122 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
The Russians might have been excused had they ceased 
from their efforts at this point but Bellingshausen sailed 
east, south of latitude 65° for 20 degrees of longitude and 
then succeeded in crossing the Antarctic circle for a third 
time in 36° E. reaching 66° 53' S. in 41 0 E. This was 
an important point, for here Cook had made his first cross- 
ing of the Antarctic circle forty-seven years before, had 
reached the same latitude and had been driven back by 
just such an impassable barrier of ice. The variation of 
the compass was found to have increased nearly n° west- 
erly since Cook's time. Since leaving the South Sand- 
wich Islands the Russian ships had kept south of Cook's 
track and pushed the limits of human knowledge far to 
the southward of any previous explorer. The appear- 
ance of birds again suggested the vicinity of land, and 
had Bellingshausen been able to keep along the Antarctic 
circle in clear water for a day's sail to the eastward he 
would probably have discovered Enderby Land. On the 
26th, however the worst storm of the voyage descended 
suddenly on the ships; decks and rigging were covered 
thick with snow, terrific seas broke over the vessels and 
the greatest anxiety was felt as to the result. The gale 
lasted for three days from north and north-northeast, the 
furious snow-squalls hid the drifting bergs which only 
loomed up as the ships were almost upon them. The 
one hope of safety was to beat to the north into clearer 
seas, but every rope and spar was crusted an inch and a 
half thick with ice making it almost impossible to work 
the sails, and it was little less than a miracle that both 
ships emerged still in company and without having suf- 
fered any serious damage. 
At this point it will be remembered Cook had run to 
the northward of the fiftieth parallel in order to search 
