344 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



thousand feet high. It was entirely covered with snow. Longitude 

 at noon, 106° 18' 42" E., latitude 65° 59' 40" S., variation 57° 05' 

 westerly. On running in, we had passed several icebergs greatly 

 discoloured with earth, and finding we could not approach the 

 shore any nearer, I determined to land on the largest ice-island that 

 seemed accessible, to make dip, intensity, and variation observations. 

 On coming up with it, about one and a half miles from where the 

 barrier had stopped us, I hove the ship to, lowered the boats, and 

 fortunately effected a landing. We found embedded in it, in places, 

 boulders, stones, gravel, sand, and mud or clay. The larger speci- 

 mens were of red sandstone and basalt. No signs of stratification 

 were to be seen in it, but it was in places formed of icy conglomerate 

 (if I may use the expression), composed of large pieces of rocks, as 

 it were frozen together, and the ice was extremely hard and flint-like. 

 The largest boulder embedded in it was about five or six feet in 

 diameter, but being situated under the shelf of the iceberg, we were 

 not able to get at it. Many specimens were obtained, and it was 

 amusing to see the eagerness and desire of all hands to possess them- 

 selves of a piece of the Antarctic Continent. These pieces were in 

 great demand during the remainder of the cruise. In the centre of 

 this iceberg was found a pond of most delicious water, over which 

 was a scum of ice about ten inches thick. We obtained from it 

 about five hundred gallons. We remained upon this iceberg several 

 hours, and the men amused themselves to their heart's content in 

 sliding. The pond was three feet deep, extending over an area of an 

 acre, and contained sufficient water for half-a-dozen ships. The 

 temperature of the water was 31°. This island had been undoubtedly 

 turned partly over, and had precisely the same appearance that the 

 icy barrier would have exhibited if it had been turned bottom up and 

 subsequently much worn by storms. There was no doubt that it had 

 been detached from the land, which was about eight miles distant. 

 The view of the land, ice, &c, taken from this ice-island, is exhibited 

 in the opposite plate, and gives a correct representation of these 

 desolate regions. 



Around the iceberg we found many species of zoophytes, viz. : 

 salpee, a beautiful specimen of clio helicina, some large pelagie, and 

 many small Crustacea. I made several drawings of them. This day, 

 notwithstanding our disappointment in being still repelled from 

 treading on the new continent, was spent with much gratification, 

 and gave us many new specimens from it. 



