to the westward. We passed through much closely packed ice to gain the clear water, which was seen from the mast-head early in the morning, and which Feb. 6.we succeeded in accomplishing by noon, in lat. 77° 1′ S., long. 188° 26′ E.; the remainder of the day was spent in beating to the south-west to get away from the pack edge, on which the wind was blowing, and threatening to drive us down upon it.
It moderated during the next morning, and Feb. 7.the wind getting to the westward enabled us to steer a more southerly course amongst loose ice, passing only a few bergs, and occasionally through a sheet of newly-formed ice: it fell calm at midnight, and continued so for several hours.
At 1 a.m. sounded in two hundred and eighty-eight Feb. 8.fathoms, muddy bottom. We passed a berg which had a large rock upon it. At 8 a.m. a steady breeze sprung up from the northward, when we made all sail before it, running along the pack edge in clear water: at noon we were in lat. 77° 39′, and long. 187° 5′ E. After passing through several streams of young ice the barrier was seen right ahead of us at 5 p.m. The main pack now trending more to the south-eastward, we hauled up along its edge, to run between it and the barrier, the whole of the surface of the sea being covered with "pancake" ice. At midnight, when about seven miles from the barrier, we obtained soundings in two hundred and seventy-five fathoms.
