ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 377 



clear weather. The 28th passed with clear weather, and several seals 

 were about them. 



The 29th was thick and snowy, with a northeast wind ; passed 

 through quantities of drift-ice, and by 2 h 30 m , it had become so thick 

 as to render a continuance of their course perilous ; at 7 p. m. they 

 again made the solid barrier, when it was blowing a stiff gale ; at 9 h 

 30"' discovered the ice ahead, and on both beams ; wore round to the 

 northward and eastward, to retrace their steps; it was not long before 

 they discovered a chain of ice-islands ahead, apparently connected by 

 solid ice; about midnight a passage was discovered between two ice- 

 bergs, through which they passed ; it was now blowing a heavy gale, 

 and having gained the open sea, they attempted to reef the foresail, 

 but were unequal to the task (four of the men being on the sick-list), 

 and were compelled to lay -to under the whole sail, which caused the 

 vessel to labour very much, as well as to leak a great deal, and en- 

 dangered her safety by making her fly into the wind, and get a stern- 

 board in a high sea. 



On the 30th, in the morning, the gale abated, and the weather 

 became more pleasant than they had experienced for a number of 

 days. They had reached the longitude of 150° 16' E., latitude 65° 

 15' S. On this day they again passed into blue water. 



31st January was thick with snow ; a north wind and heavy sea. 



1st of February, they were running among ice, until they sighted 

 the barrier, when they again hauled to the northward ; a moderate 

 gale blowing, with thick weather and a heavy sea, they were obliged 

 to heave-to. 



On the 2d and 3d, they were coasting the ice. In the afternoon of 

 the 3d they again had bad weather, which made it necessary to bring 

 to ; surrounded by bergs and drift-ice : the latter, in case of striking, 

 would have seriously injured the tender. The icebergs seen on these 

 days, had the appearance of recent formation ; the tops flat, the sides 

 perpendicular, and not worn by the action of the sea. 



On the 4th, the gale continued, and the sea had risen to an extra- 

 ordinary height ; the weather was so thick that an iceberg could not 

 be seen further than twice the length of the vessel. The tender was 

 under too much sail, which caused her to labour dreadfully, in 

 consequence of which she leaked in such a manner as to make it 

 necessary to keep the pumps going almost continually. When they 

 were stopped for a short time to rest the men, the water increased so 



vol. 11. 05 



