FIKST GRINNELL EXPEDITION 351 



with snow. The weather was fine, and soon the officers 

 and crews of the two vessels met in friendly greeting 1 . 

 Those of the Prince Albert were much astonished at the 

 encounter. They had left the Americans in Melville 

 Bay on the 6th, pressing northward through the pack ; 

 and could not conceive how they so soon and safely 

 penetrated it, when the Prince, though towed by a 

 steamer, had made such poor progress. Captain For- 

 syth had attempted to reach a particular point, where 

 he intended to remain through the winter ; but, finding 

 the passage thereto completely blocked up with ice, he 

 had resolved, on the very day when the Americans 

 appeared, to return home. 



The two vessels remained together a day or two, 

 when they parted company, the Prince Albert to return 

 to England, and the Advance to make further explora- 

 tions. Off Leopold Island, on the 23d of August, the 

 Advance took the lead through the vast masses of float- 

 ing ice. " The way was before them/ 3 says Mr. Snow, 

 of the Prince Albert, who stood upon the deck of the 

 Advance ; " the stream of ice had to be either gone 

 through boldly, or a long detour made ; and, despite the 

 heaviness of the stream, they pushed the vessel through 

 in her proper course. Two or three shocks, as she came 

 in contact with some large pieces, were unheeded ; and 

 the moment the last block was past the bow, the officer 

 sang out, ' So ! steady as she goes on her course ; ' and 

 came aft as if nothing more than ordinary sailing had 

 been going on. I observed our own little bark nobly 

 f -Hiring in the American's wake ; and, as I afterward 

 Itemed, she got through it pretty well, though not with- 

 out much doubt of the propriety of keeping on in such 

 procedure r-fcer the ' mad Yankee/ as he was called by 

 ear mate/' 



From Le:^c!J Island the Advance proceeded to the 



