parry's polar attempt. 199 



of ice showed that there was an open space, 

 both in the direction of its course and in that 

 it had drifted from ; the sea was five hundred 

 fathoms deep ; and there seemed to be nothing 

 more to impede a vessel's course than there 

 was met with near the margin, that is, a sea 

 covered with broken fields of ice, which might 

 open or close according to wind and tide. 



With minds filled with disappointment, and 

 limbs weakened by fatigue, the party retraced 

 their steps, and on the 11th of August arrived 

 at the open sea, in latitude 81° 34' N., and 

 finally quitted the ice, after a sojourn of forty- 

 eight days upon it. The following day they 

 arrived at Little Table Island, where, it may 

 be remembered, a supply of provision had been 

 left on the advance route, but the bears had 

 devoured all the bread. Putting to sea again, 

 a storm obliged the boats to bear up for Walden 

 Island. " Everything belonging to us," says 

 Captain Parry, " was now completely drenched 

 by the spray and snow ; we had been fifty-six 

 hours without rest, and forty-eight at work in 

 the boats, so that by the time they were un- 

 loaded we had barely strength left to haul them 

 up on the rocks. However, by dint of great 

 exertion, we managed to get the boats above 

 the surf; after which a hot supper, a blazing 



