Chap. VII. CAPTAIN G. F. LYON. 217 



pletely crowded. Lyon says the gangways, fore- 

 castle, and abaft the mizen-mast, were filled with 

 casks, hawsers, whale-lines, and stream-cables ; the 

 lower deck crowded with casks and other stores; 

 not a place left vacant except the mess-tables of the 

 men. Thus lumbered and brought down deep, 

 her sailing qualities, bad enough before, were now 

 expected to be much worse. It was found also by 

 observation that for two days they had been ex- 

 posed to the united force of the strong currents 

 from Davis's and Hudson's Straits, towards the latter 

 of which they were approaching. On the 4th of 

 August the Snap parted company, to proceed in 

 the further execution of her services. 



On the 6th the Griper had approached Resolu- 

 tion Island, the sea covered with loose heavy ice, 

 but the day described as lovely, and the sky bril- 

 liant ; yet the brilliancy and loveliness which sur- 

 rounded Captain Lyon were not sufficient to pre- 

 vent him from " yielding to a sensation of loneli- 

 liness he had never experienced on the former 

 voyage." " I felt most forcibly/' he says, " the want 

 of an accompanying ship, if not to help us, at least 

 to break the death-like stillness of the scene." No 

 wonder at this feeling, when all the circumstances 

 of his position are considered. 



It must indeed be owned that there was a more 

 than usual want of prudence in sending such a 

 small and sluggish ship alone, through a naviga- 



