INGLEFIELD'S VOYAGE. 465 



these regions. Ice soon began to retard them, but 

 they were enabled to break through it much more easily 

 than were the navigators of former years, in conse- 

 quence of the power of steam, which has greatly altered 

 the m:>de of progression even in the regions of the 

 north, not only by enabling the vessels to wend their 

 way among loose ice in calm weather, but by giving 

 them the power of charging the opposing masses under 

 full ?team, and so smashing a passage in places where, 

 formerly, the unwieldy sailing-ship would have been 

 detained for weeks, and perhaps set fast for the winter. 



"For ten days," says Inglefield, "we pushed on 

 through heavy ice, blasting, boring, charging the nips, 

 and making but slow advance, the bay-ice, forming 

 strong every night, much retarding our progress ; and, 

 on the 17th of August, we were closely beset at the 

 edge of a large floe some nailer in extent. Luckily, a 

 strong gale from the westward broke up the edges of 

 this floe, and, on the weather moderating, slacked the 

 ice sufficiently to admit of our pushing through, and on 

 the 19th we were fortunate enough to get into the west 

 water." 



After this he proceeded to Wollaston Island, where 

 he found that a depot of provisions had been discovered 

 by the Esquimaux, and almost entirely broken up. 

 " Deeming it beneficial for the service upon which I 

 was employed, and acting under the discretionary orders 

 with which their lordships have been pleased to supply 

 me, I determined upon examining the depot near Wollas- 

 ton Island, deposited by the North Star, in 1850. For 

 that purpose I made the south shore of Lancaster Sound, 

 and, on the 21st, about 8.30 p. M., we passed near 

 enough to Cape Hay to observe the coals deposited 

 there, in 1849, by Captain Parker, of the Truelove. Ob- 

 serving that the staff and two casks containing letters 

 30 



