THE FIEST VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH 109 
however, too good to last, and when the time came to leave, 
there were many bitter regrets, especially when we thought 
that the Yankees and French had made fine discoveries to 
the Southward a few months before, and that we were looked 
up to as about to eclipse all other nations, and that 
it remained to be proved whether we deserved their kind 
treatment or not ; this was, however, a spur to us all, 
and we sailed down the Derwent bent upon doing our 
utmost. 
The first voyage lasted, as has been said, from November 12, 
1840, to April 6, 1841. The three weeks from November 20 
to December 12 were spent on the Lord Auckland Islands, 
where the long term-day magnetic observations were made 
and Hooker reaped a rich botanical harvest, as also at Campbell 
Islands, December 13-17, while New Year's Day brought the 
first sight of the ice. This time they got through the pack ice, 
a stretch of 200 miles, in four days, more fortunate than in the 
next season further to the east, when the pack stretched 800 
miles and held them forty-seven days. As a rule, the great 
expanse of ice quieted the weaves,, and Hooker welcomed 
these periods of comparative calm for his microscopic work 
or drawing ; but a hurricane in the pack, hurling the masses 
of ice about like huge missiles, such as lasted for three days 
on the second voyage, smashed bowsprits and rudders and 
would have sent any other ships to the bottom. The weather 
was nearly always bad ; the reader of Boss's voyage counts 
eleven storms punctuating the incessant chronicle of thick 
weather, fog, snow squalls, high winds and seas, after two 
months of which February 18 brings the grateful record of 
the first night on which stars were visible. 
Of this journey he writes to his father after returning to 
Tasmania, on April 8, and August 24, 1841. 
Hobart Towii, Van Diemen's Land : April 8, 1841. 
My dear Father, — Yesterday at 4 p.m. we anchored 
at our old station opposite the Paddock, and accordingly 
I hasten to have this letter ready to send you by the first 
opportunity, which will be in a few days. We have indeed 
had a most glorious and successful cruise to the southward, 
