364? VOYAGE TO THE 



the next day. During this time signal guns were 

 fired every two hours, as well on account of Captain 

 1826. ' Franklin as of our own boat. 



On the 5th we weighed, and set the studding- 

 sails, but the ship would not steer, and came broad- 

 side to the tide, in spite of the helm and three boats 

 ahead ; and continued in this position until a fresh 

 breeze sprang up from the northward. 



It is necessary here to give some further parti- 

 culars of this current, in order that it may not be 

 supposed that the whole body of water between the 

 two great continents was setting into the Polar Sea 

 at so considerable a rate. By sinking the patent log 

 first five fathoms, and then three fathoms, and allow- 

 ing it to remain in the first instance six hours, and 

 in the latter twelve hours, it was clearly ascertained 

 that there was no current at either of those depths ; 

 but at the distance of nine feet from the surface the 

 motion of the water was nearly equal to that at the 

 top. Hence we must conclude that the current was 

 superficial, and confined to a depth between nine 

 and twelve feet. 



By the freshness of the water alongside there is 

 every reason to believe that the current was occa- 

 sioned by the many rivers which, at this time of the 

 year, empty themselves into the sea in different 

 parts of the coast, beginning with Schismareff Inlet. 

 The specific gravity of the sea off that place was 

 1.02502, from which it gradually decreased, and at 

 our station off the point was 1.0173, the tempera- 

 ture at each being 58°. On the other hand, the 

 strength of the stream had gradually increased from 

 half a mile an hour to three miles, which was its 

 greatest rapidity. So far there is nothing extraor- 



