NOTTINGHAM ISLAND. 131 



greatest certainty. We also at this time com- 1824. 

 pleted the bearings from Cape Wolslenholm ; Sept. 

 and the strait between it and the two islands, is 

 about thirty-five miles in breadth. 



The natives left us at noon while we were 

 occupied in clearing the boats of ice ; an opera- 

 tion they did not quite comprehend, particu- 

 larly after one of our men had seriously in- 

 formed them, in their own language, that we 

 intended eating it. Variable and light airs 

 prevented my making so good an offing from 

 the islands as I could have wished, particularly 

 as the sky was very threatening, and a preci- 

 pitous coast, with such a current as we had 

 seen in the morning, were by no means agree- 

 able neighbours. During the night, Avhich was 

 very dark and hazy, the light air which blew 

 took no effect on our sails, owing to a heavy 

 short swell, which suddenly arose without any 

 apparent cause, and in which the ship, accord- 

 ing to custom, pitched bows under, and lost all 

 steerage way. This was much increased by 

 hearing, near midnight, the approach of the 

 foaming tide we had seen at the same hour in 

 the forenoon ; and it now brought a most agi- 

 tated surf with it, in which we continued to be 

 whirled about for above four hours, the sea 

 sounding all round us as if it beat against a 



K 2 



