42 PACKED ICE. 



by the appearance of ice to leeward, or by a 

 change of wind. 



The following* morning the gale abated, and 

 we bore away to the northward in search of 

 the Dorothea ; but, at nine in the evening, 

 the weather being foggy, we found ourselves 

 surrounded by ice in latitude 80° north, and 

 had so much difficulty in extricating the vessel, 

 that it was seven o'clock on the following morn- 

 ing before we regained the open sea. At this 

 time the fog cleared off, and we perceived that 

 the ice in which we had been beset was part 

 of the main body, so that we had indeed reason 

 to congratulate ourselves on the precaution ob- 

 served by our commander in rounding-to the 

 preceding evening ; for, had we encountered 

 this formidable body in thick weather whilst 

 scudding before a gale of wind, there would have 

 been very little chance of saving either the 

 vessel or her crew. 



We traced the margin of this body of ice 

 to within a short distance of the land, and then 

 steered for Magdalena Bay, our appointed place 

 of rendezvous, in the hope of meeting the 

 Dorothea. A separation from our consort at 

 this period of the voyage, although of such du- 

 ration, had to us an unusual degree of interest 

 and anxiety ; and it was, therefore, with in- 



