Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/374

332 not being visible at so great a distance. I have named it D'Urville's Monument, in memory of that enterprising navigator, whose loss not only France, but every civilized nation must deplore.

At 6 a light breeze sprung up from the eastward, to which we spread all our studding-sails, steering for the distant land to the south-west. Great numbers of the largest-sized black whales were lying upon the water in all directions: their enormous breadth quite astonished us. The colour of the sea was a dirty brown, probably occasioned by minute ferruginous infusoria, which were found in the greenish-coloured mud that was brought up by the deep sea clamms from a depth of two hundred and seven fathoms, at 1 At this time we were in latitude 64° S., longitude 55° 28′ W., the magnetic dip 62° 30′ S., variation 21° 30′ E.; the southern extreme of land bearing S. 54° W. at a distance of thirty miles, and a lofty table-topped mountain bearing about west. At 4 we came to the edge of the ice which filled the great gulf to the south-west, and in which it was so closely packed that we could not get any nearer the coast at this point; we therefore steered along it to the south-east.

The new year opened upon us with beautiful weather, but soon after 2, whilst running to the southward with a westerly wind, we found the ice so close, that to prevent getting beset, we were compelled to stand back to the northward, to await a more favourable opportunity, and with the hope