50 THE OCEAN WORLD. 
sea—an error which has very unjustly thrown discredit on the whole 
expedition. 
The English expedition, under Sir J. C. Ross, entered this region 
on Christmas Day, 1840, which was passed by Ross in a strong gale, 
with constant snow or rain. Soon after, the first icebergs were seen, 
having flat tubular summits, and being in some instances two miles 
in circumference ; they were bounded on all sides by perpendicular 
cliffs of ice. On New Years Day, 1841, the ships crossed the 
Antarctic Circle, and reached the edge of the pack ice, which they 
entered, after skirting it for several days. On the 5th the pack was 
passed through, amid blinding snow and thick fog, which on clearing 
away revealed an open sea; and on the 11th of January land was 
seen directly ahead of the ships. A coast line rose in lofty snow- 
covered peaks at a great distance. On a nearer view, this coast is 
thus described :—“ It was a beautifully clear evening, and two 
magnificent ranges of mountains rose to elevations varying from 
7,000 to 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. The glaciers which 
filled their intervening valleys, and which descended from near the 
mountain summits, projected in many places several miles into the’ 
sea, and terminated in lofty perpendicular cliffs. In a few places the 
rocks broke through their icy covering, by which alone we could be 
assured that masses of lava formed the nucleus of this, to all appear- * 
ance, enormous iceberg. This antarctic land was named Victoria 
Land, in honour of the Queen of England. It was coasted up to 
78° south latitude, and near to this a magnificent volcanic mountain 
presented itself, rising 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, which 
emitted flame and smoke in great quantities. The flanks of this. 
gigantic mountain were clothed with snow almost to the mouth of 
the very crater from which the flame and smoke issued. At a 
short distance, Ross discovered the cone of an extinct, or, at least, 
inactive volcano. He gave to these two volcanoes the names of 
his vessels, Hrebus and Terror (Fig. 8)—names perfectly in harmony 
with the surrounding desolation. The ice-covered cliffs rose about 
190 feet high, and appeared to be about 300 feet deep; soundings 
were found at about 400 fathoms. In the distance, towards the 
south, a range of lofty mountains was observed, which Ross named 
Mount Parry, in honour of his old commander. When Ross 
commenced to retrace his steps, the expedition had advanced as far 
as 79° of south latitude. 
It may be said of the polar countries that they form a transition 
state between land and sea, for water is always present, although in a 
