Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/256

224 throughout the night, during which only three or four bergs were seen.

Our broken spars and rigging having been replaced, we made all sail when daylight appeared, steering directly for the supposed position of the focus of greater magnetic intensity, which I had not relinquished my intention of visiting. From the necessity of keeping the ship exactly before the wind for the last two or three days, we had run sixty miles to the northward of it, we were now, however, in a condition to regain the parallel of 60° of south latitude.

Favoured by clear nights, we pursued our course at a moderate pace; and during the continuance of daylight pressed all the sail on the ships they could carry; for as we were yet between two and three thousand miles distant from the Falkland Islands, we were compelled to hazard a little rather than prolong our voyage so much by rounding to during the lengthened period of darkness.

At daybreak on the morning of the 18th we had reached the desired spot in latitude 60° S., and longitude 125° W.; and although it was blowing fresh from the westward, and the gale of the preceding day had occasioned so heavy a swell that our ship rolled and tossed about considerably, yet we obtained numerous magnetic observations, which, if not so accordant as they would probably have been under more favourable circumstances, the results proved sufficiently satisfactory; and if they have not tended to confirm the theory which