1841.
up by one of our boats, no worse for his cold immersion.
Some whales were seen, but not in such numbers as near the pack edge. At noon we were in lat. 68° 17′ S., long. 175° 21′ E., and found we had been driven by a current twenty-six miles to the S. E. during the last two days; another proof to us that there Jan. 7.must be open space in that direction. But the ice remained so close until the afternoon of the following day, that we could not make any way through it; and whilst thus detained we tried for soundings, but without reaching the ground with 600 fathoms. The temperature at that depth, 39°·8; at 450 fathoms, 39°·2; at 300 fathoms, 38°·2; at 150 fathoms, 37°·5; at the surface, 28°.
Late in the evening the ice slackened a little, and we bored through it seven or eight miles to the south-east, towards the encouraging dark water-sky, that we had never lost sight of, and which we appeared to have approached very considerably, since it was first observed.
At 11 p.m. a thick fog came on, and the ice being much too compact for us, we were obliged to heave to for several hours.
Jan. 8.At 4 a.m. we recommenced our labour, aided by a light south-westerly wind, and succeeded in forcing the ships several miles through the pack by noon, when it fell perfectly calm. Our observations to-day showed that the whole body of ice had during the last two days been carried fourteen miles to the northward by the late southerly winds.