ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 347 



presence. Their proximity, however, was any thing hut pleasant to 

 tis, and their blowings resembled that of a number of locomotives. 

 Their close approach was a convincing proof that they had never been 

 exposed to the pursuit of their skilful hunters. They were of the fin- 

 back species, and of extraordinary size. 



Between ten and eleven o'clock at night it was entirely clear 

 over head, and we were gratified with a splendid exhibition of the 

 aurora australis. It exceeded any thing of the kind I had heretofore 

 witnessed ; its activity was inconceivable, darting from the zenith to 

 the horizon in all directions in the most brilliant coruscations ; rays 

 proceeding as if from a point in the zenith, flashed in brilliant 

 pencillings of light, like sparks of electric fluid in vacuo, and reappear 

 again to vanish ; forming themselves into one body, like an umbrella, 

 or fan, shut up ; again emerging to flit across the sky with the 

 rapidity of light, they showed all the prismatic colours at once or 

 in quick succession. So remarkable were the phenomena that even 

 our sailors were constantly exclaiming in admiration of its brilliancy. 

 The best position in which to view it was by lying flat upon the 

 deck, and looking up. The electrometer was tried, but no effect per- 

 ceived. The star Canopus was in the zenith at the time, and though 

 visible through the aurora, was much diminished in brightness. On 

 this night also the moon was partially eclipsed. 



Large icebergs had now become very numerous, and strengthened 

 the belief that the land existing in this vicinity had taken a very 

 decided trend to the northward. I accordingly followed up the 

 northern barrier closely, and passed through the thickest of these 

 bergs, well knowing from our experience that we should have little or 

 no opportunity of seeing the land, unless on the inner side of them. 

 It appeared as though they had collected here from other places, and 

 it is impossible to form an idea of the small space to which we were 

 at times confined. Upwards of one hundred ice-islands could be 

 counted at a time without the aid of a glass, some of which were 

 several miles long. We enjoyed this beautiful sight with the more 

 pleasure, for we had become used to them, and knew from experience 

 that it was possible to navigate through them without accident. 



On the 18th, we continued beating to the eastward, and found no 

 end to the apparently interminable barrier. We had a smooth sea, 

 and better weather than I anticipated. At noon, we had retraced our 

 way about forty miles. To-day we again had snow, which fell in 

 the form of regular six-pointed stars. The needles of which these 



