ELISHA KENT KANE. 83 



Middle Greenland, our explorer reached Wilcox 

 Point, in the extremity of Melville Bay, on the 27th 

 of July. He navigated safely through the floating 

 and drifting ice which, even in the middle of sum- 

 mer, already encumbered that bay ; and passed the 

 Crimson Cliffs, thus fitly named by Sir John Ross, 

 on the 5th of August. On the 7th, leaving Cape 

 Alexander behind him, he entered Smith's Sound. 

 In pursuing his northward journey he made Force 

 Bay and Grinnell Cape. "When off Godsend Ledge 

 a furious tempest arose, which shook the icy masses 

 and rolling mountains of that zone to their centre, 

 and lashed the half-frozen sea into tumultuous fury. 

 The Advance had been prudently attached to an 

 immense berg by three hawsers; and, all things 

 being made snug on board the little brig, it was 

 hoped that she would safely outride the gale. But 

 so prodigious was the violence of the storm that 

 the six-inch hawser in a short time snapped with a 

 loud twanging sound, which rose even above the 

 roaring of the wind. Soon a second report of a 

 similar nature followed, and the whale-line parted. 

 A ten-inch manilla yet remained, which seemed 

 to be their only protector against certain destruc- 

 tion. For a time it struggled nobly against the 

 tremendous strain. The crew could hear its deep 

 melodious chant renewed from time to time as it 



