TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 33 
very little reason to regret the delay occasioned, 
as yet. 
In the course of the afternoon a large whale came 
up to breathe, in a small opening between two pieces 
of ice, within a few yards of the ship, and remained 
there for a considerable time ; and would probably 
have stopped much longer had not the curiosity of 
some of the seamen induced them to go to the edge 
of the hole where she lay, in order to have a better 
view of her. My object in being so particular about 
this whale, is, because she went down in a manner, 
which I understand from the fishermen on board, ts 
very unusual for these fish; that is, tail foremost. 
It may be remarked, then, that this deviation from 
the common method of diving, evinces a consider- 
able share of sagacity in these animals; at least it 
shews, that they have sense enough to depart from 
their usual habits to accommodate themselves to cir- 
cumstances ; for had this fish gone down in the way 
which they are accustomed to do, it is more than 
probable that her tail would have entangled her in 
the ice. 
Sunday, 27th. — We are still closely beset by the 
ice. . We find by our observations to-day, that we have 
drifted twelve miles to the southward since yesterday 
at noon, for our latitude to-day by meridian altitude 
was only 63° 46’ 50” N.; and yesterday it was 
63° 59’ 29” N. ‘The actual distance indeed that we 
have been carried to the southward since yesterday, is 
more than twelve miles; for the direction in which we 
have been drifting is S.W. by S. by compass, which 
by taking the variation, as found then, will be 
about S.S.E. $ E. true. It will be seen from this 
circumstance, that what I suggested yesterday re- 
D 
