Chap. VIII.]
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1.0276 at 33°. A current was found setting S. 30° E., at the rate of six miles per diem.
Dense clouds rising in the north, sending forth frequent squalls and snow showers, warned us of the approach of an inclement night for which we made all the necessary preparations. We had seen only two icebergs during the day; and considering that we were far enough to the northward of the thick of them, we did not hesitate to run during the night, although the constantly falling snow prevented our seeing beyond a very short distance, and the night was also extremely dark.
The expected gale came on soon after midnight, March 4.and gradually increased in strength until noon, when it blew with great violence. The barometer at that time was 28.162 inches, but began to rise soon afterwards, when the wind suddenly shifted from N.E. to N.W., and abated, the sea as rapidly going down, and the weather turning out beautifully fine in time to relieve us from the anxieties attendant on the eight hours of darkness to which the nights had now lengthened. Throughout the remainder of this and the early part of the following day we experienced March 5.variable but moderate winds, and at noon were in latitude 67° 8′ S., longitude 171° 38′ W., the continued depression of the barometer, notwithstanding the moderate weather, surprised us so much that I suspected it had met with an accident. I therefore made the signal to the Terror to com-