Return t* the eM twanl. ANTARCTIC CRCISE. ^SSSSlS!^ 163 



the l.nat.s re turn it J with ice. The current was 

 found to ho setting north-north-east, five fathoms 

 an liour ; the weather continued dear rind health- 

 ful ; made the field-ice ahead and on tin- li>c how ; 

 shortly after, cleared it. The twilight in (lie 

 southern horizon presented a beautiful appearance, 

 ;i bright salmon colour radiating from tho mm, 

 throwing it.s tints over the whole sky, tinging the 

 few cirro-stratus clouds that were in the iiorlfiern 

 quarter, and giving a soft colour to the minimise 

 ice-islands tluil were slumbering along tho barrier, 

 and aiding to lend to tin* scene its peculiar charac- 

 (• i- "f -il.uce, solitude, mid desolation. 



The weather was clear ami pleasant nil the 1 1 th, 

 with a light wind from the south-east; many pen- 

 guins and whales were seen. The icebergs were 

 numerous, and some of gival heauty, with almost 

 regularly- Mimed arches, and of the most beautiful 

 aqua-marine tints. Longitude was IOG° 10' E., 

 latitude iti, 0 2a' S. • 



Imring the morning of the 1 2tli t running along 

 high broken tie] is of ice, with a light breeze from 

 the southward ; weather overcast ; discovered a 

 large piece of tee of a dark brown colour floating 

 by, resembling a piece of dead coral; lay-to, and 

 sent ii boat to bring it alongside; obtained from it 

 several pieces of granite and red clay, which were 

 ErottCI in; the ice was extremely hard and compact, 

 compo^d of alternate layers of ice and snow; the 

 strata of snow was filled with sand. The icebergs 

 near at the time presented signs of having been 

 detached from land, being discoloured by guild and 

 mud. A number of white procellaria were ob- 

 tained. The ice-islands again appeared in great 

 numbers. At 3 p.m. hauled up, steering westerly 

 into a very deep inlet or gulf, formed by extensive 

 lie his of ice. Believing frmn the indications of the 

 morning that land could not be far off, in approach- 

 ing the head of this inlet, several icebergs had the 

 appearance of being in contact with the land, 

 having assumed a dark colour from the day and sand 

 blown upon them; the wholo group around seemed 

 as if in the vicinage of laud; sounded with two 

 hundred fathoms; no bottom: also tried the cur- 

 r< nt, hut biiind none. Towards night, it becoming 

 thick with snow, they continued under snug sail, 

 intending to examine more closely the barrier and 

 inlets in the morning. 



13th. At 3 a.m. they again made sad to the 

 westward, with wind from the east: at six o'clock 

 they had snow-squalls, rendering it unsafe to pro- 

 ceed, and impossible to make nny discovery. A 

 few hours afterwards the weather cleared a little; 

 made sail again to the north-west At meridian 

 overcast, with a stiff south-east breeze; at I 1 ' 30" 

 approached to within pistol-shot of the barrier, 

 observing much of the dark dirty ice interspersed 

 with the lidd-iee ; kept along it very closely, 

 tracing the barrier northerly ; observed a large 

 black object on the ice; rdioricned sail, and de- 

 spatched a boat : it proved to be a large mass id 

 black, red, and mixed-coloured earth, resting opon 

 a base of snow and ice, situated Bome fifty yards 

 back from the margin of the field-ice, and was 

 found to be red earth, mixed with granite and 

 sand* tone. L'eiiguins were also procured alive. 

 At 3 p.m. they again followed the trend of the 

 ico in a mirth- westerly direction; a vast field, of 

 uninterrupted extent, seemed moving along to the 

 westward, the large icebergs containing dark and 



discoloured masses, with frequent strata of tho 

 same description. They were still at a loss to 

 account for these frequent signs of land ; dis- 

 coloured pieces of ice seemed mingled with the 

 general mass ; they were often seen along its 

 margin, and a p| wared as though the icebergs had 

 been turned over, presenting collections as if 

 from the bottom. (Jreat numbers of spenn whales 

 were seen this day. At 0 p.m. they passed out 

 northwardly with a light breeze and smooth sea, 

 through an extensive chain of icebergs, which 

 seemed grouped off the western point of the 

 barrier : upwards of one hundred of them were 

 counted, several of which were very much dis- 

 coloured. The sunset was brilliant, bright crim- 

 son tints illuminating the icebergs, and producing 

 a beautiful effect. 



Uu the 14th, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, 

 having passed a few degrees beyond Ids inst mic- 

 tions, that is, having reached longitude HhT E., 

 and latitude 04 b">' S.. now commenced bis return, 

 in oi-.hr to examine those places in the barrier 

 which he had been prevented from doing on his 

 way west. 



ioth. Continued their course to the eastward. 

 Lieutenaut-Coinmruvtaut Ringgold frequently re- 

 fers to the happy and cheerful condition of his 

 crew, and their freedom from all disease. 



On the Ib'th and 1 7th, they were employed in 

 getting to the eastward, pasting many worn and 

 shattered bergs. On the evening of the latter day, 

 they bad another exhibition of the aurora australis, 

 extending from north-north-west to east; it was of 

 u light straw colour, but very indistinct ; tlie lumi- 

 nous bank was. at an elevation of 30°, Tlie light 

 in the north-west was most distinct, radiating from 

 a nucleus above the horizon towards the zenith, 

 where it formed a beautiful halo. It was not of 

 long duration. Many ice-islands and bergs in 

 sight ; up wards of two hundred, nearly all of a 

 tabular fonn, — the sides of many of them 

 beautifully excavated by the waves, presenting 

 innumerable (iothic arches, extending often to 

 a considerable distance into the body of the 

 ice. 



Their position on the Ib'th was in longitude ll4 rj 

 17' lv, latitude d"2 4 37' S. Flocks of black birds 

 were very numerous, but not near enough to be 

 taken. 



On the 10th and 20th, proceeding to the east- 

 ward, tin the 20th, they had but few ice-islands 

 in sight, although they were seventy miles further 

 south than on the I Nth, whi n the largest number 

 ever seen by them at r ue time was visible ; having 

 reached the longitude of 120" E., they again 

 steered south, to make the barrier. The current 

 was tried, but none found. 



The 2 1 si proved stormy, with strong breezes 

 from thi' pouih-east, and much snow and rain, 

 which covered the brig with ice. Field-ice was 

 6cen ahead, when they again stood to the east- 

 ward, longitude being* 121* 311' K., latitude bo r 

 15' S. On this night they experienced a heavy 

 gale, during which the barometer fell to 27'50 in., 

 where it remained during part of the 22ml. The 

 squalls were very severe, accompanied with snow, 

 sleet, hail, and heavy seas; they had now reached 

 longitude 122° E., and latitude ft4° 0' .S. 



February 22nd, being Washington's birthday, 

 ' the colours were hoisted, and tlie crew received an 



