414 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part 11 
and gave every assistance in his power. The chief thing 
was the erection of an observatory for synchronous 
observations. Sir John selected the site and, with 
convict labour, the building, with its pillars carried 
down to the bed rock, was erected in nine days. Sir 
John named it Rossbank. Lieutenant Kay, R.N., was 
placed in charge, with two Mates named Dayman and 
Scott as assistants. Kay, who was a Fellow of the 
Royal Society, had served in the Chanticleer with Captain 
Foster, and in the Rainbow with Sir John Franklin. 
The magnetic observations of the expedition were under 
the immediate superintendence of Commander Crozier, 
and were continued uninterruptedly every hour through- 
out the day and night 1 . 
Sir James Ross heard of the voyages of Dumont 
D'Urville and Wilkes, and received advice from the 
latter about the best places he had seen for entering the 
ice. But Sir James had no intention of shaping a 
course in their direction. Captain Balleny had been 
much further south than either of them, having attained 
a latitude of 69 0 S., finding an open sea. Sir James, 
therefore, resolved to proceed on Balleny's meridian, 
about 170 0 E. 
On November 13th, 1840, the expedition sailed, Sir 
John Franklin remaining on board the Erebus until she 
reached the mouth of the Derwent, when he returned in 
his tender. Sir James Ross touched at Auckland Island 
and Campbell Island, and on January 1st the Antarctic 
Circle was crossed, and the warm clothing supplied by 
the Admiralty was served out. Passing a great many 
icebergs with a strong breeze from the N.W., the main 
pack was reached on the 5th, and Sir James resolved to 
put the bows of the two old sailing ships straight on to 
it and force his way through. The pack is always 
closest and most difficult to penetrate at the edge, and 
more open inside. After about an hour's hard bumping, 
and receiving several heavy blows, the outer edge was 
forced, and the inside ice was found to be much lighter 
and more scattered than it appeared to be when viewed 
from a distance. During the following days the ships 
1 Rossbank Observatory was in latitude 42 0 52' 27* S. and longitude 
x 47° 27' 30" E., 205 feet above the sea. 
