DREARY ASPECT OF THE SAVAGE ISLANDS. 37 



cessity of running towards a lee-shore with a wind 

 from the south ; yet rather than lose ground, as 

 the weather was extremely fine, and I had great 

 confidence in our resources, I determined on 

 making the attempt. In effecting this, we had 

 to pass within a short distance of the eastern 

 extremity of the bay, and had a distinct view of 

 the hills and valleys of the shore. 



There were many rocks, more or less clad 

 with a dark and russety herbage unenlivened by 

 a single patch of green, and altogether as me- 

 lancholy and repulsive as fancy could conceive. 

 It was a place, in short, that even the sea-tired 

 mariner would scarcely leave his ship to visit. 

 The ice, it was gratifying to find, was entirely 

 of last winter's produce ; and, though sometimes 

 close and thick, offered but a weak resistance as 

 we bored our way through it. The tide also, 

 which was flowing, lent us its aid, dispersing the 

 ice so as to leave a clear lead almost to the farthest 

 point in view. Just as we had got abreast of a 

 large island, on which Sir E. Parry had landed 

 in 1821, and were looking at a cairn erected, 

 possibly by him, on its highest hill, we were in- 

 formed by the look-out man from the crow's-nest, 

 that a number of canoes had set off from a point 

 of the island and were making towards us. It 

 was some time before they were visible from the 

 deck, but fortunately for them the breeze at 



d 8 



