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CHAPTER III.
We weighed on the morning of the 6th, and as we 1840.
April 6.stood out of Simon's Bay the "Melville" manned her rigging, and gave us three encouraging cheers, which we as cordially returned. Light baffling airs from the S.E. delayed us, but just before dark we succeeded in clearing the breakers of the "Bellows" rock, by about a quarter of a mile.
The Terror was obliged to make another tack, so we shortened sail to wait for her; but, soon after midnight, the wind changed suddenly, and the weather became so dark and thick, with violent squalls and much thunder and lightning, that we parted company, and at daylight, not seeing her, we pursued our course alone towards Prince Edward Islands, where I was desirous of landing to obtain observations.
We found the temperature of the surface of the sea to increase rapidly after leaving Cape Point, where, as well as in Simon's Bay, it was at 58°; half a mile from the Cape it was at 58°.5; at 8h. p.m., within a quarter of a mile of the "Bellows," it was 59°; at 9h. p.m., only two miles and a half further to the south, it was up to 64°; at which time we were probably in much deeper water: at midnight it was 66°, as was also that of the air; and from which it did not afterwards differ materially,
