436 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap, observed them coming steadily from the westward, 

 v-^v-^ bringing with them a thick fog. We then stood to 

 of a the tlve tne northward until we reached the ice, when we 

 Barge, tacked to the southward, and sailed along its mar- 

 gin. There were several walruses upon it, which 

 at our approach bundled into the water. We had 

 scarcely got clear of this field or body of ice, when 

 it again fell calm — the clouds very heavy, and a 

 thick fog. Finding that the current was again set- 

 ting us to the northward at the rate of two miles 

 and a half an hour, we anchored, and had no sooner 

 done so, than several large detached bergs were seen 

 driving rapidly down in our hawse. We again got 

 up the anchor, and towed the boat in-shore, where 

 we anchored again, and kept a vigilant look-out. 



Tuesday, 29th Aug. In the course of the night 

 the S. W. swell went down, and at one this morning 

 a light air sprang up from the S. E. Weighed and 

 stood in-shore, the wind gradually freshening. In 

 running along the land, passed a quantity of drift 

 ice. At noon, saw another body of ice about two 

 miles distant, extending about eleven miles N. and 

 S. ; and as we were not yet far enough south to see 

 Cape Franklin, we were apprehensive the ice might 

 join it, in which case we should be again beset. In 

 the afternoon, with great pleasure, we passed be- 

 tween it and the southern extremity of the ice at 

 the distance of a mile and a half. At three it again 

 fell calm — Cape Franklin, W. S. W. one mile. We 

 were preparing to go on shore to deposit a bottle for 

 Captain Franklin, which we had not done on our 

 way to the northward, when a fresh gale suddenly 

 rising at W. S. W. obliged us to abandon the pro- 

 ject, as not a moment was to be lost in getting out 



