FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 161 
coal, so I know we are getting up steam, and the black 
smoke must be curling overhead into the cold night air, 
blackening our mizzentop. The engine begins its gentle 
throbbing, and we go steadily on ; it is such a very small 
engine that, even with my bunk right on top of it, the 
vibration is rather pleasant than otherwise, the more so 
now that every twist of the screw sends us nearer land. 
Now to bed with this parting advice : if you want to lie 
snug and warm get between the folds of a Jaeger's camel- 
hair sleeping-bag. 
Wednesday, yth December. — We ought to have seen 
land to-day, and I beg to apologise to the reader for the 
unavoidable delay. These southerly gales, and latterly 
these calms, have caused us much disappointment ; but if 
the reader will just wait one moment till that curtain of 
mist rises, we will have a beautiful view of the land on our 
starboard bow from where we are just now. We are 
almost sure that it cannot be more than ten or fifteen 
miles off. To judge from the amount of sea-weed floating 
about, we might be within twenty yards of the beach ; 
some patches are so thick, and so like the tangle on 
rocks, that it makes us feel uncomfortable to see the ship 
running dead on to them. 
Long ago people thought there was land to the north and 
east of the Falklands. It was reported by one or two early 
navigators and was never seen again ; now it is believed 
that what was taken for land was only floating sea-weed. 
La Roche was the first to observe this supposed island. He 
discovered South Georgia in 1675, and it was after leaving 
