54 
On the newly discovered 
ice seemed to be in eternal possession of its locality, except 
on the sea-shore at certain points, where it was occa¬ 
sionally broken away by the powerful action of the 
waves. But this cannot affect the interior valleys. I 
consider that the accession of snow actually falling in the 
summer is as much as the Antarctic solar radiation can 
get rid of during the short period of summer in the far 
south. What, then, can be the state of the interior of 
this extensive country, which the Expedition has traced 
about 700 miles, should there be no such outlet as the 
sea, beyond this great chain of mountains, for the dimi¬ 
nution of the accumulation of ages past and to come ? 
Immediately on returning to the ships (1 A.M.), the 
Expedition made sail with a light fair wind towards the 
distant land seen yesterday, and bade good-bye to this 
watch tower of Mounts Erebus and Terror. The former 
was now in sight, though we were ignorant of its gran- 
deui ; but about 8° 3(K A.M., on the 28th January, the 
clouds, which had during the morning enveloped the 
summit of the land, now vanished, and discovered one 
of the most magnificent prospects ever witnessed by 
man. 
It was an immense volcanic mountain, pouring forth 
its mighty volumes of smoke and steam to the height of 
many hundred feet, forming massy columnar clouds in 
its zenith, and streaming off to an extensive line of cirro- 
stratus in the west. 
This mountain, which rises for many miles by gentle 
ascents of snowy ridges, reaches the height of 12,400 
feet above the sea, of which the last 2000 rise in 
a dark brown cone, surmounted by a crater, whence 
the smoke and gas escape. This appearance of the 
summit pioduces a singular effect in this dreary region, 
which is, no doubt, caused by the heated state of a 
groat part of the mountain. It seems as if this stupen- 
