CHAP.VI.] CURRENTS. 419 



pletely hampered with ice of all descriptions, for 

 the berg was then plainly discerned from deck, yet 

 we thumped and glided on from piece to piece, 

 and thus contrived to make a kind of devious 

 course to the east-north-east. The Labrador 

 coast was thrown up considerably by refraction, 

 and, even allowing for this, appeared much 

 nearer than our estimated run gave us reason to 

 suppose. At noon this was accounted for by 

 the discovery that, though the longitude was 

 considerably to the east, the latitude was actu- 

 ally a few miles south of yesterday's, thus 

 demonstrating the influence of a current set- 

 ting from the west along the Labrador shore, 

 directly contrary to the set described by other 

 officers as existing on the north side of the 

 Straits. This fact corresponded with what we 

 had already experienced somewhere about Mill 

 Islands, where it may be remembered some 

 overfalls were seen, which, together with a 

 strong set down Fox's Channel, so completely 

 overpo wered the sailing qualities of the Terror, 

 that for two days she was unable to beat through 

 them. It is not improbable, therefore, that the 

 upward current, becoming dissipated and broken 

 along the sinuosities of the northern shore, may 

 be finally turned by the stronger one from Fox's 

 Channel, the effect of which would be that the 

 set would be carried between the islands towards 



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