Chap. IV. PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE. 113 



On the last day of July the whole body of the 

 ice in the harbour was perceived to be slowly moving 

 out, breaking away for the first time at the points 

 which form the entrance of the harbour. 



The latitude and longitude of Winter Harbour is 



thus stated : — 



Latitude by 39 meridian altitudes . 74° 47' 19" N. 

 Longitude by 692 sets of observations, 



consisting of 6862 lunar distances . 110° 48' 29" W. 

 Dip of magnetic needle . . .88° 43' 

 Variation 127° 47' 50'' E. 



On the 1st of August, the day on which Lancaster 

 Sound had been entered, the two ships stood out 

 of Winter Harbour, after having passed ten whole 

 months and a part of September and August in that 

 dreary place of imprisonment. They stood along 

 the shore of Melville Island to the westward, occa- 

 sionally running in, near to the beach, to avoid the 

 masses of ice in motion ; in one place the Hecla 

 being within twenty yards of the beach, a point 

 of land which was lined all round with large hum- 

 mocks of ice, rendered it a most dangerous situation; 

 and the more so as the body of the ice coming in 

 from the westward being distant from the ship less 

 than half a mile, was composed of floes infinitely 

 more heavy than any they had elsewhere met with 

 during the voyage. Lieutenant Liddon sent word 

 that the Griper was also in a situation exactly 

 similar to that of the Hecla, where u nipping " 



i 



