i2o THE ICE CLOSING. Chap. VIII. 



over me like a nightmare, — for our progress entirely de- 

 pended upon the vigilance of the look-out kept in the crow's- 

 nest. By noon we had made good 60 miles. Throughout 

 the day the wind gradually moderated ; the rain gave 

 place to snow, which in its turn was succeeded by mist. 

 The evening was fine and clear ; but still we find the ice is 

 all around. Just before midnight the termination of our 

 lead was discovered, whilst the ice through which we had 

 passed was closing together, and a dense fog came rolling 

 down. Under these circumstances the ship was made fast 

 as near to the nip as safety permitted, to await some 

 favourable change. 



10th.— Position, 75 26' N., 76 58' W. All the 7th we 

 remained in our small basin, there being no outlet from 

 it, and but little water anywhere visible. To pass away 

 the dull hours and get rid of unwelcome reflections upon the 

 similarity of our present position and that in August last, 

 I commenced an attack upon all the feathered denizens of 

 the pack — they seemed so provokingly contented with it — but 

 they soon became wary, and deserted our vicinity, so I shot 

 only a dozen fulmar petrels, three ivory gulls, two looms, 1 

 and a kstris parasiticus ; some of them were useful as 

 specimens, and such as were not destined for our table were 

 given to the dogs. Although Cobourg Island was 45 miles 

 distant from us, its lofty rounded outlines were very distinct, 

 and much covered with snow. On the 8th we squeezed 

 through nips for 4 or 5 miles, and on the 9th, reaching a 

 large space of water, steamed towards Cobourg Island until 

 again stopped by the pack at an early hour this morning, 

 when within 5 or 6 leagues of it. The reader will now find 

 it convenient to turn from the sketch-map in the Preface 



1 These birds are called "willocks" at home; they are the " Una 

 Brunnichii " of naturalists. 



