Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/367

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Chap. IX.]
BALLENY ISLANDS.
269
1841.

estimation, between thirty and forty miles. By the peculiar form of Russell Peak we knew it to be the same land we had seen on the two previous days; but owing to thick weather coming on, we did not get observations, and are therefore unable to assign its exact position; approximately it is in lat. 67° 28′ S., and long. 165° 30′ E. The third island was named Frances Island. We continued our course until 8 a.m., when we found we March 4.had run into a deep bight of the main pack, and a high sea was getting up; so we hauled off to the N.E. At this time we observed strong appearances of land directly to the westward, high and broken into islands; but it soon after became quite thick with snow, so that we lost sight of them, and the breeze freshening to a gale we were obliged to carry a heavy press of sail to weather the lee point of the bight we had got into. The deep plunges the ship gave frequently brought her bowsprit into violent contact with heavy pieces of ice that it was impossible to avoid, and our dolphin striker was carried away. The Terror's bobstay and bowsprit shrouds were also carried away, but fortunately we had at that time gained a more open space, where we hove to for her to repair her damage and to secure her bowsprit.

At noon we were in lat. 66° 44′ S., long. 165° 45′ E., so that without doubt the land we saw in the morning was that discovered by Balleny, to which his name was given by Captain Beaufort, the hydrographer to the Admiralty; and I think it right to publish here the extract from the Log of the Eliza