290 SQUALLS. [CHAP.V. 



that it had received little or no damage. There 

 was a great deal of frost smoke between us and 

 the land, and up to midnight all was tranquil. 



March 22d. At daylight we seemed from 

 the bearing of a known hill, to have been set 

 off and rather along the shore to the eastward. 

 As before, only black lines of open water ap- 

 peared to windward, though the extent of bay 

 ice was evidently greater, and certainly at the 

 nearest part, not more than four or five hundred 

 yards from the ship, which, however, fortunately 

 continued fixed in the same position. During 

 the forenoon we drifted westerly, and again in the 

 afternoon slowly to the eastward ; the conical 

 hill at 3 h 30 ra , bearing S. 31° W. About 8 h p. m. 

 the wind gradually drew more to the east, and 

 began to blow fresh in squalls with every appear- 

 ance of a gale ; but subsequently, March 23d, 

 settled at south-east, and moderated. The ice had 

 again set to the westward, with no other altera- 

 tion than that of causing several lanes in the bay 

 ice. Up to noon, all was quiet. The weather to- 

 day was warm enough, with the thermometer at 

 10° + in the shade, and 32° + in the sun, even to be 

 oppressive ; the blackened thermometer was as 

 high as 39°+ • In walking to the bay ice, some 

 of the officers saw the fresh track of a bear not 

 very far from the ship. We had drifted so much 

 off shore, and in the afternoon more particularly, 



