Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/356

1841

was no measure left untried to find a harbour to winter in without success, I determined to make the best of our way to the northward in search of any lands that might lie between Cape North of Victoria Land and Balleny Islands, as it was most important to ascertain whether these were connected, and how far the space between them might be navigable. And although I could not but feel how great was the hazard of detaining the ships any longer in these dangerous regions, and how great must be the anxiety of those upon whom the care of the ships devolved during the long dark nights that prevailed, and the difficulty we might experience in recrossing the pack of two hundred miles in breadth, which we had passed through near the antarctic circle; yet I considered the object to be accomplished of sufficient importance to justify some further degree of risk, and had some hopes that we might find the pack had driven so far to the northward as to leave us a clear passage between it and the easternmost point of the American discoveries.

In pursuance of this determination we made all sail, beating to the N.W., close along the edge of the main pack, until late in the evening, when the wind shifted to the south, and increased so suddenly, that before midnight it blew a violent storm; to prevent passing any land in the night, as well as on account of the great danger of running during the gale, we rounded the ships to on the starboard tack under close-reefed topsails. The