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BALLENY ISLANDS.
[Chap. IX.
1841.
1839."At 8 a.m. clear weather. Steering west by compass in latitude 66° 46′ S. got sights for my chronometers, which gave the ship in longitude 164° 29′ E. At 11 a.m. observed a darkish appearance to the S.W. At noon the sun shone brightly; observed the latitude to be 66° 37′ S.; saw the appearance of land to the S.W., extending from west to about south; ran for it; at 4 p.m. made it out distinctly to be land; at 8 p.m. got within five miles of it, when we saw another piece of land of great height. At sunset we distinctly made them out to be three separate islands of good size, but the western one the longest: lay to all night off the middle island, and at 2 a.m. of the Feb. 10.10th bore up for it. Ran through a considerable quantity of drift ice, and got within half a mile, but found it completely icebound with high perpendicular cliffs. I wished to run between the middle and western island, but was compelled to come out again to the eastward, as from the western island to the eastern one, on the west or rather south-west side, the ice was in one firm and solid mass without a passage. The weather at sunrise was very threatening; at 6 it came on thick, since when we have been compelled to stand off. I make the high bluff western point
Scott, the ship in which Balleny made his discoveries (belonging to Mr. Charles Enderby and some other gentlemen), with which I was furnished from the Hydrographic Office before leaving England in September, 1839, Balleny having arrived only a few days before our departure.
Feb. 9.1839."At 8 a.m. clear weather. Steering west by compass in latitude 66° 46′ S. got sights for my chronometers, which gave the ship in longitude 164° 29′ E. At 11 a.m. observed a darkish appearance to the S.W. At noon the sun shone brightly; observed the latitude to be 66° 37′ S.; saw the appearance of land to the S.W., extending from west to about south; ran for it; at 4 p.m. made it out distinctly to be land; at 8 p.m. got within five miles of it, when we saw another piece of land of great height. At sunset we distinctly made them out to be three separate islands of good size, but the western one the longest: lay to all night off the middle island, and at 2 a.m. of the Feb. 10.10th bore up for it. Ran through a considerable quantity of drift ice, and got within half a mile, but found it completely icebound with high perpendicular cliffs. I wished to run between the middle and western island, but was compelled to come out again to the eastward, as from the western island to the eastern one, on the west or rather south-west side, the ice was in one firm and solid mass without a passage. The weather at sunrise was very threatening; at 6 it came on thick, since when we have been compelled to stand off. I make the high bluff western point
