penetrated so far to the southward, we also should find the sea there so clear, as to admit of our yet attaining a high latitude: but the weather continuing thick, and a fresh breeze blowing from the east, we made only small progress, beating to windward—the loose ice near the pack edge always gave us timely notice of our approach to it: and the temperature of the sea was another sure guide.
Feb. 6.At noon on the 6th we were in latitude 63° 46′ S., longitude 52° 37′ W., the magnetic dip 62° 08′ S.; and at 1 p.m. we struck soundings in four hundred and eighty fathoms, on fine green sand. The birds were of the same kinds that I have so often enumerated as being found near the pack edge; seals were numerous, and one that we killed measured twelve feet two inches, and weighed 1145 lbs.
Beating to the eastward, along the pack edge, making about thirty miles daily, we were at Feb. 8.noon of the 8th in latitude 63° 49′ S., longitude 51° 07′ W., where we had no soundings with one thousand two hundred and ten fathoms. The temperature at that depth was 39°.5; at 600 fathoms, 37°.3; at 450 fathoms, 36.°4; at 300 fathoms, 35°.5; at 150 fathoms, 33°.2; at 100 fathoms, 32°.2; and at the surface, 32°.; but between the surface and one hundred fathoms the thermometers denoted that they had all passed through a stratum of water of the temperature of 29°.3. The specific gravity at the depth of 450 fathoms being the same as at the surface, 1.0274 at 33°.
Feb. 10.During the next three days we examined about