Procttdingi of ihe Vincennct. 

 L>iin]jpuliil7neiit Day. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



DiMppointment Bty. 

 Diagram i of Iceberg*. 



139 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. PROCEEDINGS OF THE VINCENNES. 



FROCKEDINGi OF THE VIVCSXXES FROM THE TWXXTY-iECOX D OF J AS U ART — IMS A F Pol '.rvi >t BAY— VitCltKf) ON 

 THK ICE— DIAGRAMS OF THE ICE-ISLAXbS— THEIR L'Tl LITt — VIOLENT 0 ALE A S'D »>oW- RTORM — » A RltOW ESCAPE 

 FROM STR1EIKO THE ICE— THE OFEN SEA REA CHED— M.KTURN OF FINE WEATHER — FUHMMuI STAN PR AUAIJC 

 TO Tn« IOCTH, AKD lU'H'Htd Tni ICY BARRIER— FlffK.R'i HAT— MOM PIROI III THIRTY FATHOM!— AXOTKER 

 VIOLENT GALE — REPORT OF TUE MEDICAL OFFICERS — OF1KION OF THE WARH-ROOM OFFICER*— DETERMINATION 

 TO PROCEED WITH Tni6 CR PISE— ITS RTENTi CT TO IBE FOURTEENTH OF FKBRCART— LAXDtKC OX AW ICEBERG 

 — BFKC1MK5* OF ROCK! OBTAINED — 1N4UIXY IM RELATION TO Til JC FORMATION OF IC£B F.ROI— THEIR II imp * 

 TIO* FROM THE LAND— THEIR FROOXKIS— FCRTH ER EVIDENCE IN RELATION TO till: ANTABCTIf f ONTIXEXT 

 — ESTIMATE OF THI RATE AT WHICH Tilt FLOAT1SO ICR MOVER— THE YIKCERXEI REOIKB II KH MH UN TO 

 TUX NORTH. 



la taking up the narrative of the disaster sustained 

 by the Peacock, with which the preceding chapter 

 closes, the Vinceunes and Porpoise were left on the 

 22nd of January. 



On that day the Vincennes passed the place 

 through which the Peacock entered, as has been 

 related, on the 23rd, and found no opening. To 

 judgo from the manner in which the ice moved 

 during the time the Peacock was enclosed iu it, I 

 am inclined to ascribe the alternate opening and 

 closing of the passage into the bay, to a tide set- 

 ting along this coast. J n support of this opinion 

 it is sufficient to state, that the strength of the 

 winds experienced on board that vessel was at no 

 time sufficient to account for the manner in which 

 the ice was found to move. 



About thirty miles to the westward of this point, 

 the Vincennes passed a remarkable collection of 

 tabular icebergs, for whose existence I can account 

 in no other manner tlian by supposing them to he 

 attached to a rocky islet, which formed a nucleus 

 to which they adhered. It was quite ubvioua that 

 they had not been formed in the pluce where they 

 were seen, and must, therefore, have grounded, 

 after being adrift. 



On the 23rd of January, after pawsitig around this 

 group of icebergs, the sea was found comparatively 

 clear, and a large open space showed itself to the 

 southward Into this space the course of the Vin- 

 ceiuica was immediately directed. While thus 

 steering to the south, (he appearance of land was 

 observed on either hand, both to the eastward and 

 westward. 



Pursuing this course, we by midnight reached 

 the solid barrier, and all approach to the land on 

 the east and west was entirely cut off by the close 

 packing of the icebergs. I was, therefore, re- 

 luctantly compelled to return, not a little vexed 

 that we were again foiled in our endeavour to reach 

 the antarctic continent. This was a deep inden- 

 tation iu the coast, about twenty-five miles wide : 

 wc explored it to the depth of about fifteen miles, 

 and did not reach its termination. This bay I have 

 called Disappointment Bav : it is iu latitude 07* 

 4'' 30" S., longitude 147 " 34)' E. The weather 

 was remarkably fine, with a bracing air : the 

 thermometer in ihc ;iir 22 , in the water 'M J . 



The next day, 24th, we stood out of the bay, and 

 continued our course to the westward. About 

 noon, to my surprise, 1 learnt that one of the 



officers, Lieutenant Underwood, had marked on 

 the log-slate that there was an opening of clear 

 water, subtending three points of the compass, at 

 the loite.ui of Disappointment Day. Though con- 

 fident that this was not the fact, iu order to put 

 this matter at rest, I at onco determined to return, 

 although forty miles distant, and ordered the ship 

 alxjiit, to refute the assertion by the officer's own 

 testimony. This was most effectually done the 

 next morning, 2fith, when the ship reached the 

 identical spot, and all were fully convinced that no 

 opening existed. The whole bay was enclosed by a 

 man barrier of ice, from north-north-west to cast- 

 north-east. 



The weather proved delightful, with light aire 

 from the southward, and I determined to take this 

 opportunity to fill up the water- tanks with ice. The 

 ship was hovc-to, n hawser got in readiness, the 

 bonis lowered, ami brought alongside of an iceberg 

 well adapted to our purpose. 



The same opportunity was also taken to make 

 the magnetic observations on the ice, and to try the 

 local attraction of the ship. 



Mimy birds were seen about the ship, of which 

 we were fortunate in obtaining specimens. The 

 day was remarkably clear, and the same appear- 

 ance of land was seen that had been witnessed on 

 the 24th. We filled nineteen of our tanks with ice, 

 after having allowed it to remain for Borne time on 

 deck for the salt water to drain off in part, and it 

 proved very potable. 



At about 5 p.m., we had completed our required 

 store of ice, and cast off, making sail to the north- 

 ward, 



tn order that no further mistakes should take 

 place as to the openings being passed, I issued an 

 order, directing the officer of the deck on being 

 relieved to go to the masthead, and report to me 

 the exact situation of the ice ; and this was con- 

 tinued during the remainder of our cruise among 

 it. 



In threading our way through the many icebergs, 

 it occurred to me that they might be considered 

 as islands, and a rough survey made of them, by 

 taking their bearings at certain periods, and making 

 diagrams of their positions. This was accord- 

 ingly done, and every few hours they were inserted 

 on the chart which 1 was constructing in my pro- 

 gress. 



This 1 found to be very useful, and it gave me 



