816 SQUALLS. [CHAI\V. 



driven so far to the west, as to bring into sight 

 land that we scarcely expected, and, in truth, did 

 not wish to see again from this side of the island. 

 It was gratifying however to find ourselves much 

 farther off shore, as well as to behold a greater 

 portion of the intervening space occupied by 

 fresh ice, forced in by the wind and tide from the 

 Straits, which would serve as a barrier to keep 

 us off from the mural edge, in case a change of 

 wind should drive us near our former station. 

 On the next day we found ourselves set still 

 farther to the westward without other alteration, 

 but during the afternoon and night the barometer 

 indicated a change in the weather. Accordingly 

 at night it blew fresh from N. by E., and on 

 the 15th the gale increased with squalls and 

 snow. The slightest change in the direction of 

 the wind had always an immediate effect on the 

 ice, and we were set nearer to the land, though 

 from the mistiness of the atmosphere we could 

 not say how much. About 9 h a. m. the young 

 ice, formed around, rose up under an easy pres- 

 sure to the height of a foot upon the edge of our 

 inner floe, now but forty paces distant from the 

 ship. This however did not continue long, and 

 at noon all was quiet, except the fresh breeze 

 which came stronger after every lull. Snow of 

 a soft and flaky kind, unlike the glittering 

 chrystals of the winter months, fell lightly but 



