BELLINGSHAUSEN 
123 
for the islands reported by Marion and had thus left a 
vast stretch of the Antarctic area untraversed. No sail 
had been in those seas since and Bellingshausen again had 
the honour of being the first to follow the edge of the ice- 
pack in latitudes of from 63° to 6o° for nearly 45° of 
longitude, one-eighth of the circumference of the Earth. 
In all this stretch of unknown ocean nothing was seen 
except occasional floating ice, and gradually turning to- 
ward the north the Vostok and Mirni passed the sixtieth 
parallel on March 16th in 87° E. close to the point where 
Cook had crossed it southward on his return from the 
northern detour. A few days previously Bellingshausen 
had celebrated his hundredth day out from Rio de Janeiro 
with immense satisfaction because the crews of both 
ships were in -the best of health ; but supplies were run- 
ning low and it was becoming important to seek some 
harbour where they could be replenished. On March 
15th an enormous iceberg had been seen the height of 
which was given by two sextant measurements as 375 and 
408 feet. 
Bellingshausen now resolved to quit the ice and divide 
his forces for the voyage to Sydney so as to explore 
more thoroughly the sea south of Australia. The two 
vessels were to meet again either at Royal Company 
Island (which neither vessel could find for the best of 
reasons), or in Sydney Harbour. As the ship’s company 
of the Vostok was by far the more numerous Bellings- 
hausen thought it right to take the priest on board so 
that as he could no longer minister to both crews he 
might at least have the benefit of the larger congre- 
gation. 
Then for the first time since she outpaced the Mirni in 
crossing the North Sea the Vostok spread her full can- 
