82 PRESSURE OF THE WIND. 



to us was, for a few minutes, an object of attrac- 

 tion, owing to the sudden appearance there of 

 three or four white whales. 



It now blew a fresh gale, accompanied by 

 squalls, and though cold, the weather was clear. 

 On trying an anemometer, kindly lent to me by 

 Mr. Rice of Chatham dockyard, the pressure on 

 a square foot of canvass was found to be equal to 

 four pounds. The night brought no change ; 

 but, on the morning of September 4th, we were 

 glad to perceive that the ship, and consequently 

 the whole body in which she was beset, had 

 drifted much nearer to Southampton Island, 

 which was now visible from the deck. We had 

 also passed Fife Rock. The frost, however, was 

 so severe that a hole was obliged to be cut along- 

 side to draw water from. As this was Sunday, 

 after the usual muster at divisions, Divine Ser- 

 vice was read, with an appropriate sermon, which 

 was listened to with becoming attention, and as I 

 hope and believe, with the devotion befitting the 

 perilous uncertainty of our situation. At noon, 

 the observations both by lunar and chrono- 

 meter made us a little to the east in longitude, 

 and the latitude showed that we had been set 

 fifteen miles south, the distance from Fife Rock 

 being west five miles, from Southampton island 

 about twenty-four miles, and from Repulse Bay 



