298 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



alabaster: a verbal description of them can do little to convey the 

 reality to the imagination of one who has not been among them. If 

 an immense city of ruined alabaster palaces can be imagined, of every 

 variety of shape and tint, and composed of huge piles of buildings 

 grouped together, with long lanes or streets winding irregularly 

 through them, some faint idea may be formed of the grandeur and 

 beauty of the spectacle. The time and circumstances under which 

 we were viewing them, threading our way through these vast bergs, 

 we knew not to what end, left an impression upon me of these icy and 

 desolate regions that can never be forgotten. 



22d. It was now, during fine weather, one continued day; but we 

 had occasional snow-squalls that produced an obscurity that was tan- 

 talizing. The bergs were so vast and inaccessible, that there was no 

 possibility of landing upon them. 



The Peacock and Porpoise were in sight of each other this day. A 

 large number of whales, albatrosses, petrels, penguins, &c, were seen 

 around, and a flock of ducks was also reported as having been seen 

 from the Vincennes, as well as several seals. The effect of sunrise, at 

 a little after 2 a. m., on the 23d, was glorious. 



As the events which occurred on board the Peacock during the next 

 few days are particularly interesting, I shall proceed to narrate them 

 in detail, leaving the Vincennes and Porpoise to pursue their route 

 along their dangerous and novel pathway, and would particularly 

 refer the reader to the actual condition of the Peacock, a statement of 

 which has been heretofore given, that it may be borne in mind that 

 our vessels had no planking, extra fastening, or other preparations for 

 these icy regions, beyond those of the vessels of war in our service. 



The Peacock stood into the bay which the Vincennes had found 

 closed the day before, and saw the same appearance of high land in 

 the distance. The water was much discoloured, and of a dark dirty 

 green. They hove-to, for the double purpose of getting a cast of the 

 lead, and of lowering the boats to carry the instruments to a small ice- 

 berg, on which it was possible to land, for the purpose of making 

 magnetic observations. A line of one thousand four hundred fathoms 

 was prepared to sound, and to the lead was attached the cylinder with 

 Six's thermometer. The w T ind being fresh, several leads at different dis- 

 tances were attached to the line. They were not aware that the lead- 

 line had touched bottom, until they began to haul in, when it was found 

 that the lead bent on at five hundred fathoms was filled with blue and 

 slate-coloured mud. Attached to the lead also was a piece of stone, 

 and a fresh bruise on it, as though the lead had struck heavily on rock. 



The remainder of the line had evidently lain on the bottom, as the 



