356 GALE OF THE 18TH AUGUST. [August, 



southerly. All the northern channel was then free ; but 

 to silence future cavil, the ship was pushed to the south- 

 ern navigable extreme. We had experience against pre- 

 sumption. As the spring-tides would probably bring 

 danger, I deemed it imprudent to risk further ships or 

 lives, and therefore determined to take the north lead. 

 We shifted, and were scarcely well secured, when the 

 ice took a westerly set ; our floe was firm, therefore we 

 went bodily, sheltered by a natural cove or dock, and 

 flanked by very thick ice. 



The spring-tides occurred on the 18th, and I relied 

 much on this event for some decided move ; unfortu- 

 nately, it was in a wrong direction, or, if my own suspi- 

 cions are correct, I lost my chance by quitting this shore 

 at all ! Our boat landed once in open water, well to the 

 eastward of where we now were ; a gale ensued ! We 

 continued to drive, apparently for the strait between Cape 

 Becher and Dundas Island. The barometer fell lower 

 than before noticed, suddenly from 29'64 to 29 '34. 

 We were now drifting rapidly to the westward, our 

 depth of water decreasing from thirty-seven to eleven fa- 

 thoms ; and, as the snow-storm intermitted, discovering 

 to us the near neighbourhood of Cape Majendie under 

 our lee ! " When things are at their worst they mend." 



The great floe continuing to turn in azimuth, like a 

 wheel, to the westward, fortunately tended to throw us 

 into the channel, between Cape Majeudie and Dundas 

 Island ; not certainly pleasant, but nevertheless affording 

 hope of safety. At this crisis, providentially, the ice to 

 leeward became blocked, or possibly was in part resisted 

 by an opposing current. We ceased to drift, but had 



