The icebergs near at the time presented signs of having been detached 
from land, being discoloured by sand and mud. A number of white 
procellaria were obtained. The ice-islands again appeared in great 
numbers. At 3 p.m. hauled up, steering westerly into a very deep inlet 
or gulf, formed by extensive fields of ice, believing from the indications 
of the morning that land could not be far off. In approaching the head 
of this inlet, several icebergs had the appearance of being in contact 
with the land, having assumed a dark colour from the clay and sand 
blown upon them; the whole group around seemed as if in the vicinage 
of land. Sounded with 200 fathoms—no bottom ; also tried the current, 
but found none. Towards night, it becoming thick with snow, they 
continued under snug sail, intending to examine more closely the 
barrier and inlets in the morning, 
13th.—At 3 a.m. they again made sail to the westward, with wind 
from the east; at six o’clock they had snow-squalls, rendering it unsafe 
to proceed and impossible to make any discovery. A few hours after- 
wards the weather cleared a little; made sail again to the north-west. 
At meridian overcast, with a stiff south-east breeze; at 1.30 approached 
to within pistol-shot of the barrier, observing much of the dark, dirty 
ice interspersed with the field-ice; kept along it very closely, tracing 
the barrier northerly ; observed a large black object on the ice; short- 
ened sail, and despatched a boat: it proved to be a large mass of black, 
red, and mixed-coloured earth, resting upon a base of snow and ice, 
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