APPENDIX. 413 



loose tracts, and floating ice passing ; weather generally so thick as not 

 to be able to see two hundred feet. From eight to midnight, passed 

 twenty-five islands. At 10 h 45 m , weather clear for a short time ; saw 

 the ice extending from southwest to northeast. At midnight, sea 

 clearer ; sails and rigging stiff with ice. 



March 23d, latitude, at meridian, about 69° 17' S., longitude 100° 30' 

 W. This day the weather has been clearer than for some time past. 

 At daylight, intended keeping away to fix position of field-ice, but 

 about that time the weather became very thick ; hove-to until seven 

 o'clock, when, no prospect of the weather clearing, stood to the north- 

 ward and eastward. The sea now became tolerably clear, yet the 

 passage of floating ice and icebergs still devolved the necessity of a 

 bright look-out. In the afternoon, stood to the southward and east- 

 ward, and for three hours observed appearances of land ; but at 

 3 h 30 m , discovered large masses of ice, and numerous icebergs. At 

 six, the ice bore from south to east, standing to the northward and 

 eastward ; water much discoloured. At midnight, the southern horizon 

 brilliantly illuminated by the aurora australis. 



March 24th, latitude, at meridian, about 69° 06' S., longitude 96° 50' 

 W. Prom four to eight had moderate northwesterly winds, with 

 snow ; weather hazy. From eight to meridian, moderate breezes, 

 with a heavy fall of snow ; first part passed many icebergs, and large 

 quantities of floating ice. At 10 h 30 m , got suddenly into large fields 

 of packed and broken ice, extending as far as the eye could reach, in 

 all directions, and which, by the assistance of the snow, (which, in the 

 clearer spots, laid undisturbed on the surface,) appeared to be rapidly 

 becoming solid ; the sea was cut off by the larger masses to windward, 

 and to add to our anxiety the wind appeared declining : we lost no 

 time in forcing out to windward, as on the former occasion. The 

 vessel seeming ill-constructed for such rough contusions, and very 

 fearful that her copper would be cut through, we cut up the boards in 

 the spare-cabin berths to preserve it ; but after getting into clearer 

 water, the sea became too heavy, and while within the field I did not 

 think we could spare the time to get them on. I am well convinced, 

 and such was the general opinion on board, that within a short time 

 after we cleared it, it became a firm field of ice. Having on two 

 distinct occasions narrowly escaped being closed in by the ice, our 

 want of fuel, the general unfitness of the vessel, and want of prepara- 

 tions for such an emergency, my " Instructions" called upon me most 

 imperiously to return; and I put our head to the northward, deter- 

 mined to keep it so until we should change our temperature ; which, 

 with a proper ambition to get beyond previous navigators, I did the 



