5 4 4 A V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD.
January, regions of perpetual day *, and had funfliine at the hour of
midnight.
Friday *8. On the 2 8 th, in the afternoon, we palled a large bed of
broken ice, hoilled out the boats, and took up a great
quantity, which afforded a feafonable fupply of frelh water.
At midnight the thermometer was not lower than 34°, and
the next morning we enjoyed the mildeft funfliine we had
ever experienced in the frigid zone. My father therefore
ventured upon deck for the firft time after a month’s con-
finement.
We now entertained hopes of penetrating to the fouth as
far as other navigators have done towards the north pole;
but on the 30 th, about feven o’clock in the morning, we-,
difcovered a folid ice-field of immenfe extent before us,
which bore from E. to W. A bed of fragments floated all
round this field, which feemed to be raifed feveral feet high
above the level of the water. A vaft number of icy maffes,
fome of a very great height, were irregularly piled up upon
it, as far as the eye could reach. Our latitude was at this
time 7 1 0 10' fouth, confequently lefs than 1 9 deg. from
the pole ; but as it was impoffible to proceed farther, we
put the (hip about, well fatisfied with our perilous expedition,
and almoft perfuaded that no navigator will care to
come after, and much lefs attempt to pafs beyond us.
In the frozen zone, where the fun remains fix months above., and fix,
months below the horizon, dividing the year into one long day and night.
Our
Our longitude at this time was nearly 1060 W. The
thermometer here was at 320, and a great many pin-
guins were heard croaking round us, but could not be feen
on account of the foggy weather which immediately fuc-
ceeded.
As often as we had hitherto penetrated to the fouthward,
we had met with no land; but been flopped fooner or later
by a folid ice-field, which extended before us as far as we
could fee. At the fame time we had always found the
winds moderate and frequently eafterly in thefe high latitudes,
in -the fame manner as they are faid to be in the
northern frozen zone, From thefe circunaftances my father
has been led to fuppofe, that all the fouth pole, to the
diflance of 20 degrees, more or lefs» is covered with folid
ice, of which only the extremities are annually broken by
ftorms, confumed by the aflion of the fun, and regenerated
in winter.
— — ftat glacies iners
Menfes per omnes.—.... . ■ ■ Horat,
This opinion is the lefs exceptionable, fince there feems to
be no abfolute neceflity for the exiftence of land towards
the formation of ice *, and becaufe we have little reafon to
fuppofe that there a&ually is any land of confiderable extent
.in the frigid zone.
We ran to the northward with moderate winds till the satwKyY’
Jth of February, when we got a fine frelh breeze after a
* See vol, I. page 95.
Wo l . I. 4 A fliort