424 APPENDIX. 
You will give particular attention to the health and comfort of all 
under your command. 
Wishing you a safe and successful cruise, 
I am, &c, 
Charles Wilkes, 
Commanding Exploring Expedition. 
Lieut. Com. A. K. Long, 
U. S. Ship Relief. 
XXXI. 
U. S. Ship Peacock, 
At Sea, lat. 60° S., long. 84° W., 
April 1st, 1839. 
Sir, 
After separating from you in Orange Bay, on the 25th of February, 
I proceeded with the tender Flying-Fish, under the command of 
Lieutenant Walker, to carry out your instructions, in making a 
recognizance south. On the afternoon of the 26th, a few miles to 
the westward of the islands of Diego Ramieres, we encountered a 
gale, in which we lay-to forty hours, in the course of which we 
parted from our little consort, although we had observed all the 
precautions of firing guns, burning blue-lights, &c. ; after waiting 
in vain fourteen hours, with the hope of again meeting her, we 
resumed our course* for the first rendezvous I had appointed with 
Lieutenant Walker in the event of separation ; that, as well as some 
of the others, we were unable to reach, from a succession of westerly 
gales and boisterous weather. To have persevered in working up 
for them would have consumed the little time we could yet hope for 
in the advanced state of the season, for our further progress south. 
Without troubling you with a more minute detail of occurrences, 
suffice it to say, that on the 11th of March, we fell in with the first 
icebergs, in the latitude of 63° 30' S., and longitude of 80° W., after 
which time they were our constant companions (and on more than 
one occasion very troublesome ones) until we reached the latitude of 
68° 08' S., and longitude of 95° 44' W., where, to my great joy, we 
fell in with the Flying-Fish, and learned from Lieutenant Walker 
that he had passed near most of the appointed rendezvous, and 
worked down from 105° W., until he reached about 70° S., that 
