516 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



ard Mood, my informant, served, in passing a stream 

 of ice that interrupted her escape into the open sea, 

 received some severe blows, that carried away her 

 cut-water, and did considerable damage to both the 

 stem and bow. It was fortunate for this fleet, that, 

 when the gale commenced, the ships, agreeably to 

 the usage of the old seal-fishers, were generally un- 

 der close reefed topsails, otherwise the whole might 

 have been dismasted. 



The result of these disasters, when summed up, is 

 dreadful. About 400 foreign seamen, and near 200 

 British, are said to have been drowned ; four or five 

 ships were lost, and scarcely any escaped without 

 damage. 



This storm continued in all its fury about twenty- 

 four hours ; and, with some small diminution of vio- 

 lence, prevailed about six days more before it abat- 

 ed. The effect on the ice, as well as on the ship- 

 ping, was striking. Having blown the whole time 

 from the eastward, the ice, which before the gale 

 was 60 miles to the eastward of Jan Mayen, was 

 found on its termination, above 100 miles to the 

 westward. The ship Weymouth, commanded by a 

 person well known by the name of French Will, 

 was seen at the close of the gale with a signal of 

 distress in the rigging. She was found to be se- 

 verely stove, and had a piece of ice several tons 

 weight upon deck, which had been thrown in by the 

 sea. This vessel returned to Liverpool to refit, and 



