3 o6 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
Fine weather favoured the northward run and on 
March ist the ships crossed the 180th meridian and the 
70th parallel still keeping to the northwest following the 
edge of the pack, which lay to the eastward studded with 
a range of gigantic icebergs. The rise of air-tempera- 
ture to 36° F. was hailed with delight as if the summer 
had come. The course was now set more easterly, and 
at 7 p. m. on March 6th, 1842, the two ships crossed the 
Antarctic circle to the northward after having passed 
sixty-four days battling with the ice within it, one day 
longer than in the previous year, and far longer than any 
other expedition before that time. The course to the 
northward had kept the ships well out of sight of Victoria 
Land and except for the “ appearance of land ” at their 
most southerly point not a cliff or island had been seen 
during the two months. 
The latitude of 6o° S. was reached on March 9th and 
as the sea was clear of ice Ross ordered a due easterly 
course so as to reach the Falklands as soon as possible. 
For three days the sea remained clear and good progress 
was made, but on the 12th the wind rose and heavy snow 
showers obscured the lookout. Many small pieces of ice 
also appeared and Ross had just made up his mind about 
midnight to lay-to until daylight, when the greatest 
danger of the whole expedition was suddenly encoun- 
tered and for one terrible hour the total loss of both ships 
and all on board appeared to be inevitable. Many of the 
members of the expedition had been in positions of 
deadly danger before, but none had ever experienced a 
more appalling hour of suspense and fear. When it was 
over some even of those who had borne themselves most 
calmly confessed that the} r could not remember what 
they had done or how the ships had been saved. Four 
