274 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



body from the western coast of Spitzbergen, but 

 in general, that barrier of ice which encloses the 

 fishing site in the spring, which costs the fisher 

 immense labour and anxiety to penetrate, by re- 

 tarding his advance towards the north, and his pro- 

 gress in the fishery, for the space of several weeks, — 

 spontaneously divides in the midst about the month 

 of June, and on the return of the ships is not at 

 all to be seen ! Then is the sea rendered freely na- 

 vigable from the very haunts of the whales, to the 

 expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. 



This quality of the ice, is of the first import- 

 ance to the navigator. It is this known property 

 which gives him confidence in his advance, and en- 

 ables him to persevere without restraint, calculating 

 on an easy return. As one- half of the fishing sea- 

 son is often spent in the ingress were the regress 

 as arduous, there would be no time left for fishing : 

 besides, the return would be rendered doubly ha- 

 zardous by the prevalence of the summer fogs, 

 which are thick in the extreme, and sometimes con- 

 tinue for days together, without intermission. 



Were the barrier of ice not passable, the haunts 

 of the whales could not be attained; and were 

 the regress not favoured by natural facilities, every 

 attempt to prosecute the whale-fishery with effect, 

 would be attended with imminent danger ; I may 

 say, with almost certain destruction. 



