APPEARANCE OF THE LAND. 87 



however, exemplified ; for the whole of the ice 

 within range of sight shortly after closed, and 

 hemmed us in. For an hour it was doubtful 

 whether we should not be nipped, but by warp- 

 ing into a bight accidentally formed by the 

 overlapping of one floe over the point of another, 

 we fortunately escaped. The wind too increased, 

 so the sails were furled, and the ship secured to 

 the largest floe. Soundings were struck in one 

 hundred and twenty-nine fathoms, the bottom 

 being composed of sand and shells, and by the 

 line it appeared that the ship was drifting 

 N.byE. The night was dark and cheerless from 

 the snow, which continuing to fall clogged the 

 rigging and decks. At daybreak, there was no 

 opening in any direction, east or west ; and the 

 ice had been packed against the land, which 

 could be traced from south-east to north ; Fife 

 Rock being still visible E. N. E. Our distance 

 from the land was about ten or twelve miles ; 

 but, not to speak of the icy barrier which se- 

 parated us, there was nothing which invited to 

 a nearer approach. The soft blue tint which, 

 twenty-four hours ago, had cheated the imagin- 

 ation, was gone ; and now there was the chilling 1 

 reality of precipitous black rocks streaked with 

 snow, and a mantle of the same cold whiteness 

 spread over the whole of the head land. 



g 4 



