ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 359 



Lieutenant Pinkney, in accordance with this opinion, and his own 

 conviction of the necessity of an immediate return to milder latitudes, 

 as the only means of restoring the sick, and preserving those on duty, 

 who were then incapable of managing the vessel without the assistance 

 of the officers, deemed it his duty to steer for the north, which he 

 accordingly did. 



The 6th and 7th continued thick, with occasional squalls. On the 

 8th, the weather again broke up, when they had several hours of sun- 

 shine, which proved of great benefit to the sick, who were enabled 

 to come again on deck, and enjoy the milder weather, affording so 

 great a contrast to that of the Antarctic circle. They had reach- 

 ed the longitude of 139° 45' E., latitude 61° S. At 11 p. m. the 

 aurora was seen; it w r as first visible in the southeast quarter, in 

 spots resembling pale moonlight, extending to the zenith, from whence 

 it- diverged in rays, some of which reached the horizon, but the greatest 

 number terminated at an altitude of twenty-five or thirty degrees. On 

 the 9th, the aurora was also seen in the west, in vertical rays of pale 

 yellow light, commencing about five degrees above the horizon, and 

 extending to an altitude of thirty degrees. After a short time it dis- 

 appeared, and was again seen in the zenith, radiating in lines to the 

 northeast and west, reaching to within ten degrees of the horizon. 

 The wind was from the southward. Temperature 34°. The follow- 

 ing five days they had thick weather, and nothing occurred until the 

 evening of the 14th, when they again had a display of the aurora ; the 

 coruscations were frequent and brilliant, but did not exhibit any diffe- 

 rent form, until after midnight, when it appeared in arches, reaching 

 nearly to the horizon, at from 45° to 73° of altitude, and composed of 

 short perpendicular lines, blending at one moment into a sheet of misty 

 light, and then breaking out into brighter lines, some of which were 

 broad. It then again shifted to the zenith, with radiations extending 

 in every direction, in straight and wavy lines. The changes were 

 incessant, but not shooting. 



On the morning of the 15th, they again had a display of the aurora. 

 It first appeared in the southern heavens, at an altitude of 45°, flashing 

 to the zenith, where it disappeared. After midnight it was again 

 visible in the southern quarter, at about 30° of altitude. It finally 

 centered in a bright spot, which changed into a crescent, with the 

 rounded side to the northward. From this, feathery-edged rays of 

 pale orange-colour branched off in every direction, over which the 

 prismatic colours seemed to flit in rapid succession. The rays would 

 sometimes fold into one another like a fan, and reach the horizon in 

 one direction, while in another they were drawn up to the zenith, again 



