THE SUrFOSED OPEN SEA. 631 



itself so close to the land-ice lying east of Pendulum 

 Island, that after a fruitless attempt to force our way 

 through we were obliged to go round. To increase our 

 difficulties, to the east of the field there was such a crowd 

 of blocks, that with all our steam-power we could scarcely 

 get through. It was about four p.m. before we had 

 passed the field, and found ourselves to the east of the 

 low cliffs close to the land-ice ; from these we directed 

 our course straight for Cape Philip Broke, as this part 

 of the sea was nearly free from ice. At ten minutes past 

 seven p.m. we anchored at the Cape, the captain at once 

 climbing the nearest hill to see if the water was open on 

 the east side of the island. He found that for two nautical 

 miles the ice was loose, and there was an open passage. 



Farther north, as far as one could see, the land-ice 

 surrounded the island to the depth of about four nautical 

 miles. A large field had here united with the land-ice, 

 though more easterly there was open water to the north, 

 where, as far as the horizon, nothing but water, strewn 

 with drifting ice, could be seen. Besides this, the heavens 

 on the northern horizon wore a dark aspect as far as the 

 eye could see, leading us to conclude that beyond it lay 

 more water, — another sufficient reason for talking of an 

 open Arctic Sea, when, from a mountain 140 feet high, 

 there is water to be seen, and a dark water sky above to 

 the farthest north, and yet we were again doomed to dis- 

 appointment. Indeed, such signs of water as we saw from 

 Shannon Island have much to do with the prevailing idea 

 of an open Arctic Sea, which is ever cropping up and ever 

 winning friends, in spite of all experience to the contrary, 

 and in spite of the weightiest physical reasons. Indeed, 

 it is easily shown how little this theory of an open sea 



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