Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/224

1842

The current was found to be setting S. 78° W., at the rate of nine miles daily. The dredge was put overboard for a short time, and many curious invertebrate animals and a small fish were taken in it. The Cape pigeon and white petrel were seen in great numbers; the latter flew to the westward in the evening, towards Franklin Island, where we observed last year they had made their nests on the tops of its perpendicular cliffs. A few whales and some finners were also seen during the day. The light breeze which prevailed from the south-eastward until midnight veered round to N.N.E., Feb. 17.and increased to a fresh breeze at 6 a.m., so we steered to the southward under all sail. At noon we were in latitude 75° 53′ S., longitude 184° 52′ "W., and magnetic dip 87° 03′ S. Several pieces of ice were seen in the afternoon, but neither bergs nor pack were met with, and we pursued our course, elated with the prospect of still being able to attain a high latitude before the setting in of the winter.

Feb. 18.At noon we were in latitude 76° 52′ S., longitude 178° 0′ W., and the wind shifting to the southward we stood to the eastward on the starboard tack; late in the evening, on the snow clearing away, the ice blink was seen at a great Feb. 19. distance ahead of us; and the number of white petrel which we met with the next morning, warned us of our approach to the pack. Our observations at noon indicated that we had been carried to the northward by a current nearly fifteen miles during