I availed myself of the opportunity the calm afforded me of making some magnetic observations upon a large piece of ice near the ship, well suited to the purpose. The dip and intensity observations agreed exactly with those we had previously obtained on board our vessels, satisfactorily proving that the corrections we employed for the effect of the ship's iron on the instruments continued to give accurate results. We were then in lat. 68° 28′ S., and long. 176° 31′ E. Dip 83° 36′ S., and variation 34° 39′ E.
A new species of seal was killed by some of the crew of the Terror, differing from all others hitherto known, in the total absence of ears; not the smallest orifice could be detected where they usually are placed in these animals; and this remarkable peculiarity was afterwards confirmed on its being dissected by Dr. Robertson.
A great change in the ice was produced by the calm opening it out in all directions, as we always found to be the case in the Arctic Seas; and a breeze springing up from the northward at 8 p.m. we made some way through the pack, pressing forward under all sail towards the south-east water. We sustained many severe shocks in breaking through the interposing barriers of closer ice. Thick weather and snow prevented our seeing to any distance before us or selecting our way, whilst the increasing breeze impelled us rapidly onward. Jan. 9.So that at 5 a.m. the next day we had accomplished the object of our exertions, and found ourselves