116 VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 



On one side, the water is only three or four fathoms 

 deep, on the other, fifteen. The danger at most 

 times, especially in storms, is very great. Ships 

 are irresistibly drawn in : the rudder loses its power, 

 and the waves beat as high as the masts, so that an 

 escape is almost miraculous ; yet at the reflux, 

 and in very still weather, the inhabitants will ven- 

 ture in boats for the sake of fishing. Arct. Zool 

 2d edit. vol. i. p. 56. 



On arriving at these southerly latitudes, the ap- 

 pearance of the moon and stars was, to use the lan- 

 guage of Captain Phipps, almost as extraordinary 

 a phenomena as the sun at midnight, when we 

 first got within the Arctic circle. 



On the 20th, lay becalmed off Fair Isle, a bar- 

 ren spot, about three miles long, situated midway 

 between the Shetland and Orkney Isles, and inha- 

 bited by about 170 persons. The shores are high 

 and rugged ; greatest depth of the water near it 

 twenty-six fathoms. The tide here runs with great 

 velocity, and forms at the east end a considerable 

 eddy. Some ships belonging to the famous Spa- 

 nish Armada were lost on this isle. 



When lying off Fair Isle, we sent the men we 

 had got from Shetland ashore in the row-boats. 



22d, Passed North Ronaldshaw light in the 

 Orkneys. The wind being but little, and at S. E. 



