202 ROSS'S SECOND VOYAGE. 



At last, on the 17th of September, with a transport 

 of joy, they found themselves free, and the ship, so long 

 immovable, again buoyant on the waves. They ad- 

 vanced about three miles, when, encountering a ridge 

 of ice, they made fast to one of its extremities, in a tol- 

 erably secure position between two bergs. On the 23d 

 they were completely frozen in, and by the 30th the sea 

 exhibited one unbroken surface. The greater part of 

 October was employed in laboriously sawing their way 

 through the ice, the thickness of which was always 

 increasing ; and they were at length obliged to desist, 

 after reaching a spot not exactly such as could be 

 wished, but which, amid an ocean immovable on every 

 side, afforded tolerable protection. 



Another dreary winter having now set in, it became 

 necessary to look narrowly into the stock of provisions. 

 A certain reduction in the daily allowance was found 

 requisite, leaving, at the same time, enough to maintain 

 the crew in health and vigor, which they continued to 

 preserve uninterruptedly during the season. They felt, 

 however, the utter monotony of their situation pressing 

 upon them with increasing severity ; they began almost 

 to envy the Esquimaux, to whom eating and sleeping 

 constituted the whole of existence. In this manner 

 passed 1830 ; nor was it till April of the following year 

 that excursions of any extent could be undertaken over 

 the frozen surface of land and sea. 



The first adventure of this kind was conducted by 

 Commander Ross. One interesting circumstance in his 

 excursion was the discovery of the north magnetic 

 pole ; the situation of which on the land of Boothia is 

 marked on the circular map attached to this volume. 

 " The place of the observatory/' he remarks, was as 

 near to the magnetic pole as the limited means which I 

 possessed enabled me to determine. The amount of the 



