Dec. 28.
them; it was not observed by any one on board 1842 the Erebus, but it might have escaped our notice. I mention it here to call the attention of any future visiter to the circumstance.
A high islet, of extraordinary figure, was seen at a great distance from the shore. I named it Ætna Islet, from its resemblance to that volcano: it was entirely covered with recent snow, and, but for its great height, might easily have been mistaken for an iceberg.
An enormous glacier, of several miles in breadth, descended from an elevation of about 1200 feet into the ocean, where it presented a vertical cliff of about 100 feet high (the great southern barrier of 78° 15′ S. in miniature), near which we observed the largest aggregation of icebergs, which had evidently been broken away from it, that I ever remember to have seen collected together.
Having clearly determined the general outline of the land, although, from the want of good observations, being unable to give its exact position, we bore away to the south, along a coast-line of icy cliffs, in a sea thickly studded with grounded bergs: a strong tide or current amongst them forming whirlpools, rendered the steerage of our ships at times difficult, and hurried us onwards to the southward, until at length numerous low rocky islets appeared amongst heavy fragments of ice, by which they were completely concealed until we were nearly down upon them. I called them Danger Islets. They obliged us to haul off to the