356 ANNUAL REGISTER, I8I7. 



ice and the sea on each other, is 

 particularly striking, whichever 

 may have the ascendancy. If, on 

 the one hand, the ice be arranged 

 with a certain form of aggrega- 

 tion, and in due solidity, it be- 

 comes capable of resisting the 

 turbulence of the ocean, and can, 

 with but little comi)arative dimi- 

 nution or breaking, suppress its 

 most violent surges. Its resist- 

 ance is so effectual, that ships 

 sheltered by it rarely find the sea 

 disturbed by swells. On the other 

 hand, the most formidable fields 

 yield to the slightest grown swell, 

 and become disrupted into thou- 

 sands of pieces ; and ice of only a 

 few weeks growth, on being as- 

 sailed by a turbulent sea, is broken 

 and annihilated with incredible 

 celerity. Ice, which for weeks has 

 been an increasing pest to the 

 whale-fisher, is sometimes re- 

 moved in the space of a few hours. 

 The destruction is in many cases 

 so rapid, that to an inexperienced 

 observer, the occurrence seems 

 incredible, and rather an illusion 

 of fancy, than a matter of fact. 

 Suppose a ship immoveably fixed 

 in bay ice, and not the smallest 

 opening to be seen : after a lapse 

 of time sufficient only for a mo- 

 derate repose, imagine a person 

 rising from his bed, — when, be- 

 hold, the insurmountable obstacle 

 has vanished ! Instead of a sheet 

 of ice expanding unbroken to the 

 verge of the horizon on every side, 

 an undulating sea relieves the 

 })rospect, wherein floats the wreck 

 of the ice, reduced apparently to a 

 small fraction of its original bulk ! 

 This singular occurrence I have 

 more than once been a Avitness to. 

 That ice should be forming or 

 increasing, when exposed to the 



swells of the ocean, while the an- 

 nihilation of bay ice is so sudden 

 and complete, might seem an ano- 

 maly or impossibility, were the 

 circumstances passed over in si- 

 lence. It must be observed, that 

 the operation of a swell is merely 

 to rend the bay ice in pieces, while 

 its destruction is principally effect- 

 ed by the attrition of those pieces 

 against each other, and the wash- 

 ing of the wind-lipper. Herein 

 the essential difference consists : 

 pancake ice is formed in masses 

 so small and so strong, that the 

 swell will not divide them ; and 

 the effect of the wind-lipper is re- 

 pressed by the formation of sludge 

 on its seaward margin. Hence 

 whenever ice does occur in agi- 

 tated waters, its exterior is always 

 sludge, and its interior pancake 

 ice, the pieces of which gradually 

 increase in size with the distance 

 from the edge. 



When aswell occurs in crowded, 

 yet detached ice, accompanied with 

 thick weather and storm, it pre- 

 sents one of the most dangerous 

 and terrific navigations that can 

 be conceived. Each lump of ice, 

 by its laborious motion, and its 

 violent concussions of the water, 

 becomes buried in foam, which, 

 with its I'apid drift, and the at- 

 tendant horrid noise, inspires the 

 passing mariner with the most 

 alarming impressions ; whilst the 

 scene before him is, if possible, 

 rendered more awful by his con- 

 sciousness of the many disasters 

 which have been occasioned by 

 similar dangers. 



On the approximations towards the 

 PoUs, and on the possibility of 

 reaching the North Pole. 



Although I ,am sensible, that 



already 



