Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/222

1842

longitude 179° 13′ W., the magnetic dip, 84° 27′, when the wind veered to the northward, bringing with it frequent snow showers, but with considerable intervals of clear weather; we again crowded all studding-sails on the ships as we pursued our course right before the wind, the edge of the main pack being sometimes seen to the westward, but becoming so distant before dark, that we could see nothing more than the line of blink hanging over it; and being assured that we had turned its western extreme, we continuedFeb. 13. under all sail throughout the night, and by noon the next day we were in latitude 72° 27′ S., longitude 178 40' W. In the afternoon thick fog prevailed and the wind fell gradually lighter, until at midnight it was quite calm.

Feb. 14.Early in the morning a breeze sprang up from the north-eastward, which freshened to a strong gale before noon, and was accompanied by fog, and snow which fell without intermission throughout the whole day. We nevertheless made some progress to the south-east, under close-reefed topsails and storm staysails, meeting only a few fragments of berg ice. The storm blew with unabated forceFeb. 15. all the next day, and the swell had so greatly increased, as to convince us that the pack must be very distant to the westward; a few small bergs and some heavy fragments were met with as we maintained our southerly course under all the sail our ships could carry, our chief anxiety being to prevent them parting company, which the inces-