DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 425 



and a half fathoms, in which water we rounded the 

 shoals ; the ice then again closed, and the ship became 

 fixed until the 14th of August, when the fog, which 

 since the previous day had been very dense, cleared, 

 and disclosed open water about half a mile from the 

 vessel, with the ice loose about her." 



Th difficulty of clearing away large masses of ice 

 v^as, to some extent, obviated by blasting. " Previously 

 to quitting the floe," says M'Clure, " I was desirous of 

 trying what effect blasting would have upon such a 

 mass. A jar containing thirty-six pounds of powder 

 was let down twelve feet into the water near the cen- 

 tre ; the average thickness was eleven feet, and its 

 diameter four hundred yards. The result was most sat- 

 isfactory, rending it in every direction, so that with ease 

 we could effect a passage through any part of it." 



Cape Kellett was rounded with some little difficulty, 

 the ship passing between the edge of grounded ice and 

 the coast. The land was now so low that the hand 

 lead-line became for a while their best guide ; the sound- 

 ings happily were regular, and, aided by it and a fair 

 wind, they advanced apace to the northward. Through- 

 out the 19th of August, 1851, the ship sometimes ran 

 as much as seven knots per hour, the width of the lane 

 of water in which they were sailing varying from three 

 to five miles. Noon that day found them in 73 55' 

 north latitude, and 123 52' 30" west longitude ; and 

 already did M'Clure count upon extending his voyage 

 to the north of Melville Island, and' then striking for 

 some strait or sound leading into Baffin's Bay. 



That night, however, a sudden and remarkable change 

 took place. They had just crossed Burnet Bay, within 

 Norway and Robilliard Island, when the coast suddenly 

 became as abrupt and precipitous as a wall ; the water 

 was very deep, sixty fathoms by the lead-line within 



