3S2 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



prevailed, and we continued to pass numerous ice-islands. The 

 aurora australis had this night a beautiful and novel appearance. 

 Black clouds were passing rapidly over the sky ; an orange glow of 

 light seemed to cover the heavens, emanating from a point, over 

 which flitted rays of the prismatic colours, directed towards the 

 horizon, lighting up both edges of the clouds, and throwing them 

 into bold relief. The rays seemed to dart simultaneously towards 

 the horizon, on reaching which they would seem to be gathered, as if 

 hy magic, towards the centre, and slowly vanish, to reappear again 

 and fold up. I made a sketch of this appearance, which may in some 

 measure convey an idea of it. 



AURORA AO 5TR.ALIS 



Strong gales continued until the 27th, with thick misty weather. 

 In the latitude of 53° S., and longitude 120° 25' E., we passed the 

 last iceberg ; the sea exhibited much phosphorescence ; the tempera- 

 ture- of the water was 46°. 



On the 28th, we found our variation 1° easterly, in the longitude 

 of 131° 50' E., latitude 50° 30' S. ; and in attempting to get a deep- 

 sea sounding of eight hundred and fifty fathoms, we lost our Six's 

 thermometer by the wire parting. The sea was a deep blue ; the 

 temperature 45°. We found a current setting west-northwest three- 



