TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTH VICTORIA LAND (ANTARCTIC). +99 
causing the tall masts to quiver for some seconds after the shocks, or 
the mighty blocks grind in against the sides as they pass. 
At noon on January 12, a faint grey light was sighted on the port 
bow. At one time it looked like a cloud, at another it had the 
appearance of land. Finally it proved to be land, and very high land 
too. Our latitude at the time was 65° 3'58., and longitude 161° 43’ E., 
the land bearing S. 20° E. true, distant about 70 miles. The day was 
beautifully clear, and not a breath of air stirred a ripple on the glassy 
patches of water. The land was at first taken by the captain to be 
some undiscovered island. J went up into the crow’s-nest to have a 
better look-out ; the captain was there in a great state of excitement, so 
convinced was he that he had discovered new land. Most of us, how- 
ever, were extremely sceptical and could not participate in his elation. 
It seemed improbable that such an able navigator as Sir James Ross, 
who actually went over the same ground, should have missed this 
discovery. When we perceived a dull volume of smoke rising from 
the east end of the land, undoubtedly the smoke of a volcano in activity, 
we decided it was one of the Balleny islands upon which Balleny 
mentions the presence of an active volcano. As we approached closer, 
the outline of the land became admirably clear and defined. 
Owing to the abundance of light reflected from the white, glitter- 
ing snow-clad surface, few shadows were cast on any part. Observed 
through the telescope, abundant detail could be made out. A vast 
mantle of snow descended to within 600 or 800 feet of the sea, and 
there ended abruptly. On account of the great refraction and the 
very sharp contrast between the immaculate white of the snow and 
the jet-black of the cliffs, this snow-line was easily traced right along 
the land even with the naked eye. From the appearance of its edge, 
the snow-cap must have been some hundreds of feet thick. At the 
west extremity was a high truncated headland, and above this head- 
land to the east was a peak some 10,000 feet high, with a large and 
apparently inactive crater at its summit. At the east end the land 
was comparatively low, and, from its blue appearance, at a great 
distance from us. It was from this part that the dark volumes of 
smoke issued at intervals. Low down in the eastern horizon were 
snow-clad pinnacles, only discernible by the aid of the telescope. Out- 
wardly the land exhibited a naked, desolate appearance, a volcanic 
desert, covered with ice and snow, and so surrounded with ice ejected 
from the glaciers and forced on to the shores by the north-west current, 
that it is difficult, if not impossible, to examine the coast very closely. 
We approached to within 40 miles of the land, and then progress was 
completely stopped by huge blocks of ice, which had evidently only 
quite recently rolled down from the lofty peaks. We moored to a floe, 
and decided to wait until the ice opened up, and so allow the ship to 
approach closer to the shore. Plans were made for peeks os next 
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