1849. SEA COVERED WITH ICE. 127 



to use our oars. We had pulled more than seven miles 

 and were still three miles from the island (Douglas), when 

 we came to a stream of ice, so close packed and so rough 

 that we could neither pass over nor through it ; a thick 

 fog had come on, and the ebb tide was carrying us fast to 

 the south-east. Under these circumstances I thought it ad- 

 visable to return towards the main shore, on which we landed 

 early on the morning of the 20th, a short distance to the 

 south of the place from whence we had started. A north- 

 west breeze came on some hours after landing, and cleared 

 away the ice a few yards' distance from the beach, of which 

 we took advantage to shift our quarters, which being under 

 some crumbling cliffs, were neither safe nor convenient. 

 We poled along shore for three miles or more towards 

 Point Lockyer (the only direction in which we could go), 

 and then took shelter in a small bay, into which we had 

 scarcely entered when the wind changed to east-north-east, 

 and in a very short time left not a spot of open water 

 visible, either near shore or at a distance. 



" The wind continued to blow from east and north-east 

 for the two following days, during which, when the tide 

 was in, we advanced a few miles to the south, principally 

 by launching the boat over the ice. On the evening of 

 the 22d I ascended a hill near the shore, from which a fine 

 view was obtained. As far as I could see with the tele- 

 scope in the direction of Wollaston Land, nothing but the 

 white ice forced up into heaps was visible, whilst to the 

 east and south-east there was a large space of open water, 

 between which and the shore a stream of ice, some miles in 

 breadth, was driving with great rapidity towards Cape 

 Hearne and its vicinity. 



" As the fine weather had now evidently broken up, and 

 as there was every appearance of an early winter, I thought 



