1875 CAPE SHERIDAN. 127 



three miles distance from the land. By noon, having 

 arrived in latitude 82° 24' N., a more northerly 

 position than any vessel had ever previously attained, 

 the ensign was hoisted at the peak amid general 

 rejoicings. 



With such a strong wind blowing off the shore we 

 enjoyed the pleasing certainty of not being again 

 stopped by ice so long as the land continued to the 

 northward. We therefore had very sanguine hopes 

 that we should at least attain to latitude 84° 20' N., 

 the reported position of President's Land, without 

 another check. At 1 p.m., we came suddenly and 

 unexpectedly to a block. 



On hauling to the westward, at what afterwards 

 proved to be the northern entrance to Eobeson 

 Channel and the shore of the Polar Sea, the wind 

 headed us from the north-westward, and then died 

 away. The breadth of the water-channel also consider- 

 ably lessened, until off Cape Sheridan the main pack 

 was observed to be touching the grounded ice, making 

 farther progress impossible. Running close up to the 

 end of the water-channel, the ship was secured to a 

 large floe which rested against the cape. 



The weather at this time remained very misty 

 During a partial clearance we observed every appear- 

 ance of land due north, and reasonably supposed that we 

 had reached Army Fiord of the ' Polaris ' chart, and that 

 some local cause had prevented the ice being driven off 

 shore by the gale ; our stay was therefore thought to be 

 only temporary. At 2 p.m., finding that the ebb-tide 

 was setting towards the north-west, along the land, 

 and that in spite of it the pack was slowly nearing the 



