310 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



stretching to the southwest as far as any thing could be discerned. 

 Two peaks, in particular, were very distinct, (which I have named 

 after those two officers,) rising in a conical form ; and others, the 

 lower parts of which were quite as distinct, but whose summits were 

 lost in light fleecy clouds. Few clouds were to be seen in any other 

 direction, for the weather was remarkably clear. The sun shone 

 brightly, on ridge after ridge, whose sides were partially bare ; these 

 connected the eminences I have just spoken of, which must be from 

 one to two thousand feet high. Mr. Eld further states, that on 

 reporting the discovery to Captain Hudson, the latter replied that 

 there was no doubt of it, and that he believed that most of the ice- 

 bergs then in sight were aground. At this time they were close in 

 with the barrier, and could approach no nearer. On this day, the 

 Peacock got a cast of the deep-sea lead, with Six's thermometer 

 attached, to the depth of eight hundred and fifty fathoms, only a short 

 distance from the barrier: the temperature of the surface was 31°, 

 and at the depth sounded, 31^° ; current one-fourth of a mile, north- 

 by-east. 



The log-book of the Porpoise has also this notice in it : " From six 

 to eight, calm and pleasant, — took in studding-sails ; at seven set main- 

 top-gallant studding-sail ; discovered what we took to be an island, 

 bearing south-by-east, — a great deal of field-ice in sight; noticed 

 penguins around the brig. (Signed) J. H. North." Dr. Holmes, on 

 the same evening, noted in his journal, a marked appearance of land. 



On board the Vincennes there was on the same day much excite- 

 ment among the crew. All eagerly watched the flight of birds, 

 together with the whales and penguins, and spoke of the proximity 

 of land, which, from the appearance of never-failing signs, could 

 scarcely be doubted. The following is a sketch which I made of 

 what I myself saw, and have called Ringgold's Knoll, on the chart, 

 and which at the same time will show the field-ice* as it appeared. 



* The field-ice is composed of a vast number of pieces, varying in size, and separated 

 from one another, the long swell keeping the outer ones always in motion. The 

 smallest pieces were about six feet in diameter, while the largest sometimes exceeded five 

 or six hundred feet. Their depth below the surface varies still more, and some appear 

 to be soft, whilst others were hard and compact. The depth of these does not probably 

 in any case exceed twenty feet. Most of them, and particularly the larger ones, had a 

 covering of about eighteen inches of snow. The whole at a distance appeared like a vast 

 level field, broken up as it were by the plough, and presenting shapeless angular masses 

 of every possible figure, while here and there a table-topped iceberg was enclosed. 



