Appearance of the Coast of Greenland. 17 



patent capstan proved of signal service, heaving aside floes of 

 ice which astonished every person on board, although we rarely 

 put our whole strength to it, as we were sure to break any hau- 

 ser we had on board, the largest being 7 inches. We gained the 

 shore on the 8th : we found a channel of several miles in breadth 

 within the barrier ; there was much loose ice, but nothing to 

 prevent navigation ; sounded in 51 fathoms, brown sand. I 

 went ashore at night to examine the land- Never was a more de- 

 solate spot seen ; in many places not a vestige of vegetation ; the 

 land high, from 2000 to 3000 feet, near the coast ; in the inte- 

 rior much higher. There was not so much snow as at Spitz- 

 bergen, nor did the mountains present the same angular and 

 broken appearance, being rounder and flatter on the summits ; 

 but no reindeer, no birds, or whales — indeed we had not seen a 

 whale since we left Hammerfest. Spitzbergen was, on the 

 whole, a paradise to this place. The point on which Ave landed 

 was named Cape Borlase Warren. The shore appeared bold 

 and safe ; some remains of the huts of the natives were found, 

 and signs were observed of their having been recently in the 

 neighbourhood. We returned to the ship early next morning. 

 Soundings 11, 13, and 14 fathoms, sandy bottom, about S| 

 miles ofi" shore ; the land too much obscured by the fog to admit 

 of bearings being taken. It being nearly calm the ship drifted 

 to the N. E. We observed, on landing, that the tide was go- 

 ing to the N. E. ; and during the time we were ashore it had 

 fallen 7 inches. About noon, made fast to a floe a- ground, the 

 tide seeming to drift the ship in a contrary direction. When 

 the tide turned, cast off and sent a boat a-head to tow. 



As the whalers have dwelt much on a strong current invariably 

 setting to the southward on the east coast of Greenland, I shall 

 merely observe, that, with the exception of one day, in which 

 the difference of latitude was 18 miles more than the reckoning 

 gave us, we never had reason to think there was any strong 

 current, and certainly none in-shore. The tides, too, were 

 scarcely perceptible, the rise and fall not exceeding 3 feet. 



The coast here trending to the N. E., we coasted along .shoi'e 

 in that direction, working to windward amongst floes of ice. 

 On the 10th, we discovered two islands whicli we afterwards 

 APKIL — JUNE 1830. B 



