#jan 1841

[thecunnydiaries]

- January 1841 -

1st Friday

Fine: passed a great quantity of broken Ice and Several Large Icebergs. Had a new Suit of Box cloth Issued to each man with Water Boots comforters Boot Hose &c which I consider a very handsome New Years gift. "Spliced "Main Brace": Capn Ross came onboard in the afternoon for a Short time. A great quantity of Snow Ice floating about and Several Icebergs: close hauled and tacked Several times. Spent a very pleasant and comfortable Day, considering every thing. Stood in for the Ice in the first watch but could not penetrate: A number of Whales seen, one Seal.

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23rd Saturday

Very rough with Snow & hail. Spliced "Main brace" in the Evening in consequence of being farther South than any (Known) human being has been - which is "a feather in our Caps".

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28th Thursday

Very fine. Sighted Land ahead in the Morning of a very lofty appearance and on approaching it discovered in the highest Peak of it a Volcanic erruption. It would Shew first with a volume of Smoke, as dark as Pitch which would gradually become of a lighter hue and then the Flame would burst forth with great fury for some time, after which it would Subside for a few minutes and then reappear again. The Island is of a great height Peaky and entirely covered with Snow except the Sides of the burning Mountain which [are] black which I suppose is owing to the hot Lava issuing from the mouth of the Cratur and falling down its Sides. There is a valley between the two highest Peaks, in which there is a dense Labyrinth of Smoke [which] presents a very romantic feature in the general view of the Island. It lays in about 77 S L. 174 E Longitude, and several other Islands in it vicinity; both Ships Kept away to Leeward of it and found a body of Ice adhering to it and running away in a Southerly direction as far as you could See. To look along it you would think it was a high wall built in the Ocean: I should think it was fifty feet high and looked grand in perspective. Sailing along it all night with Studding Sails Low & aloft. Night particularly fine Sun Shining Strong

Beaufort Island and Mount Erebus, Discovered 28th. January, 1841, from Ross, Voyage, I. f.p.216.

Campbell's Notes:

Hooker, Notes, p. 271. ‘The water and the sky were both as blue, or rather more intensely blue than I have ever seen them in the tropics, and all the coast one mass of dazzlingly beautiful peaks of snow, which, when the sun approaches the horizon, reflected the most brilliant tints of golden, yellow and scarlet; and then to see the dark cloud of smoke, tinged with flame, rising from the volcano in a perfect unbroken column; one side jet-black, and the other giving back the colours of the sun, sometimes turning off at a right angle by some current of wind, and stretching many miles to leeward! This was a sight, so surpassing every thing that can be imagined, and so heightened by the consciousness that we have penetrated, under the guidance of our commander, into regions far beyond what was ever dreamed practicable, that it really caused a feeling of awe to steal over us, at the consideration of our own comparative insignificance and helplessness, and at the same time an indescribable feeling of the greatness of the Creator in the works of his hand.’Return to an Address of the Honourable The House of Commons dated 26 August 1841 - for, Copies of such Extracts from the Despatch of Captain James Ross from Van Diemen’s Land etc. ‘… Still steering to the southward, early next morning, the 28th, a mountain of 12,400 feet above the level of the sea was seen, emitting flame and smoke in splendid profusion. This magnificent volcano received the name of Mount Erebus… It is in latitude 77°32'S. and longitude 167°E.; an extinct crater to the eastward of Mount Erebus, of a somewhat less elevation, was called Mount Terror.

C. J. Sullivan, SPRI MS 367/22. ‘At the South East end of Mount Erebus and joining the Main Land of Victorias continent begins the Barrier or as I should call it natures handywork, in the evening we commenced running thinking from the Declination of the Barrier from the distant view from the Mast head that we may run it down by midnight. But as far and as fast as we run the Barrier appeard the Same Shape and form as it did when we left the mountain. We pursued a South Easterly Course for a distance of three hundred miles But the Barrier appeard the Same as when we Left the Land.’

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27th Wednesday

Fine: Sighted some Islands ahead, the first of which the Captains Landed on and christened it, giving three cheers and drinking the Queens health. It is a high Island Rock entirely covered with Snow except the Sea faces of it. The boats had hard work to effect a landing: there was no birds of any Kind: it is nearly in 76 South. Passed Some very large Icebergs: got foul of a Small one which carried away our Dolphin Striker & BobStay.

Campbell's Notes:

First island, Ross, Voyage, I. pp. 214–5. ‘We proceeded at once therefore to take possession of the island in due form; and to the great satisfaction of every individual in the expedition, I named it “Franklin Island;” in compliment to His Excellency Captain Sir John Franklin, of the Royal Navy….‘Franklin Island is situate in lat. 76 8 S., long. 168 12 E.’

Landing, Robertson, A few General Remarks, pp. 50–1. ‘… our chiefs being determined to effect a landing somewhere. After much examination, the only place likely to favour their desire was the trap dyke … and to this the whale-boat was backed: but such was the rise and fall of the waves, that a landing was almost despaired of, when Captain Ross stood up in the boat, resting his hand on Captain Crozier's shoulder, and evidently resolved for a spring at whatever risk. … and instantly springing upon the shelf of the dyke, he quickly succeeded in scrambling up the rock, whilst the angry sea dashed its spray upon his heels. It was now Captain Crozier's turn, and he, watching his moment with a seaman's eye, also got cleverly up the icy rocks clear of danger: but it was not so with many that followed; for not withstanding the kind-hearted Captain had considerately made one end of a line fast to a rock, and threw the other into the boat, to enable the officers to land with greater safety, two were overtaken by the waves, and had they not fortunately had hold or the line, they must have been washed away. A third, being less cautious, made his spring on the rock without taking hold of the rope; the sea caught him, and instantly overwhelmed him, to the great horror of all. On his reappearing, pale and exhausted, he was so close to the boat that one of the seamen caught him, and soon placed him safely amongst his many anxious shipmates…. Captain Ross… instantly and authoritatively forbade all further attempts at landing… It is due to poor Jack to state, that no sooner was the half drowned young man lifted into the boat, than the kind-hearted sailors had him stripped of all his wet clothing, each vying with the other who should be the first to divest himself of his flushing jacket, for his protection and comfort; and with the temperature of the air at 18 Fahrenheit, the sea being 30.’

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29th Friday

Fine. Sailing along the great Barrier of Ice all day: at 8 PM Wind shifted and we drifted [to] the Northward and lost sight of it: Several Whales Spouting.

Campbell's Notes: Ross, Voyage, I. pp. 228. ‘In those regions [the Arctic] we have witnessed the almost magical power ofthe sea in breaking up land-ice or extensive floes of from twenty to thirty feet thick, which have in a few minutes after the swell reached them, been broken up into small fragments by the power of the waves. But this extraordinary barrier of ice, of probably more than a thousand feet in thickness, crushes the undulations of the waves, and disregards their violence: it is a mighty and wonderful object, far beyond any thing we could have thought or conceived… Soon afterwards several icebergs were seen ahead of us: they were chiefly of a tabular form, perfectly flat on top, precipitous in every part, and from 150 to 200 feet high: they had evidently at one time formed part of the barrier, and I felt convinced, from finding them at this season so near the point of their formation, that they were resting on the ground. The lines were immediately prepared, and when we got amongst them at 3 A.M. the next morning we hove to, and obtained soundings in two hundred and sixty fathoms, on a bottom of stiff green mud.

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18th Monday

Fine: Sounded, got Soundings: tacked Ship: nearly in the 73rd degree of Latitude. Air very cold.

Campbell's Notes: Ross, Voyage, I. pp. 199–200. ‘Obtained soundings in two hundred and thirty fathoms, Small stones and shells with some pieces of coral and a crustaceous animal (nymphon gracile), common in the Arctic Seas, came up in the lead. .. The Terror which was less than a mile distant from us, having found only one hundred and seventy-four fathoms on a sandy bottom.’

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15th Friday

Fine: Stiff breeze endeavouring to beat to windward of the Land, but gaining very little. When the Sun Shine on the Land it has a very Splendid appearance. It being of such a great height and entirely clad in Snow with numerous Small Islands detached from the main body - I may call them Rocks.

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12th Tuesday

Hazy with Sleet and Snow. A boat from each [ship] effected a Landing and took possession in the name of our gracious Majesty hoisting the English Colors &c and drinking the Queens health. The Shore was literaly covered with Penguins Some of which was brought onboard. There are several Island Rocks detached but the extent of the Land is not ascertained as you could see mountains rishing above the clouds as far the Eye could carry you. 2 PM Stood away to the Northwards and Eastward: Erebus in close Company.

This is furthest Land discovered to the Southward it being in 72 South.

Mount Sabine and Possession Island, Discovered 11th January, 1841, From Ross, Voyage, I. f.p. 183.

Campbell's Notes: Ross, Voyage, I. p. 189 .‘The ceremony of taking possession of these newly-discovered lands, in the name of our Most Gracious Sovereign, Queen Victoria, was immediately proceeded with; and on planting the flag of our country amidst the hearty cheers of our party, we drank the health, long life and happiness of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness Prince Albert. The island was named Possession Island. It is situated in lat. 71°56'S, and long. 171°7'E.’Robertson, A few General Remarks, pp. 42–5. ‘A signal from the Erebus announced Captain Ross's intention to land. Captain Crozier and a few of the officers were soon on their way to the shore … a rapid current was found sweeping through the channel which divided the islands; it carried with it heavy streams of ice, agitating the sea in the most tumultuous manner, and presenting a surface similar to that of the Portland race in a fresh gale. This rendered the situation of the boats far from agreeable:… At this stage of our progress the chiefs of the expedition consulted on what was best to be done, and determined to run to leeward of the western island. Ere we had gone far we were fortunate enough to find an opening through the outer stream of ice, which the boats immediately took … the boats reached the shore at noon… When some distance offshore, our olfactory nerves had been most offensively assaulted by certain effluvia from the land, the cause of which we could not then define; but, on mounting the icy cliffs, it became apparent that it proceeded from numerous carcases of young penguins, which lay in a state of putrefaction all around, together with an immense accumulation of the birds' dung, probably some feet, or even yards, in depth… No description of mine can give an adequate idea of the spectacle which awaited us here; the whole surface of the island being one mass of living creatures (Aptenodytes). Old and young were squatted on the ground in numerous groups, and so thickly packed, that it was almost impossible to move a foot without treading on them… We were not long on shore before we were called from our various occupations to assist in a very interesting ceremony, namely, that of drinking Her most gracious Majesty's health, and taking possession of this Antarctic land, in Her Majesty's name.’