ICEBERGS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. 229 
thought it might be some noise on board, but I found that these 
noises were continually occurring, as they were distinctly heard 
from several other bergs we passed fairly close to. They were 
also heard one evening and night proceeding from bergs that had 
not come within our range of vision. I also wished particularly 
to know how far off they could be seen at night, their colour ete. 
in varying atmospheres, and if they would be distinguished from 
breaking seas. During the next five days I had ample oppor- 
tunities to find out, and do not wish another such experience. 
Two able seamen were placed forward, one on each bow, and a 
certificated officer on each side of the bridge besides myself. The 
watch were also alert, and as a matter of fact we saw everything 
that was lying in our direct track and avoided it in ample time, 
but I am quite certain that we must have had several close shaves. 
At one time sixteen bergs were in sight in the darkness, the night 
was starry with passing showers of rain, but with a good lookout 
there was no danger of collision. Of course in foggy weather 
they cannot be seen even in daylight, and fogs prevail on the 
western side of the Crozets due to the cold antarctic ice stream 
there. 
At 4 p.m. on February 25th, during the heaviest burst of a 
hurricane which the ship was scudding before, it was barely 
possible to see beyond the length of one wave, and as the sea was 
a white seething mass of spindrift, we were astonished to see a 
high bluish mass towering up a quarter of a mile off four points 
on our port bow, and between it and the ship a large mass half 
the size of the ship above water, but completely buried in spray. 
This could not have been seen at night, as it was exactly like a 
breaking sea, Two more pieces were seen before darkness came 
down on us, but only for a minute or two, on our starboard side. 
I reduced speed to as slow as the ship could go and steer, and put 
my trust in Providence, and at the same time kept a good lookout. 
I think we could then have safely negotiated anything coming in 
the way, it gave us time to observe whether it was a breaking 
wave or a stationary piece of ice. Towards 10 p.m. the Pio 
