THE CHALLENGER 
357 
A good deal of disappointment was felt on board that 
no new land was sighted, and that the great ice-barrier 
believed to lie not far within the pack was not even seen. 
However something definite was done, and the reports 
of extremely abundant whales in these seas was con- 
firmed, though as there were no practical whalemen on 
board the commercial value of the cetaceans seen could 
not be positively known. 
The serious work of the Challenger lay eastward along 
the margin of the floating pack where three more sound- 
ings and dredgings in from 1300 to 1975 fathoms were 
made south of 6o° S. All were extremely rich in living 
forms of every kind possible in the deep sea, in fact the 
hauls teemed with life more than in any of the other 
dredging stations of the whole world-wide cruise. The 
usual easterly wind proved troublesome as the ship was 
attempting to make her way towards the “ Termination 
Land ” doubtfully reported by Wilkes. Many observa- 
tions of the icebergs were made, one berg was bombarded 
with a twelve-pounder to test the quality of the ice, and, 
what is much more important, the bergs were photo- 
graphed for the first time and interesting water-colour 
paintings made to put on record their wonderful depth 
and richness of colour. 
On February 23rd the ship was stopped by the pack 
in 64° 18' S., 94 0 47' E., only 20 miles east of the assumed 
position of Termination Land, of which nothing was 
seen though the horizon was clear. A sounding in 1300 
fathoms was obtained at this point. Next day a serious 
accident was narrowly averted as described without emo- 
tion in the official Narrative: 
“ At this time the weather looked very threatening, and 
snow began to fall, so the ship steamed under the lee of a 
