98 NOTES OF FIRST AND LAST ICE SEEN 



to these colonies, in order to avoid being beset in the ice, they are 

 obliged to pass a couple of degrees to the southward of Cape Fare- 

 well, as well as, after having crossed the meridian of this cape, 

 generally not to steer much to the northward before reaching 

 long. 50° or 52° w. of Greenwich, and sometimes even more 

 westerly. The amount of westing is dependent on the wind, 

 weather, or ice ; and by proceeding thus an open sea is reached, 

 either quite free from ice or else with it much more diffused than 

 near the coast, where the ships would be liable to be caught in the 

 drifting masses. 



A similar caution is exercised on the homeward passage from 

 the colonies, the course being in the first place off the land, and 

 then in a more southerly direction in order to reach the open sea 

 free from the dangerous ice. 



To be enabled to give an idea about the limits of the ice in these 

 regions, I examined a set of logbooks which were kindly given me 

 for perusal from the directors for the " Koyal Greenland Com- 

 merce," viz., two logbooks for each of the last five years, which 

 gives two outward and two homeward voyages to the colonies every 

 year, consequently in all twenty voyages, which I found sufficient 

 without extending these researches to too great a length. 



There are unquestionably great changes in the limits of the ice 

 in different seasons ; but still it is probable that the result of these 

 five years' observations will not be far from the mean. 



From these logbooks I noted at what latitude the meridian of 

 Cape Farewell had been crossed on the passage to the colonies, and 

 at what place the first ice was seen, and on what latitude the 

 meridian of Cape Farewell was crossed on the homeward passage, 

 and where the last ice was seen. 



In the ensuing Table these positions are inserted, and, to make 

 the subject still clearer, the places where the first and the last ice 

 was seen are marked in the subjoined Plan. 



By examining this Table it will be seen that the meridian of 

 Cape Farewell is crossed on the outward passage in a mean lat. 

 of 57° 46', and on the homeward passage in 58° 2' N., which gives 

 123 m. and 107 m. s. of Cape Farewell 1 respectively as the points 

 where the ocean, according to the logbooks, has been quite clear of 

 ice, and where, under ordinary circumstances, a safe passage can 

 be made to avoid the ice, which is usually carried round the coast 

 of Cape Farewell by the current coming from the ocean around 

 Spitzbergen. 



1 According to the observations of Captain Graah, Cape Farewell is situated in 

 59° 49' lat. n., and 43° 54' w. of Greenwich. 



