A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 197 



process of a few years, if such diminution continue, the 

 supply must cease, and some future Danish historian will 

 again have to " flee to the mountains" to ascertain the 

 origin of others. 



Were the purposes of the voyage to allow advantage to 



mometer stands at .32° : the water here is brownish green, and 

 abounds with the cho retusa, and many species of medusa. 



July 19: ther. 42°, 46°, 34°: wind S.E., light breeze: at an early 

 hour this day, the fog had entirely dispersed, and no rloud appeared, 

 except a yellow stratus : the field blink, in the horizon all around : 

 the sun-light in this stratus has a most distressing effect on the eyes, 

 causing very painful inflammation, and scorching the face in an in- 

 credible degree : the ship remained stationed near the field of ice in 

 company \yith ten others, all engaged in the look-out for whales : 

 the water throughout this day was smooth as glass, except where 

 ruffled by the colymbus glocitans diving after the flimsy, artless clio, 

 which seems to be the favourite food of the roch : numerous in- 

 dividuals of the larus maximus appeared ; also L. eburneus in great 

 flocks : procellaria glacialis and colymbus grylle, the latter observed 

 to be in pairs : the Linnaean Isles at midnight still in view distant 

 about seven leagues : many ships, five particularly, are at the same 

 time dangerously circumstanced amongst packed ice to the westward. 



July 20: ther. 4.5°, 52°, 48": wind N.E., light breeze: ship 

 stationed nearly as the preceding day: those ships which were to 

 the westward succeeded in getting clear fi-om the ice, which otherwise 

 would have inevitably crushed them to pieces : the object of the 



