![]() We had penetrated the pack as far as the ice admitted to the westward by half-past eight in the evening, when we tacked and obtained observations by which we found we had approached so much nearer the Pole that the dip had increased to 88° 10′. 67° 13′, from which we deduced the place of the magnetic pole to be distant two hundred and forty-nine miles. I have no doubt that, had it been our object, we might have penetrated it several miles further, for although heavy-looking ice, it was not very densely packed, nor any thing like the solid land-ice we had seen further to the northward, and we should certainly have made the attempt, had not the land imposed an insuperable barrier to our reaching the Pole, which we still hoped to accomplish by a more circuitous route and we were not then in a condition to be content with any thing short of complete success. the next morning the line of coast was at this time distinctly seen, but at a great distance: a heavy pack extended at least forty or fifty miles from the shore, into which we stood amongst the loose ice as far as we could without getting beset this I did not think proper to hazard, as it would assuredly have occasioned considerable loss of time without any equivalent advantage, and every hour at this period of the season was of much importance to us. We carried all sail, and both wind and sea abating, we approached the land rapidly the barometer which had been rising throughout the gale, reached the unusual Jan. 23.gradually veered more to the eastward we therefore wore round and stood towards the land on the port tack but, owing to the continuance of thick and snowy weather during the whole of Sunday, we did not get sight of it until 7 p.m., when it was indistinctly seen ahead of the ship. The gale, which rather freshened during the night, Jan. and by 7 p.m., having good grounds for believing that we had reached a higher southern latitude than that attained by our enterprising countryman, the late Captain James Weddell, and therefore beyond all our predecessors, an extra allowance of grog was issued to our very deserving crews and, being Saturday night, the seaman's favourite toast of "Sweethearts and wives" was not forgotten in the general rejoicing on the occasion. ![]() By our reckoning we made some southing, being at noon in lat. As the breeze freshened and the motion of the ship increased, the compasses became very uncertain in their indications but the weather was beautifully clear, the sun shining in great splendour and although the barometer was already above the mean pressure of the atmosphere of these latitudes, it continued to rise (the second instance of the kind we have observed) as the wind increased to a moderate gale about midnight, which prevailed the whole of the next day, accompanied by sharp squalls and continuous showers of snow. ![]() ![]() 22we continued beating to windward under all sail, and thus regained some of the lost ground but at noon we were still four miles to the northward of our yesterday's latitude. Again a southerly breeze came on at 4 a.m. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |