, 1877-11-24
The South Pole.

tN
the Arctic and Antarctic regions lies in
the fact that the former is dotted overwith
numerous islands, peninsulas and isthmuses
whereas the latter is exposed To the dash
of a vast deep ocean Ross experienced
from sweeping currents and winds more
than has ever been borne by northern
explorers On one occasion, when he
Was becalmed for few hours, the dead
set of the ocean waves drifted the ships
towards range of huge ieeberss, against
which the sea breke with appalling vio-
lenee. Every eye was transfyed with
the tremendous spectacle" The ships
We're thus driven on for eight hours, until
within half mile from the gigantic ice
bergs, when a gentle air began to stir +;
the ships yielded to the influence of the
puff of wind which gradually freshened
into gale, and before dark, to the heart
felt satisfaction OF all on board, the ships
emerged from their peril and got out into
the wide ocean. Ross had good means of
knowing how thoroughly Wilkes had been
deceived concerning the appearance Of
land at a particular spot, for he spent
three days in searching for land which
Wilkes had laid down on the chart, but
six hundred fanthoms' depth of water
was found in the very center of the posi-
ton assigned to the land on the chart
Ross arrived at an opinion that the Ameri-
can commander had been deceived either
by ice islands or fog banks. We need not
90 into much further details concerning
this expedition but few words may be
quoted to show what kind OF weather
had to be borne in the very middle OF the
Antarctic summer, and i'll no higher lati
tude than siXty-six degrees.
For nine days the crew were alternately
drifting, hauling, making fast, mending
snapped hawsers and making efforts to
stem opposing currents On the tenth
day, during thick fog, gale came on
from the north. "The sea quickly rose
to fearful height, breaking over the
loftiest icebergs We were unable any
longer to hold our ground, but were driven
into the heavy pack under our lee Soon
after midnight our ships were involved III
an ocean Of floating fragments of ice,
hard as floating blocks of granite, which
were dashed against them by the waves
with so much violence that their maSts
quivered as if they would fall at every
successive blow, and the destruction of
the ships seemed inevitable from the tre-
mcndous shocks they received BY back
ing and filling the sails, We endeavored to
avoid collision with the larger masses, but
this was not always possible In the early
part of the storm the rudder of the Ere
longer of any use and about the same
time l was informed by signal that the
Terror's was completely destroyed and
nearly torn away from the stern post
Hour passed away after hour without the
least mitigation of these awful circm
stances in which We We're placed. Indeed
there seemed to be but little probability
of our ships holding together much longer,
SO frequent and violent were the shocks
they sustained. The loud, crashing noise
of the strainins and working Of the tim
bers and decks as she was driven AGAINST
some of the heavier pieces, which all the
activity and exertions of our people could
not prevent, was sufficient to I'LL the
stoutest heart that was not supported by
trust in Him who controls all events
with diSmay. "
Whenever the gallant commander got
south of 60 degrees or SO, then the bat
Ting with ice began again and again He /
once touched the 18th parallel of latitude, |
ard in all probability no human beng has !
ever made a nearer approach which has |
recently been made to the north pole.
What we know OF the south pole, then,
is simply this, that nobody has got within /
seven or eight hundred miles of it ; that
icy barriers are met with quite eellpsln5 /
anything known in the north frisld zone
that mountains have been seen Zone shoot
ing forth volcanic fames) loftier than any |
discovered by northern explorers; that all /
the land is covered with snow at all sea /
SONS; that 10 human being has been met |
with beyond 56 degrees of latitude; that |
no vegetable growth, except Gchens, has
been seen beyond 5S degrees Of latitude, |
and that 10 land quadruped is known to
exist beyond 6S degrees of latitude