1834. 



FROST 



— OSTRICHES SWIMMING. 



343 



frost : and while observing the moon's meridian altitude, dew 

 was deposited so fast upon the roof of the artificial horizon, 

 and froze there so quickly as it fell, that I could hardly make 

 the observation. My sextant was injured a little by the frost, 

 for not having been used before in very cold weather, the brass 

 contracted so much as to injure the silvering at the back of 

 the index glass, and slightly change the index error. 



In the morning it was so cold that our usual ablutions were 

 shunned, and all were anxious to have the first spell at the 

 rope in order to warm themselves, though few had slept many 

 minutes, and many had hard work the previous day. The ther- 

 mometer was at 22° Fahr. — nothing, — indeed warm weather to 

 Polar voyagers, but to us, accustomed to temperate climates, 

 it appeared a severe degree of cold. 



20th. As we were going along the bank of the river, which 

 to our great benefit was becoming more accessible and clearer 

 of bushes, we saw some dark coloured animals crossing the 

 stream at a distance, but no one could guess what they were 

 until the foremost of them reached the shore, and rising upon 

 his stilt-like legs, showed himself to be an ostrich. Six or 

 seven of these birds were swimming across : till then I had 

 no idea that so long-legged a bird, not web-footed, would, 

 of its own accord, take to the water and cross a rapid stream : 

 this, however, was a certain proof to the contrary, for nothing 

 had disturbed them that we could discern. As far as we could 

 tell, at so great a distance, they seemed to be of the kind 

 which the Spanish-patagonians call ' Avestruz-petis.' They 

 were, however, far too wild to be approached with a gun. We 

 saw smoke at a distance and anticipated meeting Indians, in 

 the course of our next day's journey. The country around con- 

 tinued similar to that already described : but islands no longer 

 impeded our progress, though some high cliffy banks gave us 

 trouble. At the next place where we passed a night, Mr. Dar- 

 win tried to catch fish with a casting net, but without success ; 

 so strong a stream being much against successful fishing. Avery 

 sharp frost again this night. The net and other things, which 



