S4> PERPLEXITY OF SHIP'S COURSE. 



in the habit of accomplishing ; and what added 

 to the uncertainty was, the incomprehensible 

 manner in which the islands had been passed 

 (if passed at all) without having been seen. The 

 mountains — for such they appeared through the 

 haze — were nearly covered with snow, the effect 

 of the preceding night ; and some small islands 

 could be indistinctly made out. Our course was 

 held parallel to them, in the hope, rather than 

 the persuasion, that they would terminate in the 

 point which was to lead us to Frozen Strait ; but, 

 about ll h a. m., we suddenly found ourselves em- 

 bayed, and, from the still prevailing murkiness, 

 had barely time to get the ship round ; when it 

 was indisputably ascertained that the coast tended 

 far to the east. Under these perplexing cir- 

 cumstances, I determined not to incur any risk 

 which might endanger the safety of the ship, 

 and directed her to be kept, under easy sail, close 

 under the lee of the high land just mentioned, 

 until the weather should be clear enough to 

 justify me in acting differently. It was for- 

 tunate that I did so ; for, having obtained the 

 latitude at noon, and the longitude soon after- 

 wards, we found, much to our astonishment, that 

 we were not near Southampton Island at all, but 

 had been deceived by great deviation in the 

 compasses, and a powerful current, which had 

 driven us along the eastern side of Mill Islands, 

 and thence to the main shore of the strait* where 



