136 siege of the south pole 
Antarctic circle and there was some temptation to re- 
turn; but Weddell arguing- that the earth on the berg 
must have come from some land to the south held on his 
course against both wind and current. Ice-islands were 
numerous; for days over fifty were always in sight, and 
the effort to avoid them made so many changes of course 
necessary that it was very difficult to keep account of the 
position by dead reckoning. 
By the 14th of February, 1823, the high latitude of 
68° was attained, and on the 16th the ships crossed the 
seventieth parallel going south. A great number of birds 
“ of the blue petrel kind ” kept in sight and also “ many 
hump- and finned-back whales.” Here a disaster oc- 
curred in the breaking of the only two thermometers on 
board so no more observations of temperature could be 
taken; but Weddell states that the weather was cer- 
tainly not colder than that of midsummer (December) in 
latitude 61 0 S. The rapid changes in variation puzzled 
the leader greatly, he compared all the compasses on board 
but could find no material difference between them though 
they were rather sluggish in action. On the 18th in 
73° S. the weather was beautiful, not a particle of ice 
of any description was to be seen, many whales were 
about the ships and the sea was “ literally covered with 
birds of the blue petrel kind.” The carpenter was re- 
pairing a boat, the sailmaker was mending the sails ; it 
was altogether a picture of summer at sea. 
During the night of the 19th it fell calm, but on the 
morning of the 20th it blew fresh from south by west: 
The atmosphere now became very clear, and nothing 
like land was to be seen. Three ice-islands were in sight 
from the deck, and one other from the mast-head. On 
one we perceived a great number of penguins roosted. 
