270 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
as we are on our way home ourselves, I believe the 
general wish is, that we should avoid falling in with 
these vessels, in order that we may he the bearers 
of our own news ; but two of them lie so directly 
in our way, that, without altering our course, we 
must pass very close to them, and as our desire to 
avoid them does not go so far as to induce us to 
go out of our way, it is probable that we shall 
speak them to-morrow morning. 
Tuesday, 5th. —In the course of the forenoon | 
we passed close to one of the ships seen yes- 
terday, and found her to be the Lee, of Hull; 
having thirteen fish on board. We learnt from 
her, that King George the Third, and His Royal 
Highness the Duke of Kent are dead, and several 
other pieces of information of minor importance ; 
among others, that riots and tumults have been 
stirred up in different parts of the country by dis- 
affected people, but that all of them, however, 
have been happily suppressed, without much vio- 
lence. They also told us that no less than eleven 
ships were destroyed in this country by the ice last 
year, and as nothing was heard of us after that ca- 
tastrophe, some unfavourable opinions were enter- 
tained by many people respecting the fate of our 
expedition. After remaining for a short time in 
company with her, we sent some letters on board, 
in the event of her getting to England before us; 
but if they follow the plan they seem to have in 
view at present, it is probable that we shall be 
home first ourselves, for they intend going as far 
north as the latitude of 72°, in order to get round 
a barrier of ice, which they say extends from the 
