In the Arctic Regions. 4Go 



finding heavy ice lying aground, and so closely pa 

 as to preclude the possibility of patting tl into 



the wain-, it was determined to examine the chai 

 by walking along the shore of the reef. An outlet to 

 the sea was discovered, but the channel was so fiat 

 that gulls were, in most parts, wading across it; and 

 there was, therefore, no other course than to await 

 the separation of the ice from the reef. On the dis- 

 persion of the fog in the afternoon, we perceived that 

 some of the masses of ice were from twenty to thirty 

 high : and we derived little comfort from behold- 

 ing, from the top of one of them, an unbroken surface 

 of ice to seaward. 

 W< •> ■ -■'. :.y, The gale blew without the least abatement 



throughout the night, and until noon of the 2nd, when 

 it terminated in a violent gust, which overthrew the 

 tents. The field of ice was broken in the offing, and 

 the pieces put in motion ; and in the evening there ap- 

 peared a large space of open water, but we could not 

 take advantage of these favorable circumstances, in 

 consequence of the ioe still closely besetting the n 

 Lieutenant Back occupied himself in sketching I 

 different views from the reef j from one of which I 

 annexed engraving has been b< lected, as conveying an 

 accurate delineation of oar position on Icy Beef ; > 

 remarked large heaps of gravel, fij t above the 



surface of the reef, on the largest iceberg, which must 



2 o« 



