224 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VII. 



persuaded that the resignation which was then shown to the 

 will of the Almighty was the means of obtaining His mercy. 

 God was merciful to us ; and the tide, almost miraculously, 

 fell no lower."— pp. 79, 80. 



They were saved ; and the place of their extreme 

 danger was, as speedily as possible, ascertained b} r 

 observation to be in lat. 63° 35' 48", long. 86° 32' 0", 

 and it was very properly named the Bay of God's 

 Mercy. On the fog clearing away it was found to 

 be immediately in the centre of the Welcome. They 

 now discovered that their fresh water, on the 4th of 

 September, was so greatly reduced, that in their 

 present condition and the situation of the ship, none 

 could be afforded for the poor little ponies, which 

 had survived the storm ; they were therefore obliged 

 to be sacrificed ; their hay besides had been all 

 thrown overboard in the storm. 



On the 12th of September, when they had arrived 

 opposite the mouth of the Wager River, and between 

 it and Southampton Island, a gale of wind arose, 

 and with it also the sea ; the dull Griper now made 

 no progress, but " remained actually pitching fore- 

 castle under, with scarcely steerage way." One 

 alternative alone remained, and that was to bring 

 the ship up. " We found that the anchors held, 

 although the ship was dipping bowsprit and fore- 

 castle under, and taking green seas over all. Thick 

 falling sleet covered the decks to some inches in 

 depth, and withal the spray froze as it fell." To 



