30 CATTAIN M'CI.UnE's DESPATCHES. 



these islands and the mainland, to avoid the pack, which was 

 very near it, we narrowly escaped getting on shore, as a reef 

 extended from the latter to within half a mile of the island. 

 Fortunately, the wind being light, we rounded to with all the 

 studding sails set, and let go the anchor in two and a half fathoms, 

 having about four inches to spare under the keel, and warped into four ; 

 while Mr. Court was sent to find a channel, in which he succeeded, 

 carrying three fathoms, through v/hich we ran for one mile, and then 

 continued our course in eight, having from three to five miles between 

 the ice and land. At 8 p.m. we neared two other islands, the ice 

 resting upon the westernmost, upon which the })ressure must have 

 been excessive, as large masses w-ere forced nearly over its summit, 

 which was upwards of 40 feet. Between these and the main we ran 

 through a channel in from nine to fifteen ftithoms, when an immediate 

 and marked change took place in the general appearance and forma- 

 tion of the land; it became high, precipitous, sterile, and rugged, 

 intersected with deep ravines and watercourses, having 65 fathoms 

 at a quarter of a mile, and 1.5 fathoms 100 yards from the cliffs, 

 which proved exceedingly fortunate, as the whole pack, which had 

 apparently only just broken from the shore, was within half a mile, 

 and in many places so close to it that, to avoid getting beset, we had 

 nearly to touch the land. Indeed, upon several occasions, the boats 

 were compelled to be topped up, and poles used to keep the vessel oif 

 the grounded ice, which extends all along this coast ; nor could we 

 round to, fearful of carrying the jibboom away against its cliffs, which 

 here run nearly east andwest. Tiie cape forming its western extreme, 

 I have called Prince Alfred, in honour of his Royal Highness. There 

 were two apparently good harbours about -0 miles to the eastward of 

 the cape ; the westernmost had a breakwater half a-mile in length, 

 twenty feet high, facing the north, with entrances on its east and west 

 sides about sixty yards' in breadth ; the other was circular, about three- 

 quarters of a mile in diameter, with its entrance on the west side. 

 Our critical position would not admit of any detention, otherwise they 

 would have been sounded, being very anxious to find a secure retreat 

 in the event of having to winter on this coast. The weather had been 

 fine, with a S.E. wund, which veered to the W.S.W., bringing fog and 

 rain ; so that on the morning of the 2()th our further progress was 

 impeded by finding the ice resting uj)on a point, which formed a slight 

 indentation of the shore, and was the only place where water could 

 Ije seen. To prevent being carried away with the pack, which was 

 filling up its space, we secured to the inshore side of a small but 

 heavy piece of ice, grounded in twelve fathoms, 74 yards from the 

 beach— the only protection against the tremendous Polar ice (setting a 

 knot per hour to the eastwaiui before a fresh westerly wind), which at 

 9 p.m. placed us in a very critical position, by a large floe striking the 

 piece we were fast to, and causing it to oscillate so considerably, that a 

 tongue, which haj^pened to be under our bottom, lifted the vessel six 

 feet''; hut, by great attention to the anchors and warps, we succeeded in 

 holding on "during the conflict, which was continued several minutes, 

 terminating bv the floe being rent in pieces and our being driven nearer 

 the beach. From this until the 2()tli we lay i)erfectly secure, but at 

 M a.m. of that day the ice began suddenly to move, when a large iloc 

 which must have' caught the'piece to which we were attached under 



