226 H. 0. RUSSELL, 
experience as ours, the reports of ships to the north of us would 
be interesting.” It so happened, that as he spoke there were three 
vessels taking a course a little north of the safety track, and 
could he by the aid of some new telegraphy without wires have _ 
consulted their captains, the replies would have been, ‘“‘Come 
north, in less than sixty miles you will be in open water.” Had 
he known it then, five hours steaming would have taken the ship 
out of danger, and he would have wholly avoided four days and 
nights of great anxiety and risk to ship, passengers and crew. 
I have already pointed out in this paper, the possibility, per- 
sonally I would rather say the probability, that by continuing the 
united labours of sea-going and shore observers in regard to ice- 
bergs, it may bein the near future, possible to attempt forecasting 
the latitude in which icebergs will be found; and it really seems 
probable that electricians will ere long place in the hands of 
sailors, the means of consulting unseen but neighbouring vessels. 
The diagram shews the track of the s.s. Thermopyle in Sept. 
1896, which passed through ice all the way (See report 147 in 
following list), also the tracks of the Woolloomooloo, Gulf of Siam, 
and Patriarch, tracks in which no ice was seen. We may turn 
now to the full account of the ice seen by the Thermopyle in her 
next voyage, February 1897. 
Special account of the Icebergs seen on voyage of the s.s. “ Ther- 
mopyle,” Capt. A. Simpson, with attendant phenomena. (Cape 
Town to Melbourne) February, 1897.—About 3 p.m. on February 
20th, extra special lookout being kept for icebergs, as I anticipated 
seeing some in this neighbourhood, a very large iceberg was 
observed almost right in the ship’s path. Unfortunately we had 
only a small camera (Kodak) on board, but I decided to make the 
most of it, and steered the ship to pass four cables length to the 
south of the berg; this would make sure of being clear of any 
part of the iceberg that might be submerged, its position would 
approximately be in Lat. 45° 32’S., Long. 46° E. Three officers 
were told off to take frequent and careful angular measurements, 
while the sea-water temperature and the dry and wet bulb ther- 
