326 ISLANDS IN SIGHT. [CHAP.V. 



5°+- The latitude was 63° 58' N.,' and longitude 

 79° 04/ 15" W., which made us about twenty-five 

 miles from the western extremity of Mill Islands. 

 The wind still blew from the same quarter, 

 neither was there any change around the ship. 



April 29th. At daylight land was descried to 

 the south-east, and at noon the bearings, as 

 taken from the crow's-nest, were Mill Island 

 E. \ N , Salisbury Island S. E. \ E., and north- 

 east end of Nottingham Island S. £ E. We 

 still remained undisturbed, though apparently 

 drawing nearer to Salisbury Island, which the haze 

 of the evening shut out from our sight. Another 

 large flock of ducks was observed flying towards 

 the north-west. 



April 30th. The wind had veered to north ; but 

 from the dullness of the weather our precise 

 situation, with respect to the land, could not be 

 ascertained. One large hole of water was made 

 out about three miles to the eastward, but this 

 soon afterwards closed, giving place to two of 

 smaller dimensions, which opened something 

 nearer to us. The operations of the last week 

 had clone much to clear and cleanse the vessel, 

 and. the upper deck having been scraped, there 

 was an air of comfort and neatness, to which the 

 climate not less than the anxieties of the winter 

 had for many months rendered us strangers. 

 The coldness of the westerly winds, which in 



