OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 99 



were. I therefore decided on not movinEr the ships unless circumstances ^^^^• 

 should render it necessary. 



" On the 1 1th I was convinced that our present situation was by no 

 means secure, by observing that the opening between the Fury's anchorage 

 and the high islands off it was quite filled up with a large and heavy floe, 

 which had been brought into the inlet by the recent southerly winds. Dur- 

 ing the whole day other heavy masses of ice were forced on it from the 

 same direction, and the entrance of the inlet appeared to be rapidly filling. 

 The tides at this time were at their highest (fourteen feet), and I feared 

 they would ultimately cause the disruption of our protecting floe, and thus 

 allow the whole body of ice to set on the ships. On the 12th therefore 

 I sent to order the Fury to proceed to an open bay about three miles to the 

 northward, through a passage amongst some low islets lying off our anchor- 

 age, and which had been already sounded by our boats. On learning that 

 the Fury was secured, we weighed and stood through the same channel, 

 but the tide was then at its lowest ebb, and in the centre we clearly saw the 

 bottom at the depth of four fathoms ; our lead at one cast fell on a sharp 

 pointed rock which had escaped the notice of the sounding boats in eight 

 feet Avater. We fortunately met with no others, and anchored at sunset 

 near the Fury. Mr. Shcrcr having returned from Captain Parry, brought 

 me an instruction, that any inlet or opening in the land near us, which 

 the fog had obscured at his departure, should be examined before his 

 return, if it could be done consistently with the safety of the ships. I now 

 therefore despatched Lieutenant Hoppner, Avith directions to explore the 

 only opening of that kind which presented itself. 



" As the ice had accumulated considerably in the centre of the islet, I 

 employed myself successfully in seeking an anchorage to the northward, and 

 on my return in the evening found the ships so closely beset as to render it 

 very difficult to reach them with the boat. On the 14th I determined on 

 moving, and with the assistance of the Fui-j's people and boats succeeded 

 in getting into open water after four hours' labour, although the distance we 

 warped through the ice did not exceed one mile. We then ran to the north- 

 ward, and anchored about five miles from the Fury, off a shingle beach near 

 the entrance of that branch of the inlet which Captain Parry was employed 

 in examining. Owing to the length of time occupied in removing the 

 Hecla, we found it was too late to bring the Fury out also, and she there- 

 fore remained beset for the night. 



o 8 



