55^ ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



fixed in young Ice. At the same 

 titne, the external sheets of ice on 

 the north-east wheeled to the south, 

 formed a junction with the ice 

 south-east from us, and completely 

 enclosed us. Until the 16th, we 

 lay immoveable ; a break of the 

 bay ice then appeared about half 

 a-mile from us, to attain which, 

 we laboured with energy, and in 

 eight hours had made a passage 

 for the ship. On the 18th, Ave pur- 

 sued the same opening to its 

 eastern extremity, and eiKleavour- 

 ed, but without success, to force 

 through a narrow neck of ice, 

 intb another opening leading fur- 

 ther in the same direction. On the 

 20th, in accomplishing this object, 

 we endured a heavy pressure of 

 the bay ice, which shook the ship 

 in an alarming manner. The next 

 day we made a small advance; 

 and on the 22d, after a fatiguing 

 effort in passing through the midst 

 of an aggregation of floes against 

 the wind, we obteined a channel 

 whic]ji led us several miles to the 

 south-eastward. On the !i3d, we 

 lay at rest together with four other 

 ships. The day following, having 

 sawn a place for the ship in a thin 

 floe, we forc«d forward between 

 two large masses, where bay ice 

 unconsolidated had been com- 

 pressed, until it had become 10 

 or 12 feet thick. We were assisted 

 by about a hundred men from the 

 accompanying ships, which fol- 

 lowed close in our rear ; and after 

 applying all ourmechanical powers 

 during eight or nine hours, we 

 passed the strait of about a fur- 

 long in length, and immediately 

 the ice collapsed and rivetted the 

 ships of our companions to the 

 spot. As tliey declined our prof- 

 fered assistance, (which indeed, at 



this time, would have been quite 

 unavailing), we determined to 

 improve the advantage we had 

 acquired, by proceeding to the 

 utmost limits of the opening. Ac- 

 cordingly, we advanced, on various 

 winding courses, amidst bay ice 

 and fields, in narrow obscure 

 passages, a distance of several 

 miles. We then discovered a con- 

 tinuation of the navigation, which, 

 although contracted to the space 

 of a few yards, in a channel ex- 

 tending near a mile, between two 

 immense sheets of ice, Ave deter- 

 mined to attempt to pass on. The 

 prospect Avas indeed appalling ; 

 but, perceiving indications of the 

 enlargement of the passage, rather 

 than the contrary, we advanced 

 under a press of sail, driving aside 

 some disengaged lumps of ice 

 tliat opposed us, and shortly ac- 

 complished our Avishes in safety. 

 Here, an enlivening prospect pre- 

 sented itself: to the extreme limits 

 of the horizon, no interruption 

 Avas visible. W^e made a prede- 

 termined signal to the ships we 

 had left, indicative of our vicAvs. 

 In two hours, hoAvever, our san- 

 guine expectations of an imme- 

 diate release, received a check, for 

 we then met Avith fields in the 

 act or collapsing and completely 

 barring our progress. As the 

 distance across Avas scarcely a 

 mile, and the sea to appearance 

 clear beyond it, the interruption 

 AA^as most tantalizing. We Avaited 

 at the point of union, in the hope 

 of tlie separation of the two fields ; 

 and on the morning of the 26th 

 of May, our anxiety was happily 

 relieved by the Avished-for division 

 of the ice. The ship, propelled 

 by a brisk wind, darted through 

 the strait, and entered a sea, 



whicli 



