FISHERY OF DAVIs' STRAITS. 383 



Straits fishers usually touch at Orkney or Shetland, 

 for the purpose of procuring men, and such trilling 

 stores as are furnished at a cheap rate in these islands, 

 together with a view of trimming and preparing 

 their vessels for accomplishing the passage across 

 the Atlantic. 



In consequence of the frequent storms and high 

 seas which prevail in the spring of the year, the pas- 

 sage across the Atlantic is often attended with dif- 

 ficulty. Instead of steering direct for the southern 

 point of Greenland, which lies in about 59^ " north 

 latitude, this navigation is usually performed in 

 tiie parallel of 58", for the purpose of avoiding a 

 dangerous body of heavy drift ice, which sometimes 

 extends to a considerable distance to the southward 

 of Cape Farewell. After sailing 5° or 6" of longi- 

 tude to the westv.ard of the Cape, a more iiorthcrly 

 course is generally pursued, until the ships fall in 

 with the Labrador ice, in the parallel of Gl*-' or 62°. 

 The greatest danger in this navigation is from ice- 

 bergs, Vi'hich the whalers are constantly liable to meet 

 with after passing the meridian of Cape Farevvell, 

 up to their arrival at the face of the ice, connected 

 with the shore of Labrador. In the night, or in thick 

 vveathcr, they arc particularly hazardous, and espe- 

 cially in storms. In moderate A\iiids, indeed, such 

 an intimation of their proximity is derived, either 

 from their natural effulgence in some states of the 

 atmosphere, or from their intense .blackness in 



