368 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



of icebergs resembling spires and broken columns. Altered their 

 course to clear the barrier, and by two o'clock they had extricated 

 themselves. Penguins, whales, brown pigeons, and the black alba- 

 tross, were seen near the barrier. In the afternoon the snow fell in 

 beautiful shining spicule, resembling stars, usually of six, but some- 

 times of twelve points : they varied from one-eighth to one-sixteenth 

 of an inch in diameter. 



The barrier was occasionally seen, and the ice-islands began again 

 to assume a tabular form ; towards the close of the day. very many 

 whales, penguins, &c, seen. Longitude 116° E., latitude 64° 01' S. 



On the 9th, fresh breezes from the southeast; at 10 a. m. made the 

 barrier again, the weather being favourable ; at 4 p. m. standing along 

 the barrier, through drift-ice, with countless icebergs in sight ; good 

 observations were obtained, placing them in longitude 112° 41' E., 

 and latitude 64° 55' S. At 10 p. m., some few appearances of the 

 aurora australis in the northern sky, light coruscations streaming 

 upwards, but quite faint, and only for a very short period; many stars 

 and several constellations were traced without difficulty. The sea 

 was smooth ; lowered a boat to try the current, but found none. The 

 dip was 83° 30'. 



On the morning of the 10th the weather cleared off, and gave them 

 an opportunity of ventilating the vessel ; closed in with the field-ice 

 for the purpose of obtaining a supply of water, and the boats were 

 despatched to take in ice; the longitude was found to be 110° 34' E., 

 latitude 65° 12' S. ; the field-ice here was found to be interspersed 

 with many large ice-islands and bergs. At five o'clock the boats 

 returned with ice. The current was found to be setting north-north- 

 east, five fathoms an hour; the weather continued clear and healthful; 

 made the field-ice ahead and on the lee bow ; shortly after, cleared it. 

 The twilight in the southern horizon presented a beautiful appearance, 

 a bright salmon colour radiating from the sun, throwing its tints over 

 the whole sky, tinging the few cirro-stratus clouds that were in the 

 northern quarter, and giving a soft colour to the immense ice-islands 

 that were slumbering along the barrier, and aiding to lend to the scene 

 its peculiar character of silence, solitude, and desolation. 



The weather was clear and pleasant on the 11th, with a light wind 

 from the southeast ; many penguins and whales were seen. The 

 icebergs were numerous, and some of great beauty, with almost 

 regularly turned arches, and of the most beautiful aqua-marine tints. 

 Longitude was 106° 10' E., latitude 65° 28' S. 



During the morning of the 12th, running along high broken fields 



