JOURNAL. 63 



4th. Quite calm till evening, when we were flattered Auguft. 

 with a light air to the Eaftward, which did not laft long, 

 and had no favourable effe^l. The wind was now at 

 N W> with a very thick fog, the fhip driving to the 

 Eaftward." The pilots feemed to apprehend that the ice 

 extended very far to the Southward and Weftward. 



5th. The probability of getting the (hips out appearing 

 every hour lefs, and the feafon being already far advanced, 

 fome fpeedy refolution became necellary as to the fteps to 

 be taken for the prefervation of the people. As the fitua- 

 tion of the fhips prevented us from feeing the ftate of the 

 ice to the Weftward, by which our future proceedings 

 muft in a great meafure be determined, I fent Mr. 

 Walden, one of the midfhipmen, with two pilots, to an 

 ifland about twelve miles off, which I have diftinguifhed 

 in the charts by the name of Walden's Ifland, to fee where 

 the open water lay. 



6th. Mr. Walden and the pilots, who were fent the 

 day before to examine the ftate of the ice from the ifland, 

 returned this morning with an account, that the ice, 

 though clofe all about us, was open to the Weftward, 

 round the point by which we came in. They alfo told 

 me, that when upon the ifland they had the wind very 

 frefti to the Eaftward, though where the fhips lay it had been 

 almoft calm all day. This circumftance confiderably lefl*ened 



the 



