1S52.] OFF BROWNE ISLANDS. 49 



am far from believing that I did right, with regard to 

 the shortness of passage ; for I firmly believe, a very little 

 perseverance in maintaining our westing would have re- 

 warded us by open water to the westward. 



June 21. The longest day, and certainly a very long 

 one, to most of the executives at least. Thick fog came 

 on, causing a separation from our consorts, but fortu- 

 nately cleared up in time to prevent mischief, for no two 

 appeared to have their heads in the same direction. The 

 'Resolute' alone was standing directly for us, having 

 heard our guns and fog-signals, and answered them. 

 The afternoon turned out beautiful. Aided by a light 

 fair wind, we continued to thread the passages between 

 the icebergs, at one of which we tried the three-pounder, 

 shotted, expecting the concussion of the air would cause 

 some huge fragment to separate, particularly as it exhi- 

 bited many deep vertical fissures ; but not the slightest 

 splinter moved. 



We soon reached the termination of the open water, 

 and secured the vessels to the floe or sheet of field-ice, 

 averaging generally from tlu-ee to four feet in thickness, 

 six-sevenths of which are supposed to be immersed ; but 

 we found by experiments, -at a later date, that eight-ninths 

 is nearer the truth. The weather being foggy, we were 

 unable to see any distance, or to select any position near 

 to any probable opening. 



On the morning of the 23rd, on the fog clearing off, 

 we discovered that we were rather too close to one of 

 the Browne Islands, in four and a half fathoms, added 

 to which the rocks under our bottom were too visible 

 to be pleasant ; moreover the ice was drifting us fast 



VOL. I. K 



