On their way further to the west, the Walrus encountered weather fair and fine. They kept inwards, therefore—passing many huge striated icebergs, some caved, others tunnelled through and through—until they reached the Bouvet Isles, in latitude about 53° South and longitude 2° to 5° East.
They are volcanic in origin, as might easily be expected, and were first discovered by Captain Bouvet, who, however, could give but little account of them, owing, first to dense fogs, and secondly to the rocky little uninviting group being so closely packed around with ice-floes.
After seeing all here that could be seen, and catching many specimens of strange seals, as well as birds, the vessel’s direction was altered from N.W. to W. by S., and in due time, with few further adventures, and a considerable deal of monotonous sailing, they reach the Sandwich group, which lies in from 55° to 60° South and somewhere about 30° to the west.
These islands were all volcanic, as far as could be made out, and, indeed, in one of them, nearly the farthest north, smoke still issues from a half-burnt-out cone.
Almost every bottle, as it was emptied, was thrown overboard. After letters were written, they were corked, waxed, and well sealed. Some of these, strange to say, were picked up nearly a year afterwards on the shores of South America. And these, of course, were duly forwarded to England.
Some were, half a year after this, picked up by the Sea Elephant, and joyful enough were all hands to learn that all was going well on the sister ship.
* * * * *
West, and away ever west.
West, and still further south; and one morning, when the sun was unusually bright and clear, Charlie had the satisfaction, from the crow’s-nest, of discovering mountain peaks ahead.
Unfortunately for our young hero, these had been discovered generations before his time, else his name would be handed down in ocean history.