314 MEETING IN THE ARCTIC SEAS. 



extending all along the coast of North Somerset, from 

 outside of Leopold Island on the east, to the vicinity of 

 Cape Rennell, where it appeared to enlarge, and began 

 to take a curved direction toward Cape Ilotham. 

 The Advance was still behind them ; the Lady Franklin 

 and the Sophia were to windward, struggling along 

 shore in the vicinity of Radstock Bay ; and, as the day 

 wore on, three more ships were observed at the mouth of 

 Wellington Channel. 



An hour before noon of the 25th, when the Prince 

 Albert was off Cape Spencer, her officers saw that she 

 must stop. An extensive pack was then a short dis- 

 tance ahead, broken only by a few lanes of- water, 

 through which the ships in advance had evidently 

 pa.ssed ; and the wind was blowing in a direction, 

 happily, quite favorable for carrying these ships rapidly 

 on to the regions of most desirable search, but fitted 

 also to make a prompt closure of the pack against any 

 return that season to the east. If the Prince Albert 

 should now go forward more than a mile or two, she 

 might be suddenly caught by the ice, and helplessly and 

 uselessly shut up for the winter. At noon, therefore, 

 she bore up when about midway between Cape Spencer 

 and Point Lines ; and then Mr. Snow went to the mast- 

 head to take a last view of the position and seeming 

 prospects of the several exploring vessels. 



Cape Ilotham was seen to the west enveloped in a 

 thick haze. The Assistance appeared some distance to 

 the north-east of it, endeavoring to get to it, seemingly 

 either in a hole of water or along a lane. The Lady 

 Franklin was not far from the Assistance, but, proba- 

 bly, about mid-channel, either working toward Cape 

 Ilotham, or trying to get right away to the west. The 

 Sophia, also under all sail, was some distance astern 

 of the Lady Franklin, and more to the east, ^he Rea- 



