The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3Poe, Edgar Allan
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The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American
In the November following he renewed his search in the Antarctic.
In latitude 59 degrees 40’ he met with a strong current setting
to the southward. In December, when the vessels were in latitude
67 degrees 31’, longitude 142 degrees 54’ W., the cold was
excessive, with heavy gales and fog. Here also birds were
abundant; the albatross, the penguin, and the peterel especially.
In latitude 70 degrees 23’ some large islands of ice were
encountered, and shortly afterward the clouds to the southward
were observed to be of a snowy whiteness, indicating the vicinity
of field ice. In latitude 71 degrees 10’, longitude 106 degrees
54’ W., the navigators were stopped, as before, by an immense
frozen expanse, which filled the whole area of the southern
horizon. The northern edge of this expanse was ragged and broken,
so firmly wedged together as to be utterly impassible, and
extending about a mile to the southward. Behind it the frozen
surface was comparatively smooth for some distance, until
terminated in the extreme background by gigantic ranges of ice
mountains, the one towering above the other. Captain Cook
concluded that this vast field reached the southern pole or was
joined to a continent. Mr. J. N. Reynolds, whose great exertions
and perseverance have at length succeeded in getting set on foot
a national expedition, partly for the purpose of exploring these
regions, thus speaks of the attempt of the Resolution. “We are
not surprised that Captain Cook was unable to go beyond 71
degrees 10’, but we are astonished that he did attain that point
on the meridian of 106 degrees 54’ west longitude. Palmer’s Land
lies south of the Shetland, latitude sixty-four degrees, and
tends to the southward and westward farther than any navigator
has yet penetrated. Cook was standing for this land when his
progress was arrested by the ice; which, we apprehend, must
always be the case in that point, and so early in the season as
the sixth of January—and we should not be surprised if a portion
of the icy mountains described was attached to the main body of
Palmer’s Land, or to some other portions of land lying farther to
the southward and westward.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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