JOURNAL, 

 more open near the fKips, I was encouraged to attempt 

 moving them. The wind being Eafterly, though but 

 little of it, we fet the fails, and got the fhips about 

 a mile to the Weftward. They moved indeed, but 

 very flowly, and were not now by a great deal fo 

 far to the Weftward as where they were befet. 

 However, I kept all the fall upon them, to force through 

 whenever the ice flacked the leaft. The people behaved 

 very well in hauling the boat ; they feemed reconciled to 

 the idea of quitting the fliips, and to have the fulleft con- 

 fidence in their officers. The boats could not with the 

 oreatell dilieence be got to the water fide before the four, 

 teenth ; if the fituation of the fhips did not alter by that 

 time, I fliould not be juftified in flaying longer by them. 

 In the mean time I refolved to carry on both attempts 

 tocreiher, moving the boats conflantly, but without omit- 

 ting any opportunity of getting the (liips through. 



8th. At half paft four, fent two pilots with three men 

 to fee the flate of the ice to the Weftward, that I might 

 judge of the probability of getting the fliips out. At nine 

 they returned, and reported the ice to be very heavy and 

 clofe, conflfling chiefly of large fields. Between nine and 

 ten this morning, 1 fet out with the people, and got the 

 Launch above three miles. The weather being foggy, and 

 the people having worked hard, I thought it beft to re- 

 turn on board between fix and feven. The fliips had 

 in the mean time moved fomething through the ice, and 



the 



