Weddell Sea

“ I do not think we shall be able to work back to Vahsel Bay. There are possible landingplaces on the western coast of the Weddell Sea, but can we reach any suitable spot early enough to attempt the overland journey next year? ”

“ But from my experience in the Polar Regions during twenty years I cannot conceive of these Antarctic bergs being built up from a base of sea ice.
There appears to be little doubt, however, that the Ross Barrier is to a great extent afloat. But Sir George Darwin's "guess" "that the bay behind the barrier stretches past the South Pole and to the east of it as far as latitude 80°" is dangerous. All the evidence at our disposal from observations taken in the region of the Weddell Sea condemns the idea that there is "an arm of the sea through to Weddell's Sea." ”

“ The ice around the ship froze firm again and little movement occurred in our neighbourhood. The training of the dogs, including the puppies, proceeded actively, and provided exercise as well as occupation. The drift to the north-west continued steadily. We had bad luck with soundings, the weather interfering at times and the gear breaking on several occasions, but a big increase in the depth showed that we had passed over the edge of the Weddell Sea plateau. A sounding of about 1700 fathoms on August 10 agreed fairly well with Filchner's 1924 fathoms, 130 miles east of our then position. ”

“ The distance will be roughly 1800 miles, and the first half of this, from the Weddell Sea to the Pole, will be over unknown ground. Every step will be an advance in geographical science. It will be learned whether the great Victoria chain of mountains, which has been traced from the Ross Sea to the Pole, extends across the continent and thus links up (except for the ocean break) with the Andes of South America, and whether the great plateau around the Pole dips gradually towards the Weddell Sea. ”

“ The Swedish and Scotch expeditions both go to an area where the opportunity for work largely depends on the particular ice conditions of the season. If the ice be open and the Weddell Sea fairly clear, they may reach high latitudes and discover the southern boundary of the South Atlantic basin. As so much depends on the chances of the weather, the plan in both cases is to establish stations on shore as far south as possible, and for the ships to leave the ice at the end of the summer and undertake oceanographic research outside the ice pack during the winter. ”

“ Sounds of pressure were heard along this lead, which soon closed to a width of about 30 yds. and then froze over. The temperature at that time was -23° Fahr.
The most severe blizzard we had experienced in the Weddell Sea swept down upon the Endurance on the evening of the 13th, and by breakfasttime on the following morning the kennels to the windward, or southern side of the ship were buried under 5 ft. of drift. I gave orders that no man should venture beyond the kennels. ”

“ It would also be the most expensive.
The third would be the thorough explo­ra­tion of the Weddell Sea region southeast of Cape Horn, which is specially within our sphere of interest, together with a sledge traverse from the most southern part of that sea to the South Pole. Such a traverse, with the journeys of Amundsen, Scott, and Shackleton from the opposite side, would give a complete transverse section across the Antarctic continent. ”

“ Weddell, whose crews obtained an immense number of sea-elephants and fur seals. These islands are nearly inaccessible, being ice-bound, while almost any part of them, other than perpendicular cliffs, is perpetually snow-covered. There are a few small patches of straggling grass where there is any soil, and a moss similar to that found in Iceland. In 1821 other additions were made to our knowledge of islands adjacent to the South Shetlands by Captains Powell and Palmer, the latter an American, and by the Russian navigator, Bellinghausen, who reached a very southern point. ”

“ And what good luck it would be if the Halbrane, in this first fortnight of December, were to find the Weddell route open!
There! I am talking of the Weddell route as though it were a macadamized road, well kept, with mile-stones and “This way to the South Pole” on a signpost!
The numerous wandering masses of ice gave our men no trouble; they were easily avoided. It seemed likely that no real difficulties would arise until the schooner should have to try to make a passage for herself through the icebergs. ”

“ On every side rise the sharp points of rocks, bare of vegetation, round which surge the restless waves, and against which dash enormous floating icebergs, with a noise like thunder. Vessels are in perpetual danger in these latitudes, and the eleven days passed under sail by Weddell in surveying minutely the islands, islets, and rocks of this archipelago, were a time of ceaseless exertion for the crew, who were throughout in constant danger of their lives. ”

“ Strachan, intended for a sealing voyage in the southern seas, for which the newly discovered South Shetland Islands seemed to offer great facilities. Of this first voyage, made in the years 1819–1820–21, no record is extant. Though Weddell had no previous experience as a sealer, it appears to have been sufficiently successful to enable him to buy a share in the brig, and to be entrusted with the command for a second voyage, in company with the cutter Beaufoy of London, of 65 tons, also put under his orders. ”

“ I turned out the reef, and Waddie still devoted himself to his meditations. The Belle filled away again, and in the shelter of the shore went along quite easily. The change in the motion of the boat seemed [98] to attract the attention of my passenger, and he opened the slide, to see what was going on.
“The wind has gone down, hasn’t it, Wolf?” said he.
“No; the sea is just as heavy out in the middle of the lake as ever. We are under the lee of the shore now.” ”

“ According to the Scotia soundings there was a depth here of about 2,000 fathoms, and no doubt Weddell little guessed how much "greater length of line" he would have required to touch bottom. All the recent Antarctic expeditions have taken soundings in Antarctic and subantarctic seas, but by far the most important series taken are those of the Scotia. Altogether the Scotia took seventy-five deep soundings in the South Atlantic Ocean, and Weddell and Biscoe Seas, besides nearly five hundred soundings in the neighbourhood of the South Orkneys in water of less than 100 fathoms. ”

“ Then the fiery cone of the Piton and the lights of Santa Cruz which had glittered in tremulous lines along the water on our beam were shining upon our lee quarter.
"Fill away the headyards—handsomely now!" cried Weston, and just as the first streak of day, coming on with tropical rapidity, began to brighten the horizon, and shed long shiny ripples on the sea, the canvas swelled out, the reef points began to patter on the taut bosom of every snow-white sail, and the loose rigging was blown out in graceful bends. ”

“ A small part of this wave passes eastward up the English Channel, and through the Straits of Dover, and then northwards, while the principal body of water, moving much more rapidly to a more open sea on the western side of Britain, first passes the Orkney Islands, and then turning, flows down between Norway and Scotland, and sweeps with great velocity along our eastern coast.
The lee shore wind, blowing from the north-east, removes the shoals of sand in the offing towards the shore, and wherever these find a resting place, from the suddenness of their removal, quicksands are sure to exist ”

“ Thus Mr. Wheatley, of Mundsley, [42b] had the hulls of old vessels placed upon the shore at the base of the cliffs adjoining p. 43his property; they were filled with large stones, secured with piles driven into the beach on either side, fore and aft, also by a strong chain cable, &c.; but a few years since they were entirely removed by the sea during a heavy gale of wind from the north-west upon a spring tide. ”

“ But we could not linger for fear of the dread cousin of the alligator, the West Indian shark. We swam aboard, and hoisted our sail, and sailed homewards. The boat was bare of awning, and the strong, pitiless sun completed its burning work, so well begun in the swamp lands. The charred barrel had exhausted its cargo of tepid water, and there was no food. But the few hours’ sail was not unpleasant. We were enveloped in the sweet breezes of God’s fair ocean, and soothed by the fresh sea-scent. There were no miasmic exhalations, and no clouds of winged insects. ”

“ Over ledges and salt marshes, and the thin, storm-broken trees, and out there on the water there 's a strange color growing. Even the Basins seldom fail to start, at least, for home by sunset.
So a little white sail puts out on the crimson sea. The breeze is dying out, the waters lap, subside. Notely takes down the sail and rows.
The sea fades to softer colors, hushed, wondrous, near the dim shore.
"It isn't ever known, in any place in all the world, that angels—no, I know—but look, Note!—they almost might."
"Only here at the Basin, Vesty; when that very last light fades. ”

“ I ran away from Waddie, and went up the lake as far as Gulfport. I soon lost sight of him, and I concluded that he had made a landing somewhere on the shore. It was too rough to explore the coast, for the wind was driving the waves upon the rocks and beaches with savage power, and it was not prudent to go too near the land. I put the Belle about, and commenced beating down the lake. I thought no more of Waddie, my mind being wholly taken up in sailing my boat, and in the pleasant anticipation of making a profitable thing of her. ”

“ Not infrequently we can count southwards three or four such ridges, and we have to pass over them all. We have lost ourselves in a sea of rigid undulations; we are like a ship that has lost its rudder and is on the point of sinking: no islands of refuge, no ships coming to meet us, boundless sea on all sides. We should like to pour oil on this rough sea; we long for calm waterways, but as long as a plank remains we will cling fast to it. At camp No. 40 there was good grazing, and water we could obtain from ice. ”

“ He states that although he was frequently hemmed in by ice before reaching the seventy-second parallel, yet, upon attaining it, not a particle was to be discovered, and that, upon arriving at the latitude of 74 degrees 15', no fields, and only three islands of ice were visible. It is somewhat remarkable that, although vast flocks of birds were seen, and other usual indications of land, and although, south of the Shetlands, unknown coasts were observed from the masthead tending southwardly, Weddell discourages the idea of land existing in the polar regions of the south. ”

“ Weldon leaned over this chart. She looked at the brown color which represented the land on the right of the ocean. It was the coast of South America, an immense barrier thrown between the Pacific and the Atlantic from Cape Horn to the shores of Columbia. To consider it in that way, that chart, which, was then spread out under her eyes, on which was drawn a whole ocean, gave the impression that it would be easy to restore the "Pilgrim's" passengers to their country. It is an illusion which is invariably produced on one who is not familiar with the scale on which marine charts are drawn. ”

“ The shipowner, and above all the hardy sailor, cannot but rejoice at the prospect of obtaining a broad beach upon an inclined plane, for should a vessel be driven on in ever so heavy a gale, instead of having to contend with the cheerless prospect now before them, rendered not only formidable, but terrible, from the numerous shoals existing on this coast, there would be only one, and the vessel would arrive at its destination in a more gradual manner; her keel would become almost immediately impacted in the sand to such an extent, as to render her steady ”

“ In 1822, Captain James Weddell, of the British navy, with two very small vessels, penetrated farther to the south than any previous navigator, and this, too, without encountering extraordinary difficulties. ”

“ For a man in the position of Courten, Weddell and his grievances were valuable aids, and he had no difficulty in persuading Weddell to throw over the company and to take service with him. The grant to Courten was dated 12 Dec. 1635, and within a few months Weddell went out in command of a fleet of six ships. He arrived at Johanna in August 1636; went from there to Goa, and thence to Batticolo, Acheen, Macao, and Canton. At Canton (owing to Portuguese intrigues) he had a difficulty with the Chinese, and, after having stormed one of their forts, was compelled to return to Macao. ”

“ Besides twice in each month there is no tide at all, when the moon is near the equinoctial, the water being for some time quite stagnant. These, with other peculiar appearances attending the same phenomena, were considered by many as inscrutable; but Sir Isaac Newton adjudged them to arise from the concurrence of two tides, one from the South Sea, and the other from the Indian Ocean. Of each of these tides there p. 18come successively two every day; two at one time greater, and two at another that are less. ”

“ From the time that relieved the bo'sun, until midnight, I sat upon the gunnel of the boat, with the steering oar under my arm, and watched and listened, most full of a sense of the strangeness of the seas into which we had come. It is true that I had heard tell of seas choked up with weed--seas that were full of stagnation, having no tides; but I had not thought to come upon such an one in my wanderings; having, indeed, set down such tales as being bred of imagination, and without reality in fact. ”