Chapter VI. 



DISCO. 



UNDAY, June 1st, saw us hammering 

 away, under double-reefed topsails, 

 against a strong northerly gale, making 

 the ship in consequence very lively and 

 very uncomfortable. By noon, however, it veered 

 round to the westward, enabling us to lay a course 

 for Disco. • 



The forenoon was rendered remarkable by the 

 enormous number of icebergs, all of large dimen- 

 sions, that we passed, most of them aground, off 

 Rifkol. The captain estimated the number seen 

 in four hours at about three thousand, and I should 

 really be afraid to say whether he was under or over 

 the mark. We passed within a very short distance 

 of some of these huge islands of ice, their crests 

 towering considerably over our mast-heads, and 

 against the sides of which the sea was dashing with 

 uncontrolled fury. Many of these bergs were fully 



