452 OBtSERVATlONS ON THE CURRENTS. 



a good breeze, and under short sail during the niglit. It was the opinion of all 

 hands, that we sailed three hrmdred miles before we were clear of the large islands 

 of Ice." 



In July and August of the same year, 1826, H.M.S. Ringdove was on her passage 

 from New York, and fell in with an immense Iceberg off the Banks of Newfound- 

 land, drifting to the Southward, the magnitude and sudden appearance of ]ivhich 

 astonished every person on board. 



In the month of March, 1828, several vessels arrived at New York, which had 

 fallen in with islands of Ice, in lat. 43° to 44°, long. 47° to 49°. This was con- 

 sidered as unusually early in the season for such dangers to be met with. In this 

 season the brig Catherine and Hannah, Captain Lumsden, which afterwards arrived 

 at Cork, picked up, on the 4th of May, in lat. 45° 11', long. 56° (near Banquereau), 

 a boat belonging to the Superb, of and from Bristol, for Quebec, which ran foul of 

 an Iceberg on the 21st of April, that stove her forward. This unfortvmate occur- 

 rence obliged all hands to take to the pumps, at which they continued without 

 intermission for two days and a night, when a schooner hove in sight ; and the 

 captain proceeded in the jolly boat to treat with them to take the crew. "While 

 the captain was so engaged, the vessel being quite in a sinking state, the crew left 

 the pumps to get the boats out to leave her. They succeeded in getting out a boat 

 (the one subsequently picked up), and seven men got into her ; upon which they 

 unhooked the tackle, slipped from the ship, but could not regain her, and, it 

 coming on thick weather, they could not find the schooner ; thus the unfortunate 

 men were left without provisions, water, mast, sail, or anything that would enable 

 them to struggle for existence, save and except two oars. In this state they were 

 buffeted about for eleven days, when they were fallen in with by the Catharine and 

 Hannah. Of the seven men only two were alive ; and one of these survived only 

 twenty-four hours. It is almost superfluous to say, that the only food which they 

 had taken was the bodies of their deceased companions. 



Captain Barclay, of the Brilliant, for Leith, from Quebec, which he left on June 

 5th, 1829, narrowly escaped shipwreck, having fallen in with a heavy body of Ice, 

 about 20 miles East of the entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle, in foggy weather. 

 The vessel got clear on the 19th of June, after being three days and nights amongst 

 it, and being obhged to proceed 1^^° to the Southward. 



On May 11th, 1833, between the Outer and Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the 

 brig Lady of the Lake, John Grant, master, from Belfast, with 230 passengers, in 

 lat. 46° 50', long. 47° 10', fell in with Ice, and while endeavouring to pass between 

 two large pieces, a tongue under water struck the port bow, and stove it entirely 

 in. It is not requisite here to repeat afflicting details ; the consequence was, that 

 the brig soon foundered, and only the captain, with fourteen other persons, were 

 ultimately saved. 



The barque Perthshire, R. Simpson, from Pictou, Nova Scotia, fell in with a 

 field of Ice, in lat. 46° 19', long. 46° 40', on June 8th, 1845. It was above 30 miles 

 in extent, and on its North end there was a ship, high and dry on the ice, with the 

 crew on board ; but could not render them assistance. 



(460.) The following are from Mr. Eedfield : — On January 1st, 1844, Captain 

 Burroughs, in the ship Sully, met with an Iceberg, in lat. 45° N., long. 48° W. This 

 is earlier in the winter than any other case which we have met with. Captain 

 Burroughs states, that he had met with Ice near this position on February 1st, on 

 a former voyage. 



In September, 1822, Captain Couthouy saw an Iceberg aground on the Eastern 

 edge of the Grand Bank, in lat. 43° 18', long. 48° 30'. Sounding 3 mUes inside of 

 it, the depth was found to be 105 fathoms. In August, 1827, the same observer, 

 while crossing the Banks, in lat. 46° 30', long. 48° W., passed within less than 

 a mile of a large Iceberg, stranded in between 80 and 90 fathoms water. He was 

 ao near as to perceive distinctly large fragments of rocks, and quantities of earthy 



