Dtt.fi* SOUTHERN CRUISE. KJ? SI.-fESSSS!?' 



were in sight, an J at night tiny had » beautiful dis- 

 play of the aurora austral is, extending from south- 

 south-west to east. The rays were of many colours, 

 radiating towards the zenith, and reaching an alti- 

 tude of 30°. Several brilliant meteors were ahio 

 observed. 



Hot coffee was now served to the crow at mid- 

 night, or at relieving of the watch, whicli proved 

 exceedingly acceptable. The temperature of the 

 air had fallen to 22*, and of the water to 28°. 



Un the Tilth they had another display of the au- 

 rora, iirnl it exhibited a peculiar effect. In tin 

 southern quarter there was an appearance of a 

 iji u-i cloud, resembling a shadow cast upon the 

 sky, and forming mi arch, about 10 E in a I itud 

 Above this were seen coruscations of light, render- 

 big all objects around the ship visible. From be- 

 laud this cloud, divirgins ray-, frequently shot up 

 to an altitude of from 85* to 45°. These appear- 

 ances continued until day dawned. The night was 

 remarkably fine, and many shooting star* were ob- 

 served. The barometer stood at 2IV77 m. Daring 

 the afternoon of this day, a fog-bank was perceived 

 in the south-western quarter, and they were a 

 short time afterwards completely enveloped in a 

 fog so dense and thick, that they could in>; see 

 twiee the length of the ship. Fortunately, before it 

 closed in, tlu-y were enabled to gel good bearing* 

 o|' the different icebergs in sight, and particularly 

 of those which closely surrounded them. 



On the 20th, they had moderate weather, with 

 fo<;*. They had now reached the longitude of 

 MP W. f latitude CO 1 S., and obtained a sight of the 

 icy barrier. The fog becoming dense, lhey were 

 ■ •bligeJ to heave I he sliip to; the sea being siunol.h, 

 they tool; the opportunity to sound with the deep- 

 sea line, with the apparatus for temperature. The 

 line being of copper wire, they succeeded in getting 

 out eight hundred fathoms of it; but when they 

 began to reel it up, it parted, and the whole was 

 lost. The noise of tho sea beating on tho icebergs 

 was frequently heard close aboard, aud several 

 loud sounds resembling thunder, which they im~ 

 puled to the breaking asunder and turning over of 

 large icebergs. 



During tiie whole of the 21st they could not ven- 

 ture to run, in consequence of the dense fog, which 

 lasted all 'lay, with the exception of about an hour. 

 Mr. Fealc having shot one of the petrels, of the 

 same kind as seen the day before, a boat was 

 lowered to pick it up, of which advantage was taken 

 to try the current. It was found setting one- 

 third of a milt) per hour to the uorth -west- by- 

 west 



On the 23rd it partly cleared, aud the fog having 

 been succeeded by a snow-storm, the wind hauled 

 to the west, with" a heavy bank of clouds in that 

 quarter. The barometer showed no indication of a 

 gale; the weather turned out thick, and prevented 

 them from seeing any distance. They had some 

 severe squalls, accompanied with snow. On the 

 24th, the wind hauling to the northward and west- 

 ward, brought snow and thick weather, with some 

 heavy squalls. Many icebergs wen- met with, 

 which were fortunately avoided. A sharp look- 

 out was kept for them, and the ship put iu 

 readiness to perform any manoeuvre tlint might 

 be desirable. Some of the icebergs were two 

 hundred feel above tho surface of the water, 

 aud of a pinnacle shape. The snow continued 



to fall fast, rendering the ship uucojufortably 

 wet. 



On the 2oih, the fog continued until near meri- 

 dian. Many birds were seen about the ship, and 

 many fin-back whales. They obtained a meridian 

 obs. nation, the first for the Inst six days, and 

 found themselves in the latitude of GflP S., longi- 

 tude J*7° Sft' Here, in the evening, to their 

 great joy, they fell in with the tender Flying- Fish. 

 On her near approach, all hands were turned up, 

 ami gave her three laa:ty cheers. Lieutenant 

 Walker came on board, and reported to Captain 

 Hudson that he had visited all the appointed ren- 

 dezvous iu hopes of fulling in with the IVacock, 

 but without success, having encountered very 

 severe and boisterous weather. Un the Huh they 

 left the fourth rendezvous, having passed the 1 7ih 

 in its vicinity. They then turned towards the 

 south for Cook's Ne Plus Ultra, and continued 

 their way to the southward. The weather was at 

 times very thick, the ice-islands became numei ou-, 

 and they occasionally passed a little floating ire. 

 On the libit the ice became abundant, and Healed 

 in large mass* .- around tlu-m. At 1 a.m. the water 

 was much discoloured, and some of the iee also 

 having the appearance of being but lately detached 

 from the land. They obtained a cast of the lead, 

 but found no bottom at one hundred fathoms. At 

 eight o'clock the fog lifted, and discovered, to the 

 amazement of all, a wall of ice from fifteen to 

 twenty feet high, extending east and west as for as 

 the eye could reach, and spreading out into a vast 

 and seemingly boundless field to the south. Their 

 latitude at this time was about b7° 30' S., longitude 

 lCi 0 W. Tho weather becoming thick (hey stood 

 to die northward, and soon ran into blue water. 



On the 21st, at 7 a.m., they saw the ice extend 

 ing in broken ranges from south-by-east to north- 

 east, and the sea extending round t>. the westward. 

 At eight o'clock tho water was again much dis- 

 coloured, and many large icebergs were around. 

 At meridian their latitude was <JH 41' S.. longitude 

 103' 34' W., when they again stood to the south- 

 ward, running among the ice-islands with a fair 

 wind, flattering themselves that they should l>eforc 

 noon of the next day get further south than Cook 

 had. In this, however, they were disappointed; 

 for the weather became thick, and they w ere in 

 consequence obliged to heave-to. 



On the morning of the 23rd of March, their lati- 

 tude was 7!>° i>„ longitude 1 00° lb" W. The wea- 

 ther proved clear. In the afternoon they again 

 Btood to the southward and eastward fur three 

 hours, when they observed the appearance of land, 

 and discovered large masses of ice and numerous 

 icebergs. At midnight the southern horizon was 

 beaut dully illuminated with the aurora australis. 



On the 24th they had a heavy fall of snow; 

 passed many icebergs, ami large quantities of 

 floating ice ; got suddenly into large fields of 

 packed and broken ice, extending as far as the eye 

 could reach, in all directions, which, with the ac- 

 cumulation of snow, appeared to lie rapidly In-coin- 

 ing solid. They lost no time in forcing their way 

 out All on board were of opinion, 1 hat within a 

 short time after they cleared it, it became a firm 

 field of ice. The liuitudu observed «as (J9 U 0b" S., 

 longim.le !Mi° 80' W. 



Having on two occasions narrow] v escaped being 

 eluded in by the ice, Lieutenant Walker hud dc- 



