sea at its surface gradually rose from 28° to 31°, at about twelve miles off, although the air was at the time at 25°.5.
Light baffling winds, which prevailed for two or Jan 27.three hours, were succeeded by a moderate breeze from the eastward; all sail that the ships could spread was immediately set; and although the fog and rain came on so thick as to prevent our seeing more than half a mile before us, we continued to run with studding-sails on both sides set to the south-westward until nearly eight o'clock, when we were suddenly taken aback by the wind shifting to that quarter, and on the fog clearing away, we found that we had been steering into a deep bight of the main ice, which we now saw stretching across from the extreme point of the main land to an island bearing (true) south of us, and thus preventing our proceeding any further to the westward in this part; after closely examining the pack, in which no opening was to be seen, we stood away to the southward to endeavour to land on the island.
At noon we were in lat. 75° 48′, S. long. 168° 33′ E., dip 88° 24′, variation 80° 50′ E. At 3 p.m. we sounded in 200 fathoms, on fine black sand and small black stones, about twelve miles north of the island. At five o'clock when we were within two or three miles of it, I left the ship, accompanied by several officers, and soon afterwards followed by Commander Crozier, and a party from the Terror, we pulled towards the shore. A high southerly swell broke so heavily against the