AMONG THE ICE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9668, 5 March 1897, Page 4

AMONG THE ICE.

Captain Auld, of the barque Colcssie, which arrived at Port Chalmers on Wednesday, supplies the Otago Daily Times with the following information:—On January 31st, in lafc. 48_ S. and 40 E., fell in with an immense number of icebergs, ranging in height from 90ft to 300 ft, of every conceivable shape and form. With clear weather, we managed to keep clear of thorn, although passing very close to the small ice in their vicinity and stream. The air temperature was about a mean of 45deg, and the water about a degree or bo colder. In no instance was there any marked change.. in the surface temperature.. For two days ._ we were amongst tho ice, trying to force our way to the north-east. It then came on thick, the wind backing ; to north, and a dense fog set in/ We shortened sail, kept a sharp look-out, and managed to keep the good ship going, and •;' kept her clear of the berga. On January 3rd it cleared up, with only a few bergs in company. Kept the ship away east again j 1 p.m., saw more ice to the south. During this night passed twenty-four bergs, but it being clear, avoided them all easily with all sail set. At daylight, however, wo found omselves amongst a vast multitude of ice- . bergs of all sizes. From the topgallantmasthead they were simply uncountable, the soa, looking from that height (140 ft), being entirely covered with them. There must have been thousands; We braced yards up, packed all sail on, and drove the ship hard to the N.N.E., steering in and out of the bergs as ocoasion required. At night shortened sail and, a3 the weather was clear with fresh W.N.W. wind, we managed all right. For l two more days we went on, gradually drawing out of the ice sea. The wind then hauled W.S.W.and blew hard, with thick, rainy, sleety, squally weather, giving us some anxious hours, as we still kopfc passing ice. We kept away to pass to thenorth of Kerguelen Island, and we saw tho last of the ice when to the N. E. of that island, in lat. 47.40 S., long. 91.6 E. The bergs were then very much decayed and worn, with streams of water running down them. In some of the large bergs, or rather ice islands, .were seen large stones of a long oval shape, the top part worn smooth, the under part worn out into holes resembling a honeycomb or sponge. During the night the roudingof the bergß, the splitting noise and falling sound, was weird and unpleasant. Numerous birds of a small ash colour were about, as also penguins, and what we' took to ho sealions by their roar.