Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-15
bereavement MoUSTAINs.

reached nearly the seventy-slXth degree OF
south latitude Ross felt pretty certain that
no human being had ever before been so
near the South Pole-then Just about
1000 miles distant-and there were great
rejoicings on board both ships. One Incl
dent of this expedition may be noticed as
showing the singular turmoils to which an
ice-laden ocean is exposed. Ross suddenly
noticed an island where none had been
visible two or three hours before; it was
about hundred feet high, and for the
most part free from snow. 1t was at the
same time remarked that a large iceberg
which had been distinctly seen had APP
parently disappeared. The one phenome-
non helped to explain the other; the ice
berg had turned completely over, and
presented a new surface covered with earth
and stones. So exactly was it like an
island that it was only on landing on it
that the truth was ascertained, corrobor-
ated by rolling motion which the iceberg
underwent for some time. How easily
may small islands appear and disappear on
Arctic and Antarctic maps if differences
are too hastily drawn.
| Wonderful it was to see raging volcano
in such a region. A large stretch of land
was seen to be marked by two magnificent
mountains; one of which, an active vol
cano, $1,000 feet high, received the name
of Mount Erebus; while the other, an ex
tinct volcano of somewhat smaller stature,
was named after the companion ship,
! Terror But how about the
APPROACH TO THE SOUTH POLE?
When the two mighty mountains had
been discovered all on board the two ships
hoped that the icy obstacles to further
progress were such as they could surmount
by skill, labor and perseverance. This
| hope was not destined to be realized In
front of the mainland to which the noun
tains belonged could be seen, as the ships
approached, white line marking per-
pendicular cliff Of ice, averaging two hun
bred feet above the sea, perfectly fiat and
level at the top, and presenting no assures
whatever. This was Il great disappoint-
ment for the icy barrier faced them
directly on the south, and there was no
| possibility either of penetrating through it
or of climbing up.upon it, Distant noun
tains could be seen over and beyond the
| barrier, apparently as far south as the
seventy-ninth degree of south latitude, less
| than seven hundred nautical miles from
the Pole; it was tantaliZing, but had to be
borne, for nothing but balloon could have
surmounted the barrier. The ships turned
their prows eastward, following the line of
| this gigantic ice-wall and watching for an
opening in it. Fully hundred miles was
thus traversed, but without finding gap or
chasm. As there was depth of nearly
two thousand feet of water where the ships
! coasted along, Ross inferred that the great
! icy barrier was formed on a ledge of rock,
and that its outward edge was not resting
on the ground.
COMPARISON OF DATES.
Ross did not winter in that remote and
inhospitable region; indeed, so far as is
known, no human being ever passed WIN
ter among the Antarctic ice Ross spent
three summers in his exploration, while
he housed his ships for the intervening
winters either at Tasmania or Falkland
Island. a curious matter mentioned by
him illustrates the meaning of what's
! o'clock-or, rather, what determines the
longitude, which itself determines what's
o'clock. When starting from Tasmania
for his second summers exploration, in
| 1871, he steered east, touched at New
! Zealand, and crossed at the hundred and
eightieth degree of longitude-that is the
! longitude farthest removed from the me-
ridian of Greenwich. 1t became necessary
| to lose Il day in reckoning, so as to make
! the date correspond with that in England.
OIL moving from East longitude to West.
We, therefore, had two Thursdays and
two twenty-tifth days of November in sue
cession, so that after crossing the meridian,
and having made the alteration of a day,
instead of being twelve hours in advance.
We became 50 much in arrear of the time
in England which would gradually dimn-
ish rs we pursued our casterlv course.
until on our return we should find them in
exact accordance
THE GREATEST POINT OF DIFFERENCE
Between the Arctic and Antarctic regions
lies in the fact that the former is dotted
over with numerous islands, peninsulas
and isthnuses, whereas the latter is
exposed to the dash of vast and
deep ocean. Ross experienced from
sweeping currents and winds more
than has ever to be borne by northern
explorer. On one occasion, when he was
becalmed for few hours, the dead set of
the ocean waves drifted the ship toward a
range of huge icebergs, against which the
sea broke with appalling violence. Every
eye was transfxed with the tremendous
spectacle and destruction appeared inevita-
bic" The ships were thus driven on for
eight hours, until within half mile of the
gigantic icebergs, when a gentle air began
to stir, which gradually freshened into a
gale, and before dark the ships EMERGED
from their peril, and got out into the wide
ocean.
few words may be quoted to show
what kind of weather had to be borne in
the very middle of the Antarctic summer
and in no higher latitude than sixty-six
degrees. For nine DAYS the crews 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
from the north. The sea quickly rose to
a fearful hight,
BREAKING OVER THE : or,rrt,s,, ,o,,,prpcs
w, - Ill, 49,.
-, wv "J'0 u,i"nie any longer 10 hoi1 our
9loI.i,,', ou' "eIe "IlNeh mo 'he hcavy |
PlcN unuer our lee soon after midnight |
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