302 SOUNDINGS. [CHAP.V. 



retrograded. Much light snow had fallen ; and 

 for a short interval when the sun had power to 

 dart its rays through the misty atmosphere, it 

 melted at once, so that water was to be seen 

 lodged in the hollows of the boats' coverings. 

 Soundings were found in one hundred and thirty 

 fathoms. By 7 h p. m. we had passed two fresh 

 barriers thrown up on the mural edge of the 

 land ice, and at 8 h we were stationary, having 

 been set considerably farther to the eastward 

 than at any former period since last August. 



April 6th. All was still quiet ; and when day 

 broke, it was seen that we had gained more 

 ground to the eastward, being apparently drifted 

 along the tidal edge of the land ice, which here- 

 abouts was smoother than that more to the west. 

 Unfortunately the land was obscured by a mist, 

 but, from the faintness of the receding outline, 

 it appeared to form a curved bay, across which 

 we were setting to and fro with the variations 

 of the tide. In the evening we had neared 

 some high land ; and at ll h 30 m a. m. soundings 

 were obtained in twenty-seven fathoms, which 

 were the least we had yet found. At noon the 

 weather continued misty, but a point of land 

 bore S. 24° E., and a black mark on a distant 

 hill N. 79° E. Wind N. by E., moderate. The 

 sun shortly broke through, and partly dispersing 

 the mist, showed us actually within a mile from 



14 



