SHIP CONTINUES FIXED. 135 



was, could scarcely have withstood. Upon the 

 whole, therefore, it was gratifying to me to see 

 the ice, forming the pack in which we were, 

 remain firm ; for so long as that was the case, 

 however incommodious our position, it was at 

 least safe. Meantime we continued to drift as 

 before, until the wind getting round into the 

 east began to send us back again. 



The temperature was 27° + , and the weather 

 extremely gloomy. By the morning of the 27th 

 we had not only altered the bearing of the ship's 

 head from west to east, but had drifted so far 

 out as to have a distinct sight of the land forming 

 the extreme point of the bay eastward of Cape 

 Comfort. There was also much more of clear 

 water along shore leading directly up Frozen 

 Strait, where, hanging over the Western Hills, 

 were dense clouds, similar to those near us, indi- 

 cating, beyond doubt, a continuation of the 

 same channel. That, therefore, for which we 

 had so long and anxiously waited — that which, 

 in two days at the most, would have terminated 

 our labours by allowing a free and unobstructed 

 passage to our anchorage, was now before us, 

 and we were helpless and immovable, fixed in 

 the solid mass as it were in a block of marble. 

 Again, the heavy clouds to the far east showed 

 open water in that direction also, so that at this 

 time, with an offshore breeze, a vessel might have 



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