Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/133

] violent were the squalls, and so contracted the channel (not quite one third of a mile), that we were beating for three hours without losing or gaining a ship's length; darkness coming on put an end to the laborious struggle, and compelled us, at six o'clock, to anchor in twenty-three fathoms, fine sand and stones. Although not exactly where we desired to be, we were thankful to have found so good an anchorage, for it almost immediately began to blow a complete gale, which lasted the whole night.

The Terror arrived the next morning, but, owing to the unsettled state of the weather, it was not until the 15th that we could warp up to the head of the harbour, and secure the ships in positions convenient for easy and frequent communication with the shore. The remainder of this and the whole of the following day were occupied in getting the ship to rights, and landing the observatories.

The 17th, being Sunday, our people had a day of rest after their labours. I may here mention that it was our invariable practice every Sunday to read the Church service, and generally a short sermon afterwards; and it is remarkable how very seldom during the whole period of our voyage, that either the severity of the weather, or the circumstances of the expedition, were such as to interfere with the performance of this duty. Few could have had more convincing assurances of the providential interpositions of a merciful God, and I do believe