Diicmibark cm Spitzbergcn. 1 1 



tance, but being unaccustomed to behold these huge animals 

 plunoing around us, we were all more intent upon preparations 

 to repel their attacks, than to think of reloading, and they 

 finally escaped. We were more fortunate in the afternoon, and 

 captured one. The animal, after it was harpooned, attacked 

 the boat, and once struck its tusks so hard, as to start two of 

 the planks ; the others tamely looked on while their comrade was 

 killed. 



On other occasions, when, from experience, we learnt not to 

 dread them, no accident occurred, and I consider that the cir- 

 cumstance of several uniting in attacking a boat is rare. They 

 are extremely slow and unweikly in their actions, and may be 

 easily boomed off with a boat-hook, when presence of mind is 

 retained. Should they, however, succeed in getting their tusks 

 over the gunnel of the boat, it must be capsized, as the weight 

 of the crew on the opposite side would not be sufficient to re- 

 tain the balance. 



30th. — Moderate breezes, with a thick fog, through which we 

 had occasional glimpses of the land. At 9, saw the North Fore- 

 land, distant four or five miles. We kept running along shore 

 at the distance of about five miles. The land high, rugged and 

 barren ; the tops and valleys were covered and filled with snow. 

 At 6 p. M. we braced up, rounding Hackluyt's Head, until 

 which period we did not discover that we had passed Magda- 

 lene Bay, which we intended to have made the station for Cap- 

 tain Sabine's observations. I again made sail, with the inten- 

 tion of anchoring between Vogel Sang and Cloven Cliff. At 

 8 the fog totally dispersed, and the sea, from the mast-head, 

 perfectly clear of ice, from west northerly to north-east, and 

 only loose land-ice in the eastern quarter, all of which appeared 

 penetrable. I sent two boats to examine the islands, as well as 

 to select the best station for the observatory. 



Anchored at midnight in 17 fathoms. The following morn- 

 ing weighed and towed the ship, about 2 J miles farther in, and 

 brought up in 7 fathoms, a-breast of a small island, one of the 

 Inner Norways, the same upon which Captain Phipps made his 

 observations in 1773, and steadied the vessel, with a warp to 

 the shore. We immediately proceeded to disembark the tents 

 and instruments, and sent parties on shore to erect them. Two 



