THE JOURNAL OF M. J. DUMONT-D’URVILLE. 461 
island, make for a second, which was smaller and consequently much less 
steady. MM. Dumoulin and Coupvent soon returned on board, and re- 
ported to me that the base of the first iceberg (glace) they had visited 
was incessantly washed by the waves, which, after breaking in the 
caverns they had hollowed out of the mountains, fell back with a crash 
into the sea, thus forming large cascades, of which we saw nothing from 
the ship. As to the second iceberg (glagon) to which they had gone, it 
was so shaken by the swell that it would have been impossible to make 
any observation on it, and indeed the boat would infallibly have been 
capsized if she had gone alongside. 
I then had once more to give up hope of making the magnetic obser- 
vations which presented so many difficulties. I devoted the rest of the 
day to turning the ship round on herself in all directions, while simul- 
taneous observations of declination were made fore and aft. This opera- 
tion, which I should like to have repeated later, was then quite easy, for 
the azimuth of any one of the ice-islands in sight could be determined 
at any moment. The results were very strange, showing differences of 
nearly 12 degrees in the various declinations obtained under opposite 
heads (caps). I still kept a look-out all day for an iceberg on our course 
which would allow of another attempt at landing ; but in vain. 
I considered then that our task was fulfilled. The Astrolabe and the 
Zélée could retire from the arena, having furnished for their part a con- 
siderable quota to geography and physics. Of course it would not have 
been impossible to push on further west, and trace out a greater extent of 
the ice-pack, or perhaps even find land again. For I believe that the 
greater part of the polar circle is surrounded by land, and that in the 
end it will be found by some navigator sufficiently fortunate and bold 
to break through the masses of accumulated ice which ordinarily sur- 
round it; unless, indeed, some obstinate and insurmountable ice-pack 
should frustrate his efforts ; but I considered the condition of the crews, 
especially that of the Zélée, which was much more serious than that of 
the Astrolabe. I felt it would be cruel to abuse their courage, and the 
confidence they had shown in following me thus far without a murmur. 
T reflected that any important work and a long voyage would make de- 
mands on their strength and bravery for at least eight months ; finally, I 
may as well confess, I was myself very tired of the rough time I had been 
going through, and I much doubt if I could have borne it much longer. 
During this short, but hard and perilous voyage, all the officers and 
men of the two corvettes had, without exception, done their duty 
perfectly, and I had nothing but praise for their conduct. In the evening 
of February 1, 1840, in S. lat. 65° 20' and E. long. 180° 21', we bade a final 
adieu to these wild regions, and I set the ships’ heads north to make 
Hobart Town.* 
* T have taken a great part of this chapter from the report addressed by M. D’Urville 
to the Minister of Marine, dated Feb. 19, 1840, The journal kept by the chief of the 
