Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/128

 by a compact barrier of ice, inclosing large, square icebergs. This barrier consisted of masses, closely packed, and of all varieties, shapes, and sizes. We hove to until daylight. The night was fine, and everything seemed wrapped in slumber. Ay, everything was silent but the distant swash, swash of the waters against the  ice. Our latitude was 63° south. There was every appearance of land at the south. It took all day to beat out of the bay. For several days the weather had been foggy.

January 16. Peacock and Porpoise in sight. High  mountains were plainly seen at the south from all the  ships.

January 17. Weather fair. At twelve o’clock we were in 66° south. Many whales were playing around the ship, and some large seals and penguins were on the ice. Land in sight.

January 18. Weather variable. Occasional snow squalls and mists. Water of an olive green.

January 19. Found ourselves in a deep bay this morning. Land could be plainly seen from the ship’s deck. It bore sou’east and sou’west. It averaged from two to three thousand feet high. The mountain ridges looked dark and gray. Two volumes of smoke were seen rising from the mountains.

January 20. At two o’clock this morning the sun and moon appeared above the horizon at the same time, but  in opposite directions. The moon was full. The effect of the sun shedding his deep golden rays on the distant  icy mountains and the surrounding icebergs was beautiful  beyond description. We witnessed a sea-fight between