216 \VU A I . E-V Ifm Ell Y . 



red the fishery of high northern latitudes in the 

 autumn, as a considerahle degree of success was 

 reasonably expected from it at this season, without 

 the same risk of getting their ships beset as they are 

 exposed to in the spring. The many calamities which 

 have occurred to the Hollanders, from their ships 

 getting beset, occasioned an excessive dread of 'the 

 ice in high latitudes. Such of their ships as hap- 

 pened to get enclosed by the ice under unfavour- 

 able circumstances, not only failed altogether in the 

 fishery, but not unfrequently accompanied the ice 

 in its drift by the course of the south-westerly cur- 

 rent, and remained beset until tlie approach of win- 

 ter. In some instances, they were obliged to win- 

 ter in the Polar regions, and on several occasions 

 their ships were wrecked, and many, if not all, of 

 their crews perished under the most afflicting cir- 

 cumstances. In modern times, these events are 

 more rare, notwithstanding the increased perseve- 

 rance of the fishers among the ice. This may be 

 attributed to the extraordinary exertions of skill 

 and personal labour, which they now make use of, 

 for accomplishing their release, whenever they find 

 themselves unhappily enclosed in such situations as 

 threaten them with permanent detention, or their 

 ships with destruction. The means in common 

 use for securing the safety of their ships, are like- 

 wise ingenious. They seek the most protected situa- 

 tion, keep an anxious watch, and remove their ships. 



