172 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Friday the 5th [October]. Wind at last from N.W. but light 
Breeze. Towards Evening a calm, and Hopes disappointed. 
Therm. 32. Miles, 53. Lat. 62.7, Lon. 70.2. 
Saturday the 6th [October]. Calm the whole Day. Quite unusual. 
Therm. 29. Miles, 18. Lat. 62.2. Lon. 69.53. 
Sunday the 7th [October]. Calm all Night except an Interval of 
half an Hour with the Wind at S.E. In the Morning calm. These con- 
tinual Calms are a Sort of Phenomenon at this Season and in these 
Regions of Ice and Dreariness. Our Situation begins to be, if not 
critical, at least rendering Forethought and Care necessary. We are 
110 Persons on Board and have only Provisions and Water for about 
five Weeks and have 2000 Miles in a direct Line to sail before we reach 
the Orkneys. The Weather continues to be foggy. On clearing up 
to-day we found ourselves close to a gigantic Ice Berg. Hoping to find 
Water we despatched a Boat to it. Our People found no Water but 
filled the Boat with Ice which was quite without Salt. This was the 
largest Mass of Ice we have seen, 300 feet in Heighth, 300 in Length, 
300 in Breadth. These Masses of Ice are formed near the Land and are 
broken off by the Winds and driven out to Sea. Continued Falls of 
Snow add to their Size. 
At Noon off the Saddleback. The Saddleback is one of the middle 
Savage Islands, so called from the Resemblance its Appearance has to 
the Back of a Saddle. It was off this Island that the “ Prince” met 
with the Accident this Year, when her Escape was so providential. 
Extract from Captain Davison’s Log Book:—“ Tuesday the 24th 
“of July, 1821. At 3am. it being a fresh Breeze, foggy with Rain we 
“perceived the Ship drifting on an Island of Ice close to us and the 
“ Current was so strong that we could not get clear and it took us in the 
“Midships and stove in the Starboard Side from the Bends upwards. 
“The Eddystone and Lord Wellington on each Side of us just escaped. 
“On Surveying the Damage we found 36 Timbers broke in the lower 
“Deck, the Planks stove in halfway from the fore chains to the main 
“chains. The Part stove in was only 6 Inches from the Water. Had 
“there been a Breeze of Wind or the least Sea she must have gone down, 
“or had she been alone her loss was inevitable. By putting the Cargo 
“on Board the Lord Wellington and lightening and with the Assistance 
“of the three Crews the damaged Part was repaired. The Appearance 
“even now is frightful.” On the 21st July the Discovery Ships, the 
“Fury,” Captain Parry, and the “ Hecla,” Captain Lyon, left the Prince 
when off Terra Neva, a short Distance to the East of the Saddle Back. 
Non si male nunce—et olim sic erit. 
