08 Dangerous Navigation. 



that disastrous voyage is memorable, bears record 

 to the general abhorrence and fear with which this 

 part of Davis' Straits is regarded, in the following 

 words : " on approaching that universally detested 

 Resolution Island, with its dense fogs, and its whirl- 

 pools, tossing about masses of ice, sweeping the 

 ship among them and rendering her utterly un- 

 manageable." It will thus be seen that all who 

 have had experience in these regions are unani- 

 mous in their opinions regarding this neighbour- 

 hood. 



Many of the bergs which we passed to-day were 

 of great magnitude, and are indeed " large coun- 

 treys and islands of yce." We saw none, however, 

 that could compare in size with that one of gigantic 

 dimensions seen by Master John Davis (after whom 

 the Straits are named), who, on the 17th of July, 

 1586, " fell in with an enormous mass of ice, having 

 all the characteristics of land." He very wisely 

 declines entering into particulars as to its size and 

 height, lest, as he says, " he should not be believed." 

 Some notion of its magnitude, however, may be 

 formed from the fact that he sailed along it till the 

 30th ; and that while in its vicinity, " the cold was 

 extreme, the shrouds, ropes, and sails being frozen, 

 while a dense fog loaded the air." 



Tuesday, May 27th. — During the last two days 

 we have had a succession of very heavy snow 

 showers, and although the men were kept constantly 



