442 WHALE-FISHERY. 



ice ; insomuch, that, during this interval, we killed 

 but one whale, while few of our neighbours suc- 

 ceeded so well. 



On the 19th of JNIay, we penetrated the ice to the 

 utmost extent of any opening, where, in the latitude 

 of 791 degrees, we met with several small whales, 

 sporting and feeding about the edges of some exten- 

 sive fields of ice. In four days, we killed five small 

 " fish." The wind prevailing then from the S. S. E. 

 to S. W., continuing in that direction, and occa- 

 sionally blowing hard, forced a swell into the ice, 

 which, though totally imperceptible to the sight, 

 broke the fields and floes to pieces, and brought the 

 fragments so closely together, that our ship, along 

 with the Mars, and three others, were soon im- 

 movably fixed. During the succeeding week, we 

 never moved, excepting occasionally a few yards, 

 which we effected with vast labour, to "avoid the 

 terrible crushes of the ice that were apparent all 

 round us, and which, in one instance, lifted the North 

 Britain six feet above her usual water-mark. The 

 next twelve days were spent in the most arduous 

 labour, in warping the ship through occasional open- 

 ings of the ice. On several occasions we had re- 

 course to sawing ; and, in some cases, we wrought 

 for many hours with our whole force and ingenuity, 

 without being able to move an inch. At length, 

 on the 1 2th of June, we happily escaped, though oiur 

 companions were all left behind. They, however. 



