10 
REMAKES ON THE CATALOGUE AND CHART. 
In the following catalogue the ice is arranged according to the month in 
which it was observed, so as to show at a glance, when examining the chart 
the comparative amount in any month. That which has been met with 
in the region we have designated as “ dangerous from ice” in the chart, is 
indicated in the catalogue by an asterisk^*) In both the catalogue and the 
chart we can readily distinguish the ice impediments which were en- 
countered during the extraordinary six months in the years 1854-1855 by 
their indices being numbers and all other indices being letters. The 
capital letters represent the situation of ice seen at other seasons in 
passing to and from Australia, and the small letters ice sighted on voyages 
to other places.* 
In obtaining the data of which the catalogue is a record, I have 
examined about two hundred and fifty! logs of Australian ships. Of these 
one hundred and four contain reports of ice. Besides which I have 
received forty-one separate records of ice observed in the Austral seas 
derived from other sources. In very many cases the same ice has been 
reported as seen from several ships, and as having been met with during 
the same month. In such cases only one entry is made and the latitude 
and longitude given is the mean of those given in the several reports. 
But if seen in more than one month from different ships, one report for 
each month is given although there exists no doubt of its being tlie same 
ice. The reports of “ the connected icebergs ” form the most remarkable 
example of this. They are twenty-one in number, extending through five 
consecutive months commencing with December, 1854. Its position for 
the mean of each month is given in the catalogue and its position is indicated 
on the chart between the indices eight and nine. It will be observed that 
in the immediate vicinity of the Composite route to Australia, as laid down 
on the chart, between the meridians of 20 W. and 40 E., numerous reports of 
* Tlie numerous icebergs extending from 02 S. and 80 W. to 53 S. and 82° W. were 
met with by ships going to the west coast of America, but having been observed during 
the month of December, 1804, we have marked them with the index 3, the same as 
that which represents ice seen on passages to and from Australia during the same 
month. 
+ I had commenced the practice of examining ships’ logs for ice a considerable time 
before it had occurred to me that it was desirable to note cases in which the voyage had 
been made to and from Australia without meeting with ice. But since December, 1850, 
I have recorded one hundred and eighteen such cases. 
