1776, RICHARD PICKERSGILL. 323 



glance ; it is a prodigious high field of solid ice, 

 frozen across the supposed Frobisher's Strait, and 

 is as high as the mountains, hav^ing the most 

 romantic appearance that can be imagined, though 

 it does not shine so bright as I should have sup* 

 posed from the description which has been given 

 of it, nor could I see those amazing arches, said 

 to be forty feet in height, through which the 

 water rushes, bringing back with the ebb tide vast 

 quantities of ice from the inland countries with 

 a crashing noise resembling thunder ; at the same 

 time it is very possible, for the nearest distance 

 we were from it was at least four leagues."* 



Still running northwards along the shore, among 

 rocks, islands, sand-banks and ice, the Lieutenant 

 anchored the Lion in a place which he called 

 Musquito Cove, from the swarms of this insect, 

 bred, as he supposes, in the pools of snow water 

 among the rocks. The latitude of this place was 

 found to be 64' 56 20" N., longitude 51° 53 30" 

 W., dip of the needle 81° 22' 30", and variation 

 50° 30' W. Here he had some communication 

 with the natives, who are described as well-be- 

 haved, diffident and honest. 



On leaving this place Lieutenant Pickersgill 

 continued standing as close along the shore as he 

 could get for rocks and ice, and one day caught 

 thirty-six fine hollybutts, from one hundred to 



* M.S. Journal. 

 Y 2 



