544 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



big-headed seals, and as we were returning to our ship they were 

 moaning loudly. This was said to be a sign that they were about 

 to start upon a long journey, but was it not rather a sigh of relief 

 when they saw their slaughterers' craft run up her bunting and 

 announce to all that she was a full ship, that her thirst for blood 

 was quenched ? Penguins are the strangest creatures ever seen. 

 They are supremely funny as they quack and strut about with 

 their padded feet over the snow, or, coming to a slope, glide 

 swiftly downward toboggan-fashion upon their breasts. If one 

 lands on the piece of ice they are resting upon, they approach 

 fearlessly with a threatening " Quack ! quack ! " For their in- 

 quisitiveness they, too, often received the handle of the club, for it 

 was soon found that their flesh greatly resembled that of the hare, 

 and upon them we had many a tasty and substantial meal. The 

 emperor penguin is very difficult to kill ; he will live after his 

 skull has been most hopelessly smashed; the best way to put an 

 end to them is to pith them. Six of us one day set out to capture 

 one alive, and so strong was the bird that five with difficulty kept 

 their hold, and, after he was bound with strong cords and nautical 

 knots, he flapped his flippers and released himself. 



The drift ice we came across was not heavier than that of 

 Davis Strait, but the bergs were of very different character, 

 nearly all flat, not pinnacled and not so lofty as those of the 

 north, but of huge length, frequently being four miles in length, 

 sometimes eight or ten, and one we met with was no less than 

 thirty miles long, taking us six hours to steam from end to end at 

 five knots. These are valuable when one can lie under their lee 

 in a gale, but, when they are to leeward, form a dangerous lee 

 shore, and more especially so for sailing ships. 



One of the doctors had the good fortune to effect a landing in 

 Erebus and Terror Gulf, obtaining specimens of plants, eggs, and 

 rocks. 



The lowest temperature recorded in the ice was +21*1° Fahr., 

 or nearly 11° of frost ; this was on the 17th of February, but usu- 

 ally it was about +32° Fahr., more or less. 



On the 17th of February we steered for the Falklands, and 

 thence homeward. Our homeward passage has been one con- 

 tinued spell of fine weather ; the winds were mostly light, and too 

 frequently head winds. The highest temperature recorded was 

 84*4° Fahr., in latitude 1° 10' north, longitude 25° 21' west, on the 

 13th of April ; for the previous eight days 80° Fahr. and over are 

 recorded, and also on the 3d of April, as well as five days follow- 

 ing the 13th of April. From the ice to some degrees north of the 

 line floats were thrown over to record the currents, and the tow- 

 net was over frequently. 



While in the ice we met the Jason, a Norwegian bark with 



