Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/363



The Aurora Australis continued to appear at intervals in bright colourless coruscations, reaching from the horizon to 30° of altitude in a W. by S. (magnetic) direction, until 1 30, when it was concealed from our view by light clouds which rose in that quarter.

With a strong breeze from the westward, and fine clear weather, we continued the examination of the pack edge, passing through great quantities of pancake ice, which formed rapidly under the protection of the pack, at a temperature of 20°, at which the thermometer stood with trifling variation the whole day. A heavy swell throughout the pack proved to us that it consisted of loose pieces, although to the eye at a little distance it appeared as one unbroken mass, and we occasionally ran the ships in amongst it as far as we could venture without hazard of getting frozen in or beset. I have no doubt that in the summer season it might be penetrated to a great distance, and it is very probable that eventually the south magnetic pole will be attained by persevering to the S.W. through this vast tract of ocean, which separates Victoria Land from the Balleny and other islands or lands discovered near the antarctic circle by Biscoe, Balleny, Wilkes, and D'Urville. We saw a great