SOUTHERN CRUISE. 135 



taking the mean of many trials, from which none varied more than a 

 second and a half. This gave about twenty-six and a half miles in an 

 hour for their apparent progressive motion. In order to get their 

 height, I took the opportunity when the schooner was in the trough of 

 the sea, and my eye on board the Porpoise in the horizon, to observe 

 where it cut the mast : the wood-cut will illustrate it. 



This gave me thirty-two feet. The waves ran higher and more 

 regular on this occasion than I have seen them at any other time 

 during the cruise. 



We had many albatrosses hovering about, and at times resting as it 

 were immovable in the storm, some gray petrels, and Cape pigeons in 

 numbers. The weather becoming thick, and the temperature of the 

 water having fallen to 32°, I deemed it prudent to heave-to during the 

 darkness. 



The 28th came in more moderate. As soon as it was light we 

 again made sail to the south. Towards noon the wind hauled to the 

 northward and brought rain. The temperature of the water was 37°. 

 The wind now again hauled to the southward and blew fresh. At 

 noon we had reached the latitude of 61° 20' S., longitude 60° 49' W. 

 We found ourselves obliged to lay-to this night also, it being too dark 

 to run. 



At daylight on the 1st of March we had snow in flurries, and the 

 first ice-islands were made. They excited much curiosity, and ap- 

 peared to have been a good deal worn, as though the sea had been 

 washing over them for some time. They were of small size in com- 

 parison with those we afterwards saw, but being unused to the sight, 

 we thought them magnificent. At noon we made land, which proved 

 to be Ridley's Island. It was high, broken, and rugged, with the top 

 covered with snow. The rocks had a basaltic appearance, and many 

 were detached from the main body of the island, with numerous high 

 pinnacles, very much worn by the sea. The surf was too great to 

 attempt a landing for the purpose of procuring specimens. As we 

 closed in with the land, we lowered a boat and tried the current, which 

 was found setting to the north-northwest, two fathoms per hour. 



At 6 p. m. we had several ice-islands in sight, Cape Melville bearing 

 south-by-east (true). We now had light winds from the south-south- 

 west. 



