CHAP. VI.] NARWHALES. 379 



perience had taught us it was not likely to be 

 of service. At noon the weather was still dark, 

 and the land invisible. A continuation of the 

 same gloomy atmosphere prevailed, and immense 

 floes of spring ice, not exceeding in thickness 

 three feet, and black with water on the surface, 

 crowded round our still solid island from diffe- 

 rent points, but chiefly from the main or Labra- 

 dor coast, which happened to be the windward 

 shore. Many of these, driven forward by wind 

 and tide, struck against us with considerable 

 violence, but without splintering a fragment from 

 our rock-like mass. In the evening soundings 

 were got in one hundred and twelve fathoms 

 (sand). All night the ice remained very close, 

 the wind being fresh from the eastward ; and 

 in the morning of June 27th all hands recom- 

 menced their labour on the larboard mound, 

 which unlike some of its neighbours was one 

 body of solid blue ice, and though causing more 

 hard work, yet began sensibly to diminish before 

 the exertions of the crew. But few birds flew 

 past, though some narwhales were seen playing 

 about, to the great relief of the ice-mate, who, 

 having been engaged in the Davis Straits' fishery 

 the greater part of his life, had been almost 

 inconsolable at the paucity of * living creatures,' 

 as he termed them. His joy, therefore, on this 

 occasion, was commensurate 5 and having in- 



