428 VOYAGE TO THE 



C xn P ' tnen obliged ^° De thrown down, and the upper end 

 v -tw held fast, until the crew hauled themselves up one 

 ^armtive ^y one • anc i in this manner we continued along the 

 Barge. clifF until the beach again made its appearance. 

 But here even we found it no easy task to walk, on 

 account of small loose shingle, in which we often 

 sunk to the knees ; and having the weight of the boat 

 at the same time, it became excessively fatiguing. 

 On opening the prospect south of this point, our 

 spirits were greatly enlivened at perceiving the 

 channel clear for a long way, and hoping that by 

 constant tracking we should do much towards get- 

 ting clear of the ice, we divided the crew into two 

 parties, gave each man a dram, and sent one division 

 on board to rest, whilst the other laboured at the 

 line. About eight a. m. the wind freshened so 

 heavily against us, that we contemplated whether 

 or not it would be advantageous to make a trial 

 with the canvass, particularly as the main body of 

 ice was a little more distant from the shore ; but 

 remembering our position at two p. m. on the pre- 

 ceding day, we agreed that the current was too 

 strong, and that if we should get encircled by the 

 ice we must inevitably be separated from the shore, 

 carried back with the stream, or forced to sea. The 

 difficulty of drawing the boat against so strong a 

 wind and current became now very great, and we 

 began to seek a place where she might be laid free 

 of the ice. But the straight line of coast offered us 

 no prospect of such an asylum : we therefore de- 

 termined to prosecute our first intention of perse- 

 vering in our endeavours as long as possible. By 

 eleven a. m. we reached a village of nine tents, and 

 trusted through the influence of tobacco, beads, &c. 



