ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 313 



from the Vincennes, both to the south -southeast and southwest, in the 

 former direction most distinctly. Both appeared high. It was between 

 eight and nine in the morning when I was fully satisfied that it was 

 certainly land, and my own opinion was confirmed by that of some of 

 the oldest and most experienced seamen on board. The officer of the 

 morning watch, Lieutenant Alden, sent twice, and called my atten- 

 tion to it. We were at this time in longitude 154° 30' E., latitude 66° 

 20' S. ; the day was fine, and at times quite clear, with light winds. 

 After divine service, I still saw the outline of the land, unchanged 

 in form, but not so distinct as in the morning. By noon, I found we 

 were sagging on to the barrier ; the boats were lowered in conse- 

 quence, and the ship towed off. The report from aloft, was, " A 

 continued barrier of ice around the bay, and no opening to be seen, 

 having the western point of it bearing to the northward of west of 

 us." I stood to the westward to pass around it, fully assured that 

 the Peacock would explore all the outline of the bay. 



The Peacock, at 3 h 30 m , according to Captain Hudson's journal, 

 having got into the drift-ice, with a barrier still ahead to the west, 

 tacked to the southeast to work up for an immense mass, which 

 had every appearance of land, and which was believed to be such by 

 all on board. It was seen far beyond and towering above an ice- 

 island that was from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet in 

 height. It bore from them about southwest,* and had the appear- 

 ance of being three thousand feet in height, forming a sort of 

 amphitheatre, looking gray and dark, and divided into two distinct 

 ridges or elevations throughout its entire extent, the whole being 

 covered with snow. As there was no probability of getting nearer to 

 it in this quarter, they stood out of the bay, which was about twenty 

 miles deep, to proceed to the westward, hoping to get an opportunity 

 to approach the object more closely on the other side. 



We had a beautiful and unusual sight presented to us this night : 

 the sun and moon both appeared above the horizon at the same time, 

 and each throwing its light abroad. The latter was nearly full. 

 The former illuminated the icebergs and distant continent with his 

 deep golden rays ; while the latter, in the opposite horizon, tinged with 

 silvery light the clouds in its immediate neighbourhood. There now 

 being no doubt in any mind of the discovery of land, it gave an 

 exciting interest to the cruise, that appeared to set aside all thought 



* Sketches of this land will be seen in the Atlas on the Chart of Antarctic Continent. 

 vol. ii. 79 



