CHAP. V.] ICE SETS EASTWARD. 287 



March 20th. As the tide changed a grinding 

 sound was produced along the mural edge, and 

 at broad daylight, though there was a very hazy 

 atmosphere, occasioned by the frost smoke, we 

 could see that there was a lane of icy water half 

 a mile broad, separating the sea from the land 

 ice, and that it extended in a direction north- 

 west and south-east as far as the eye could reach. 

 A little past 7 h a. m., when the tide made to the 

 westward, it grew narrower ; and, on a nearer 

 inspection, we found we were getting continually 

 closer, in consequence of pieces streaming off at 

 our boundary. On the other hand, the surface 

 of the water became immediately covered with 

 young ice, infinitely too thick to move a ship 

 through. The people were employed in clear- 

 ing away the higher portions of ice thrown up 

 alongside to starboard, as well as in stopping a 

 leak over my cabin. At l h 15 m p. m. the ice set 

 to the eastward, and during the latter part of th'e 

 day the bay ice increased very fast, from whence 

 it was concluded that we were driving further off 

 the land, which the density of the frost smoke 

 concealed from view. 



March 21st. Many had been the forebodings 

 of what was to be expected from the coincidence 

 of the full moon with the equinoctial day ; yet 

 nothing more had occurred than a freshening 

 breeze from S. by W., which drove us easily off, 



