306 Northern Expedition. 
the 4th made the Greenland coast, in lat. 65. 42. but did not 
stand close in; the land here appeared something like the north 
coast of Spain, and about the same height, the mountains very 
precipitous, and terminating in ragged peaks. We continued 
our course to the northward, as the winds and ice permitted, 
keeping on the edge of the main west ice, which we found trend- 
ing to N.E. On the Sth, in lat. 68. 20. long. 55. 50. a few 
leagues off the Greenland coast, we were so hemmed in with ice 
on all sides that we could not run through; a fine S. W. gale 
was blowing, and we were obliged to tack about where we could 
find room. On the 9th we made fast to an ice-berg aground in 
38 fathoms, about a mile off shore. The mode of anchoring to 
ice is very easy: the boat goes a-head with the anchors, and 
fixes them before the ship approaches ; when ready, the ship 
stands in and makes fast, bow to the ice: a low berg that the 
bowsprit lies over is preferred, and aground if it can be had. 
On the 10th were obliged to get under way, a small change of 
wind setting a large body of ice upon us; we continued plying 
where we could find open water, and fell in with a whaler, the 
first we had seen, who informed us that none of the whale ships 
had been able to get past 704 deg.; that the ice to the north- 
ward was still fast. On the 14th called at the Whale Islands, 
where there is a Danish factory. The Danish Resident came on 
board; from him we could get little information, except that the 
preceding winter had been very severe. On the 16th we reached 
70.39. N. no clear water to be seen northward: made fast to an 
ice-berg about a mile off the N. W. end of Waygat or Hare Island. 
We found here most of the whale fishers waiting for an opening 
to go north, the fishery to the southward having failed this sea- 
son. Waygat is eight or nine miles long, 1200 or 1500 feet 
high, uninhabited, some of the rocks basaltic. Coal is found near 
the surface on the N. E. part of this island. Some grouse were 
shot, the cock perfectly white, the hen not unlike that of Scot- 
land. I sawone hare pure white. On the 20th the ice opened 
a little to the northward, when we began to warp and tow the 
ship through the slack, the winds light and variable, and fre- 
quent calms. On the 26th were only 20 miles from Waygat, 
where we got into a piece of clear water that carried us to the 
land ice on the north side of Jacob’s Bight, lat. 70.23. We found 
ourselves in 54. 17. W. per lunars, which agreed well with chro- 
nometers. We swung the ship, and took azimuths on board at 
every four points. Corresponding azimuths were taken at the 
same time on the ice. The observations were not taken in so 
correct & manner as might be done to form a just estimate of: 
the deviation of the compass by ship’s attraction. The idea here 
at present is, that the compasses are not attracted in a line with 
the 
