The expedition sailed from Port Louis for their third visit to the
Antarctic regions, on the 17th of December, 1842, every one rejoicing
in the prospect of resuming the important business of the voyage.
Captain Ross selected the meridian of 55° W., in which he expected to
meet with a continuation of Louis Philippe's Land, hoping, by
following the coast-line to the south-eastward, keeping between the
land and the pack, to survey its shores and to attain a high
latitude; determining, in case of meeting with any insuparable
obstacle, to relinquish that attempt, and endeavour to follow the
track by which Weddell reached the latitude of 74° 15' S., three
degrees further than any preceding navigator, where, from his
account, there was every reason to expect a clear sea, in which to
extend the limits of his daring researches.
On the morning of the 24th, in latitude 61°, while about fifty miles
north-east of Clarence Island, one of the South Shetland group, the
first iceberg was seen, and a gale of wind came on; but the next day,
though surrounded by many icebergs, they contrived, under shelter of
Clarence Island, to pass a cheerful Christmas, with the aid of a fine
fat ox from the Falkland Islands, which had been presented by the
Governor to each ship, for this occasion. In the afternoon a solid
pack was seen, from S.S.W. to E. They beat along its edge, but did
not venture into it, though it appeared tolerably open, and continued
amongst loose ice and bergs, rapidly thawing from the high state of
temperature, which rendered it dangerous to approach them. On the
28th, land was discovered, in the form of two projecting headlands;
and a round-topped mountain covered with snow, and at a great
distance to the north, another promontory was seen, supposed to be
the "Point des Français," of Admiral D'Urville. A quantity of
grounded bergs prevented their approaching the coast nearer than two
or three miles; they could, therefore, only examine it as they passed
along. A great number of large whales were met with, so tame that
they would hardly get out of the way of the ships. Many small islets
were seen off the land, the whirlpools amongst which were found very
troublesome; and on the 30th the pack was found so close they could
scarcely pass between it and the land. On the 1st of January, 1843,
they were in lat. 64° 14' S., long. 55° 54' W., near a small island
perfectly free from snow, rising in a rocky peak 2,760 feet above the
sea, which was named Cockburn Island, on which the ice having
partially drifted away, Captain Ross and Captain Crozier landed, on
the 6th, and took formal possession of it. On this island 19 species
of plants were found, _mosses_, _algæ_, and _lichens_, the last
vestiges of vegetation in this high southern latitude. The island
appeared to be of volcanic origin, as well as the land, which
presented a range of lofty mountains covered with snow, with
perpendicular icy cliffs towards the sea. The deep gulf in which the
ships then were was forty miles across, and received the name of the
Gulf of the Erebus and the Terror. They continued to struggle
through the ice, without making any important advance, frequently
beset by the pack, and stationary for days together, till the 1st of
February, when it became necessary to extricate the ships, and
endeavour to penetrate to the south. They reached clear water on the
4th, after being involved in the pack for nearly six weeks, but the
best of the season was passed; fogs and east winds prevailed, and
they found a dense pack in the latitude where Weddell had found a
clear sea. They entered the Antarctic Circle on the 1st of March,
and stood to the S.W., persevering for some time in the attempt to
penetrate further south, but the ice was too strong for them, and
they were in great danger from a violent gale, which lasted three
days, accompanied by snow-storms, while they were surrounded by
icebergs. Through this danger they were, however, providentially
preserved; and on the 8th, after reaching the 70th degree of
latitude, they began retracing their course northward, and recrossed
the Antarctic Circle for the last time on the 11th.
They now steered for the Cape of Good Hope, which they reached on the
4th of April, having returned in safety, without one individual in
either of the ships on the sick list. Having refitted the ships and
refreshed the crews, and repeated the magnetic observations, the
expedition left the Cape the end of April, touching at St. Helena and
Ascension, for the purpose of making magnetic experiments, and
verifying their instruments, and proceeded to Rio de Janeiro for the
same purpose. Having completed these duties, they sailed for
England, and anchored in safety off Folkstone, on the 4th of
September.
The acquisitions to natural history, geology, geography, but above
all, towards the elucidation of the grand mystery of terrestrial
magnetism, raise this voyage to a pre-eminent rank among the greatest
achievements of British courage, intelligence, and enterprise.