JOURNAL. 6y 



the Ice itfelf had drifted ftill more to the Weftward. At Auguft. 



night there was little wind, and a thick fog, fo that I 



could not judge precifely of the advantage we had gained ; 



but I ftill feared that, however flattering, it was not fuch 



as to juftify my giving up the idea of moving the boats, 



the feafon advancing fo faff, the prefervation of the fhips 



being fo uncertain, and the fituation of the people fo 



critical. 



9th. A thick fog in the morning : we moved the ftiip 

 a little through fome very fmall openings. In the after- 

 noon, upon its clearing up, we were agreeably fur- 

 prized to find the fliips had driven much more than we 

 could have expeded to the Weftward. We worked hard 

 all day, and got them fomething more to the Weftward 

 through the ice ; but nothing in comparifon to what the 

 ice itfelf had drifted. We got paft the Launches ', I fent 

 a number of men for them, and got them on board. 

 Between three and four in the morning the wind was 

 Wefterly, and it fnowed faft. The people having been 

 much fatigued, we were obliged to deftft from working 

 for a few hours. The progrefs which the fliips had made 

 through the ice was, however, a very favourable event : 

 the drift of the ice was an advantage that might be as 

 fuddenly loft, as it had been unexpededly gained, by a 

 change in the current : we had experienced the inefficacy 

 of an Eafterly wind when fir in the bay, and under the 

 high land ; but having now got through fo much of the 



K 2 ice, 



