﻿1848. A STORM. 289 



August llnd. — On embarking this morning in 

 rather thick weather we struck across Stapylton 

 Bay, for three hours, and then, getting sight of 

 Cape Hope, bearing east-north-east, hauled up for 

 it. The sky was dark and louring, with occasional 

 thick haze and heavy showers, and a water-spout, 

 seen in shore, gave intimation of an approaching 

 storm. Ice floes lying close off Cape Hope caused 

 us no little trouble, the passages among them 

 being very intricate, and the perpendicular walls of 

 the masses being too high to allow of our landing, 

 or seeing over them. In the afternoon we passed 

 Cape Bexley, running before a stiif breeze, and at 

 5 p. M., a storm coming suddenly on, we were com- 

 pelled to reduce our canvass to the goose-wing of 

 the mainsail, under which we scudded for an hour, 

 and then entering among large masses of ice, about 

 two miles from Point Cockburn, found shelter under 

 some pieces that had grounded. The shore was 

 too flat to admit of our bringing the boats near 

 enough to encamp; the ice-cold sea water chilled 

 the men as they waded to and fro ; there was no 

 drift-timber on the beach ; and we passed a cold and 

 cheerless night in the boats, the wind being too 

 strong to admit of our raising any kind of shelter. 

 I afterwards learned that this storm began at Fort 

 Simpson at 6 a. m. on the 23rd, or, making allow- 

 ance for the diff'erence of longitude, about thirteen 



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