202 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
of the sea, was gratifying himself with the anticipation 
of reaching the seventieth parallel without obstruction 
when a number of ice-islands appeared and brought with 
them a foreboding that land would be found to bar the 
way. The ice-islands were large, tabular, with unbroken 
edges showing no marks of erosion by sea-water but as 
fresh as if only broken off yesterday from some ice- 
covered land. Petrels, penguins, seals and a whale were 
observed, all hailed as signs of land. The weather had 
turned fine, the sun shining with dazzling brilliancy on 
the crystal walls of a fleet of ice-islands produced magical 
and charming effects, and there was not a man on the sick 
list in either ship when the corvettes crossed the sixty- 
sixth parallel on January 20th and the crews prepared to 
celebrate the passing of the circle in proper style. Cap- 
tain Dumont D'Urville had received a formal notice that 
Father Antarctic would visit him next day, and like a good 
fellow had replied that he would be the first to submit to 
any initiation ceremonies. A postillion mounted on a 
seal received the welcome answer amid a deluge of rice 
and beans in place of the “ ablutions which are only sup- 
portable under the torrid zone ” usual on crossing the 
line. However the night brought an event more remark- 
able than the preparations for the frivolities of the men, 
nothing less than the discovery of land. The officers 
thought several times during the day that they saw an 
appearance of land more substantial than those which 
had often deceived them for a time, but at 10.50 p. m., 
when the sun at length touched the southern horizon it 
showed up an unmistakable sharp outline on which the 
attention of everyone on board was riveted. 
Next day the weather was magnificent, but there was 
no wind and the two ships lay with flapping canvas pow- 
