276 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
followed by the cheers of the landing party. Possession 
Island was the name given, and its position is 71 ° 56' S., 
171 0 7' E. No trace of vegetation of any kind was 
found, and the penguins must have felt they had success- 
fully repelled the invaders as amidst their hoarse cries 
the men got back into the boats, not a few bleeding 
from the attacks of the birds. The stench of the guano 
was overpowering and the boats' crews were glad to 
get safe on board just before a thick fog and strong 
north wind set in which, had they not pulled so lustily, 
would have made it impossible to regain the ships and 
necessary to return and spend the night among the 
penguins. 
A heavy storm came on compelling the ships to stand 
out to sea, and the captains were relieved to find in the 
gale and blinding snow storms that the vessels tossed 
violently in a heavy sea, for that proved that they were 
not locked in by ice. The wind changed to the south 
and blew for two days with unabated force so that it 
was all the ships could do to keep their ground. On 
the 14th it was again quiet and clear and the ships stood 
in toward the new coast passing a great number of 
whales, amongst which Ross believed the spirited mer- 
chants of Great Britain would soon spread consternation, 
and tap for themselves and their country a new source 
of national and individual wealth. Next morning the 
chain of giant mountains running southward from Cape 
Adare formed a spectacle of the utmost grandeur and 
magnificence rising with sharply pointed summits to 
heights of from 12,000 to 14,000 feet, one sweep of spot- 
less snow from sea to sky. To these summits Ross with 
happy instinct, gave the names of the leading members 
of the Royal Society and the British Association who 
