CAPE FAREWELL. 21 



of her expanded plumage floated majestically 

 through the rippling water. 



On the 4th of July, we were distant from Cape 

 Farewell 537 miles, in lat. 59° 59' N. and Ion. 

 <25° 25' W. Here a remarkable change was ob- 

 served in the colour of the sea, which, though 

 under a cloudy sky, assumed a sort of bottle- 

 green tint, such as is often seen in shoal water 

 over a sandv bottom. On this, as on some of the 

 preceding days, there was a heavy swell from the 

 S.W., the waves being estimated to range from 

 15 to 18 feet in height. On the 6th, we found 

 ourselves in lat. 61° N. ; and, though there 

 was reason to expect that from the combined 

 action of the westerly winds which had so long 

 prevailed and the southerly current, the drift 

 ice from Davis and Hudson' Straits would be 

 carried so far to the S. E. as to leave a clear 

 passage to the north ; yet, apprehensive that 

 some ice might still be hanging along the coast 

 east of Cape Farewell, I put the ship on the 

 other tack, and stood to the southward. 



On the 9th, the weather was calm, and, taking 

 advantage of this to inspect the holds, we de- 

 tected an unusually fetid odour, which on exa- 

 mination was found to proceed from a quantity 

 of carrots packed in casks filled with sand. The 

 casks were opened, and so offensive were the 

 contents, that even the pigs refused to eat them. 



c 3 



