CHAPTER XL 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE — CONTINUED. 

 1840. 



On the 22d January, the Porpoise lost sight of the Peacock, and 

 continued beating to the southwest. The weather was extremely 

 cold; some shrimps were caught; sea-water froze on being a few 

 minutes in the bucket on deck. The water at 3 p. m. was much dis- 

 coloured; got a cast of the lead with two hundred fathoms: no 

 bottom ; found the current south-by-east three-fourths of a mile per 

 hour. At 4" 30 m , passed large icebergs, one of which had several 

 dark horizontal veins, apparently of earth, through it ; large quantities 

 of floe and drift-ice to the southward ; the sea very smooth. A report 

 of high land was made this morning ; indeed every thing indicated 

 the proximity of land. The number of seals, whales, penguins, 

 shrimps, &c, had very much increased. The pure white pigeons 

 were also seen in numbers. 



23d. Countless icebergs in sight ; the sea quite smooth ; not the 

 slightest motion perceptible. At meridian, they were in latitude 

 66° 44' S., longitude 151° 24' E., and close to the barrier, which 

 appeared quite impenetrable, as far as the eye could reach from aloft, 

 to the north-northwest and north-northeast, with numberless immense 

 ice-islands entangled and enclosed in it in all directions. The posi- 

 tion they occupied seemed an inlet of elliptical shape, with an 

 opening to the north. It was needless to count the many scattering 

 islands of ice distinct from the vast chain ; intermingled with field- 

 ice, they studded the gulf like so many islands, of various shapes and 

 dimensions. At 2 h 25 m , a sail was discovered on the lee bow ; kept 

 off to communicate, supposing it to be the Vincennes or Peacock. 

 At 2 h 30 m , the Peacock was made out on the southern board, showing 



VOL. II. 91 



