In 1839 Sir James Clark Ross was sent out in com mand of an expedition fitted out by the British Government to determine the position of the South Magnetic Pole, and to explore the Antarctic Seas in the highest possible latitude. On the 12th of May, 1840, the Erebus and Terror arrived at Kerguelen Island, and returned the following month to Hobart Town, where Ross was informed of the discoveries of the American and French Expeditions in the very localities which the English Expedition had been expressly ordered to examine. He therefore "resolved at once to avoid all interference with their discoveries, and selected a much more easterly meridian (170° E.), on which to endeavour to penetrate to the south ward, and, if possible, reach the Magnetic Pole." Leaving Hobart Town on 13th November, Ross again sailed south, reaching Enderby Island on the 28th, and exactly a month later the vessels were amongst the icebergs. The Antarctic Circle was shortly after crossed, and the ships were steered for the South Magnetic Pole. On the 11th of January, 1841, the distant heights of Victoria Land were seen. Doubling Cape Adare, the vessels approached the land. " It was a beautiful, clear evening, and we had a most enchanting view of the two magnificent ranges of mountains, whose lofty peaks, perfectly covered with eternal snow, rose to elevations varying from seven to ten thousand feet above the level of the ocean. The glaciers that filled their intervening valleys, and which descended from near the mountain summits, projected in many places several miles into the sea, and terminated in lofty perpendicular cliffs. In a few places the rocks broke through their icy covering, by which alone we could be assured that land formed the nucleus of this, to appearance, enormous iceberg." It was found impossible to land on the mainland, and only with great difficulty could a landing be effected on an island (Possession Island) composed entirely of volcanic rocks, utterly destitute of vegetation, but the abode of " inconceivable myriads of penguins." Steering south along the coast, the magnificent ranges sighted on the 11th were fully in view on the 15th. The highest points were estimated to be from 10,000 to 14,000 feet in height, and were entirely covered with snow. Naming the highest peak after Sir John Herschel, the vessels stood south, and on the 21st the immense crater of Mt. Melbourne, and the
pointed summit of Mt. Monteagle, were sighted. On the 27th landing was effected on an island in lat. 75° 48' S., and named Franklin Island, and pressing still south, a mag nificent active volcano, Mt. Erebus, 12,360 feet high, was sighted and approached on the 28th.
The ice-barrier was skirted for about three weeks in the hope of discovering an opening through which the vessels might push further south, but it was found to be impene trable. Ross therefore returned, and retraced the coast of Victoria Land, the highest point attained being 78° 4' S. Be ing unable to find an anchorage where the expedition might winter safely, Ross decided to return north, and, if possible, examine closely the shores of the "Antarctic Continent" of Wilkes. On the 5th March the vessels approached the land marked on Wilkes's chart, but failed to discover any sign of it, although the weather was beautifully clear ; and on the 6th the vessels actually passed over the supposed coast-line. After thus proving Wilkes Land to be hypothetical, the vessels proceeded to Van Diemen's Land.
In the following year Sir James again sailed south, and examined the ice-barrier, but failed to find an opening, and returned to the Falkland Islands on the 6th of April. In December 1842 the Erebus and Terror stood south for the third time, but in a different direction, the object being to trace the coast-line of Louis Philippe's Land, or follow the track of Weddell. During this voyage several small islands and islets (Etna, Danger, Darwin, &c.) were discovered. The mainland was sighted on the 30th of December, and on New Year's Day, 1843,1anding was effected on Cockburn Isl and, remarkable as being the furthest southerly land on which vegetation is found. It being impossible to penetrate the heavy pack-ice met with at all points, the expedition returned, arriving in England in September 1843. Of these remarkable voyages Sir John Richardson well remarks, that "the perse verance, daring, and coolness of the commanding officer, of the other officers, and of the crews of the Erebus and Terror, were never surpassed, and have been rarely, if ever, equalled by seamen of any nation?