Aug. 1857. BESET IN MELVILLE BA Y. 31 



screen on the top to keep off the biting winds, and contains 

 a narrow flat seat ; a light iron rod extends round from its 

 upper rim on which to rest a telescope. The extent of 

 vision over the sea-level, of course, varies with the observer's 

 elevation, and is in actual sea-miles but slightly more than 

 the square-root of that elevation in feet. 



17///. — The fog overtook us yesterday evening, and at 

 length, unable to see our way, we made fast at eleven o'clock 

 to the ice. The wind had freshened, it was evidently blow- 

 ing a gale outside the ice. During the night we drifted 

 rapidly together with the ice, and this morning, on the 

 clearing off of the fog, we steamed and sailed on again, 

 threading our way between the floes, which are larger and 

 much covered with dry snow. This evening we again made 

 fast, the floes having closed together, cutting off advance 

 and retreat. A wintry night, much wind and snow. 



igf/i. — Continued strong S.E. winds, pressing the ice 

 closely together, dark sky and snow; everything wears a 

 wintry and threatening aspect; we are closely hemmed in, 

 and have our rudder and screw unshipped. This recom- 

 mencement of S.E. winds and rapid ebbing of the small 

 remaining portion of summer, makes me more anxious about 

 the future than the present. Yesterday the weather im- 

 proved, and by working for thirteen hours we got the ship 

 out of her small ice-creek into a larger space of water, and 

 in so doing advanced a mile and a half. It is now calm, but 

 the ice still drifts, as we would wish it, to the N.W. Yester- 

 day we were within 1 2 miles of the position of the ' Enter- 

 prise ' upon the same day in 1848, and under very similar 

 conditions of weather and ice also. 



20//;. — Position, 75 17' N., 62 16' W. No favourable 

 ice-drift : this detention has become most painful. The 

 ' Enterprise ' reached the open water upon this day in 1848, 

 within 50 miles of our present position; unfortunately, our 



