PENDULUM ISLAND. 285 



depends more upon the formation of the coast, the 

 prevaiUng winds, and other local influences, than on the 

 runino; off of melted water. 



The ice in its drift southwards had turned somewhat 

 to the east, thus leaving more and more open water 

 behind it to the north. 



We therefore set sail on the 13th of August, and 

 steered, with a light south wind, along the border 

 of the firm land ice without meeting with any great 

 difficulties. A fog bank rose in the south, which soon 

 spread over Shannon, and the channel which we were 

 f olio win o- northward was becominof narrower and nar- 

 rower; to the east lay boundless fields thick together, 

 and to the north we soon saw more firm ice, so as the 

 evening drew on, we lay- to. 



On the morning of the 14th the atmosphere was quite 

 clear, and we saw with dismay that our further advance 

 northward had come to a sudden halt. 



Some nautical miles ahead of us lay a monster ice field, 

 stretching eastward as far as the eye could see, and 

 apparently joining the land ice in the west. Far, far to the 

 north-east behind the fields there seemed to be, judging 

 from a small dark spot in the heavens, more water ; 

 further advance, however, was not possible until the field 

 was set in motion and separated from the land ice. 



The weather was fine and clear ; we therefore took 

 some observations, which gave the latitude 75° 30' 5" and 

 17° 30' W. Long. ; the declination of the compass, 

 taking the mean of several azimuths, 45° 24/ W. 



At night there was mostly a calm, with bright weather. 

 To the north and north-west there was a very strong 

 refraction, which showed us that unless a steady wind 



