26 PASSAGE UP 



1824. making any progress against it. At dusk we 

 August, suddenly came on a narrow " pack" of very 

 heavy blue ice, amongst which an uneasy 

 cross sea was running. We passed through a 

 slack part of this with considerable danger to 

 the boats, and a high " wash piece" very 

 nearly carried away our bowsprit. From 

 being so unhandy, it was midnight before we 

 could get to windward of this very dangerous 

 pack. 



Early on the morning of the 6th, the sky 

 broke, and we again saw the land. By attend- 

 ing to the tides, standing oflp on the ebb, and 

 in at the flood, we arrived by evening off the 

 opening between Resolution and the Lower 

 Savage Islands, which latter, with the East 

 Bluff were distinctly seen and set, and so 

 great was the refraction, that the land about 

 Cape Chidley, with the Button Islands, were 

 also clearly observable. 



The sea Avas crowded with loose heavy ice 

 all this day, which was decidedly the first fine 

 one we had enjoyed since leaving England. 

 I never remember to have seen the sky so 

 beautifully and brilliantly reflected in the 

 water, as on this evening ; and lovely as the 

 surrounding dazzling view may have been, I 

 could not but yield to a sensation of loneliness 



