Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/322

286 were obliged to have recourse to the tedious operation of warping up to the anchorage, and before this could be done, we had sharp squalls from the hills, which greatly impeded us, and rendered the work far more laborious; so that it was not until long after dark that both ships were moored in the places selected for them. The small bower of the Erebus being near the south shore, in twelve fathoms and a half, on fine sand, mud, and shells, and the best bower on the north shore, in ten fathoms, with seventy-two fathoms of cable on each, which stretched nearly across the cove at its head: the south point of the inlet bearing N. 80° E., the north point N. 55° E.; the north end of Chanticleer Island N. 74° E., and Foster's Peak, on the south shore, S. 17° E.

We were sorry not to be ready to co-operate with the numerous observatories which would be this day engaged making simultaneous magnetic observations, it being one of the appointed term-days; but, although I had landed in the morning, and chosen a site for our magnetic observatory, much time and labour would be required to clear away the trees and underwood which encumbered the ground; and it was therefore impossible even to put up our observatories, or land the instruments until that was accomplished. The loss of this day's observations for our especial object was, however, of less consequence, as I had fortunately arranged with the party of observers left at the Falkland Islands, to hold an additional term-day, on the 4th