132 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
Wednesday, 22d. — It blew very strong from the 
northward all yesterday, so that it was not deemed 
prudent to get under weigh, more especially as the 
ice was observed to be moving about with greater 
velocity than usual, owing no doubt to the force of 
the wind. Early this morning, however, the wind 
moderated a little, and at the same time veered 
round to the northward and westward. Of this 
favourable change we took immediate advantage, 
and at five o’clock were under weigh, in order to make 
the best of our way to the eastward. We suffered very 
little interruption from the heavy ice, but our progress 
was so much obstructed by the young, or bay-ice, that 
had we not been favoured with a strong breeze, 
it would have been impossible to force through 
it. We had a good opportunity to-day of seeing the 
effects of the frost, in forming ice on the surface of 
the sea, at a time when there was even a strong 
wind, and consequently a considerable ripple on the 
water, circumstances which by some men have been 
considered capable of preventing the formation of 
ice. But I think from what we have seen _to- 
day, we may very reasonably conclude, that when 
cold is very intense, ice may be formed on the 
surface of the sea, even in a gale; for the ther- 
mometer was never below 17°, and yet ice was, 
as I have already said, forming very rapidly. It 
may be argued indeed, that there was so small a por- 
tion of the surface of the water clear of old ice, 
that there could not be much of a sea running, and 
such was certainly the case ; but I observed that the 
young ice, or sludge as it is first called, smoothed the 
surface of the water immediately it began to form, in 
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