On the 13th February Ross gave up any attempt to go further along the barrier and resolved to steer for the magnetic pole and seek for a harbour in which to winter. The course was set for Franklin Island. On the 16th Mount Erebus was again sighted, and there was a splendid view of the whole line of coast. A great number of whales of two kinds were visible. Upon the cape ahead of the ships was conferred the name of Professor Gauss of Göttingen “who has done more than any other philosopher of the present day to advance the science of terrestrial magnetism.” The range of mountains which Ross considered to be the seat of the magnetic pole was called after Prince Albert.
The course was now northward along the coast. Two capes named after Captain Washington, the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, and Captain Johnson, R.N., were seen to enclose a bay which was called after Lieutenant Wood of the Erebus[195]. On February 20th the breeze freshened to a gale and next day they were off Cape Adare. Rounding this, the northern coast was reached, the furthest point seen being Cape North. The line of coast presented perpendicular ice cliffs, and no landing was possible. The course was therefore set to the N.W., and on the 2nd March land was seen ahead appearing like two islands, but really peaks of one of the Balleny Islands. On the 6th April, 1841, the Erebus and Terror arrived in the Derwent river, Tasmania.
CHAPTER LI
SECOND ANTARCTIC VOYAGE OF SIR JAMES ROSS
The Erebus and Terror were refitting at Hobart Town from April to July, 1841, when they proceeded to Port Jackson. The chief object of Captain Ross was to obtain a series of magnetic observations for comparison with those made at Hobart Town. From Port Jackson the expedition went to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. During these visits Dr Hooker had opportunities of making collections and observations which are embodied in his great work, the Flora Antarctica.
On November 23rd, 1841, the expedition sailed from New Zealand, and Sir James Ross shaped a course for Chatham Island, chiefly for magnetic purposes. After a short visit he steered south for the main pack and pushed boldly into the ice on the 18th December. Christmas Day was passed closely beset in the pack, near a chain of eleven icebergs, and in a thick fog.
On New Year’s eve they were in the same place. This would be called an impenetrable pack. But there is no such thing as an impenetrable pack for men like Sir James Ross, and he had resolved to force the ships through it. On the 9th January they were still at the same place as on Christmas Day, with no apparent prospect of moving. But Sir James still persevered. On the 20th it blew a gale of wind, and they were in the midst of large masses of ice with a very heavy swell. No ordinary ship would have stood the hammering from the masses of ice for half-an-hour. The rudder of the Terror was broken and rendered useless. When the weather moderated it took a whole day to ship the spare rudder owing to the gudgeons being bent. Both ships had been in imminent danger, and for the first time Sir James Ross looked anxious and careworn. They had been 40 days going a hundred miles. On the 20th February they encountered a frightful gale, the spray dashing over the ships and becoming ice as it touched the deck. Sir James would not turn back, and on the 28th they reached a latitude of 78° 10′ S. The great ice barrier was in sight; not so high as the part they had seen the previous year, but more irregular.
The season was advanced and it became necessary to give up further exploration and turn the ships’ heads in a northerly direction. On the 1st March a magnificent range of icebergs was in sight, extending in an unbroken chain as far as the eye could discern from the masthead. On the 4th a furious gale was encountered and on the 12th several bergs were again seen during thick weather. There were constant squalls of snow concealing the bergs from view. Suddenly a large berg was seen ahead, and quite close. The Erebus was hauled to the wind on the port tack with the expectation of being able to weather it. At that moment the Terror came in sight running down upon her consort. It was impossible for her to clear both the berg and the Erebus, so that collision was inevitable. The Erebus hove all aback to diminish the violence of the shock, but the concussion was terrific nevertheless. Bowsprit and fore-topmast were carried away and the ships, hanging together, dashed against each other with fearful violence. The Terror’s anchor and cat-head were carried away, the yard-arms came in contact at every roll, smashing the booms and boom irons. All this time there was a heavy sea, and both ships were drifting on the berg. The men behaved splendidly when ordered up to loose the main topsail. Sir James resolved to brace the yards bye, and haul the main tack on board, sharp aback, an expedient that had never before been resorted to in such weather. It was three quarters of an hour before this could be done. The ship gathered stern way, plunging her stern into the sea and washing away the gig and quarter boats, while her lower yard arms actually scraped the rugged face of the berg. In a few minutes the ship reached the iceberg’s western end, the under-tow alone preventing her from being dashed to pieces against it. No sooner had the ship cleared it than another iceberg was seen astern, against which the ship was running. The space between the bergs did not exceed three times the breadth of the ship. The only chance was to pass between the bergs. This was happily accomplished. She dashed through the narrow channel between two perpendicular walls of ice, and the next moment she was safe in smooth water under their lee. As Sir James said, “the necessity of constant and energetic action to meet the momentarily varying circumstances of our situation left us no time to reflect on our imminent danger.”
Sir James Ross then shaped a direct course round Cape Horn to the Falkland Islands before strong westerly gales, and on April 6th the two ships sailed up Berkeley Sound and anchored in Port Louis. Commander Crozier and Lieutenant Bird had been promoted, and Smith the Mate had also received his Lieutenancy. Lieutenant M’Murdo was invalided, and Lieutenant Sibbald took his place on board the Terror. On the 22nd June the Carysfort, Captain Lord George Paulet, arrived, with a large supply of provisions sent by Commodore Purvis, as well as a new bowsprit.
The refitting of the Erebus and Terror proceeded steadily, and by the end of July both ships were in good order and ready for sea. During the stay of the Antarctic Expedition at the Falkland Islands the Governor, Captain Moody, supported by the opinion of Sir James Ross, removed the settlement from Port Louis to Port William, Lieutenant Sibbald was left at Port William to carry on a system of magnetic observations upon such a plan as to secure a satisfactory record, while the ships proceeded to Cape Horn for synchronous observations.
On the 8th September, 1842, the Erebus and Terror sailed from Port William, and encountered very severe weather during their voyage towards Cape Horn. But the day was fine when they sighted the famous promontory on the 18th, passing it at a distance of a mile and a half and anchoring off St Martin’s Cove in 55° 51′ 20″ S., 67° 32′ 10″ W. An observatory was set up on Hermit Island. While the magnetic work was proceeding, Dr Hooker made a specially interesting botanical collection. On November 13th the expedition returned to the Falkland Islands, meeting the Philomel, Captain Sulivan, who was engaged in surveying the group. The Falkland Islands were left again on the 17th December for a third visit to the Antarctic. All hands on board had been diligently at work; careful magnetic, meteorological, and tidal observations being taken wherever they were.