Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/268

182 again in a clear sea. The northerly breeze soon after increased to so strong a gale as to reduce us to close reefed topsails, which, with the continuous snow and thick weather, compelled us at noon to haul to the wind after having run about thirty miles to the southward since leaving the pack.

At noon we were in lat 69° 15′ S., and long. 176° 15′ E.

The wind veered round gradually to the eastward, so that we continued to make some progress to the southward notwithstanding the fog and snow being so thick that we could seldom see more than half a mile before us, and sometimes not so far; but as we met with no icebergs, and only a few straggling pieces of ice and a heavy sea having arisen, we felt assured that we had gained an open space of great extent.

The storm blew with great violence from the eastward until 2 the next day, when it began to abate, and by nine o'clock had moderated so much as to admit of our setting reefed courses. The fog also began to disperse about that time, and at noon we had a most cheering and extensive view; not a particle of ice could be seen in any direction from the mast-head. Our observations gave us a lat. 70° 23′ S., long. 174° 50′ E. and the magnetic dip had increased to 85°.

We now shaped our course directly for the Magnetic Pole, steering as nearly south by compass as the wind, which soon afterwards veered to the south-east, admitted. Our hopes and expectations