308 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1820. the north-east, resembling, as usual, the light of the moon behind a 
dark cloud. From this point faint and narrow coruscations shot upwards, 
passing a little to the north-westward of the zenith, and appearing to come 
down in the W.b.S. The blue sky between these streams of light, 
looked at first like so many dark streaks or clouds, until the eye had 
become accustomed to it, and the clearness of the stars in them explained 
the deception. In half an hour after, a bright arch, 34° high in the 
centre, and about 2 ° in breadth, extended from the luminous patch in 
the N.E. over to the W.S.W^., so that the magnetic meridian would 
nearly bisect it. This part of the phenomenon remained about an hour, 
and then became faint, but the Aurora continued to give a considerable light, 
as usual, during the rest of the night. 
Sat. 14. The mercury in the barometer fell gradually, but very slowly from mid- 
night on the 11th, (when it was at 30.34 inches), till nine A.M., on the 14th, 
at which time it stood at 29.32 inches, and a hard gale of wind came on so 
suddenly as scarcely to give us time to save the masts and yards. It is re- 
markable that, immediately after this the mercury in the barometer rose to 
29.36 inches, and continued so very steadily till nine P.M., when it once more 
gradually descended till it had reached 28.83 on the morning of thelGth. The 
gale continued to blow almost without intermission for four successive days. 
Mon. 16. On the afternoon of the 16th, the sea being very high and irregular, 
and the ship pitching with considerable violence, the bowsprit was carried 
away close to the gammoning, and the foremast and main-top-mast im- 
mediately followed it over the side. The wreck was quickly cleared ; and, 
by the greatest activity and energy on the part of the officers and men, the 
main-yard and mainmast were saved, the latter having been endangered by 
the foremast falling across the stay, and the former by the wreck of the 
main-top-mast and top-sail-yard lying upon it. Notwithstanding the con- 
tinuance of the gale, and the uneasy motion of the ship for the next two 
days, we succeeded in getting up our jury-masts, so as to make sail on the 
evening of the 18th. 
Thiir. 26. Nothing material occurred till the afternoon of the 26th, when we struck 
soundings in seventy fathoms, on a bottom of coarse sand and broken shells, 
being in latitude 59° 55', longitude 4° 17' west. The weather being calm, 
some fishing-lines were put over, and several fine cod and torsk were caught, 
being the first we had met with since leaving Fair Island, at the commence- 
Frid. 27 ment of the voyage. On the following day, we made Foul Island, bearing 
