DISCOVEKIES WITHOUT HARDSHIPS 111 
All the polar voyagers were astonished beyond measure 
at the stupendous masses of ice, and their singularly regular 
figure ; they are all square or oblong squares generally about 
60 to 100 feet out of the water, and of course seven times 
that below, its | being always under water, they are all 
formed along the coast and drifted north from it, — 84 have 
at one time been counted from the mast head, of all sizes, 
from I mile to 6 miles long ; this was in about 70° South. 
The whole of the land surveyed from 72° to 79° presented 
the appearance of range upon range of peaked mountains, 
covered everywhere with snow, except where the precipices 
were too perpendicular for it to lie, and these are exposed 
to constant disintegration from the masses of snow rolling 
from above down their faces, and sweeping huge masses on 
to the Icebergs below, which when they are removed from 
the coast by a gale, transport these erratic boulders. All 
the coast of one of the Islands we landed on, is lined with 
masses of ice covered more or less with sand, stones and 
rocks. In such situations it is impossible for plants to grow, 
and I add that during the whole time that we were within 
the Circle, the Thermometer never rose above 82° and very 
rarely so high, you will not be surprised at this ; on board 
the ship its average range was 18°-24°, never lower than 
12°, of course ashore it must be much colder. The sun is 
very powerless here ; at 75° North the sun in summer raises 
the mercury in a black bulb Therm, to 100° and upwards, 
but here only to 42°. The sea is equally unproductive, 
its temperature 29°, and 28° is the freezing point of sea 
water. When near the shore, I have always been looking 
for some trace of vegetation in the sea, but now I am perfectly 
convinced that in this longitude vegetation does not enter 
the Circle. Emerald Island, off which we passed some 
seaweed, is probably the Southern limit. 
The success of the Expedition in Geographical discovery 
is really wonderful, and only shows what a little perseverance 
will do, for we have been in no dangerous predicaments, 
and have suffered no hardships whatever ; there has been 
a sort of freemasonry among Polar voyagers to keep up the 
credit they have acquired as having done wonders, and 
accordingly, such of us as were new to the Ice, made up our 
minds for frost bites, and attached a m^st undue importance 
