NATURAL HISTORY. 



653 



which we considered the termina- 

 tion of our difficulties. After 

 steering three hours to the south- 

 eastward, as directed by the north- 

 ern ice, we were concerned to dis- 

 cover, that our conclusions had 

 been premature. An immense 

 pack opened on our view, stretch- 

 ing directly across our track. 

 There was no alternative, but 

 forcing through it : we therefore 

 pushed forward into the least 

 connected part. By availing our- 

 selves of every advantage in sail- 

 ing, where sailing was practicable, 

 and boring or drifting, where the 

 ])ieces of ice were too compact, 

 we at length reached the leeward 

 part of a narrow channel, in which 

 we had to ply a considerable 

 distance against the wind. In per- 

 forming this, the wind, which 

 had hitherto blown a brisk breeze 

 from the north, was increased to 

 a strong gale : the ship was placed 

 in such a critical situation, that 

 we could not for above an hour 

 accomplish any reduction of the 

 sails, and she was thus alarmingly 

 oppressed : while 1 w».s personally 

 engaged performing the duty of a 

 pilot from the top-mast-head, the 

 agitation and bending of the mast 

 was so uncommon, that I was se- 

 riously alarmed for its stability. 

 At length we were enabled to reef 

 our sails, and for a while proceeded 

 with less danger. We continued 

 to manoeuvre among the ice, ac- 

 cording as its separation was most 

 considerable. Our direction was 

 now east, then north for several 

 hours, then easterly 10 or 15 

 miles J — Avhen, after IS hours of 

 the most difficult, and occasionally 

 hazardous failing, in whicli the 

 ship received some hard blows 

 rrom the ice ; after pursuing a 



devious course nearly ninety miles," 

 and accomplishing a distance on a 

 direct north-east course of about 

 forty miles ; we found ourselves 

 at the very margin of the sea, se- 

 parated only by a narrow sea 

 stream. The waves were so great 

 without, and the wind so violent, 

 that we dared not to hazard an 

 attempt to force through this re- 

 maining obstacle. After waiting 

 about thirty hovu-s, on the morn- 

 ing of the 28th of May the wea- 

 ther cleared, and the wind abated. 

 The sea stream, which, the pre- 

 ceding day, did not exceed two 

 hundred yards in breadth, was 

 generally augmented to upwards 

 of a mile broad. One place alone 

 was visible, where the breadth was 

 less considerable ; to that we di- 

 rected our course, forced the ship 

 into it, and by prompt and vigorous 

 exertions were enabled to sur- 

 mount every difficulty, and ac- 

 complish our final escape into the 

 free ocean. 



T have been thus minute in the 

 relation of the progress of our ex- 

 trication from an alarming, though 

 not very uncommon, state of be- 

 setment, both for the purpose of 

 giving a faint idea of the difficul- 

 ties and dangers which those en- 

 gaged in the whale-fishery have 

 occasionally to encounter, and also 

 more particularly to shew the ex- 

 traordinary manner in which ships 

 are imperceptibly immured amidst 

 the ice, by the regularity of its 

 drift to the south-westward. 



From this narrative it "iwill ap- 

 pear, that, notwithstandi ng we 

 only penetrated 2.5 or SO ir iles on 

 our ingress, and among ic e most 

 widely disposed ; yet, befot e our 

 regress was accomplislicd, av e liad 

 passed on a direct course. » dis- 

 tance 



