ICE IN THE ARCTIC CURRENT. <53 



flatter embedded in the sides of the Iceberg ; and to see from the fore yard, that 

 the water, for at least a mile round it, was full of mud, stirred up from the bottom 

 by the violent rolling and crushing of the mass. 



(461.) A very interesting item in our enumeration of Ice-floes is that of those 

 met with in April, 1851, on which were the wrecks of two ships, which had the 

 appearance of, and from all probabilities were, the ships of the unfortunate Arctic 

 expedition under Sir John Franklin. 



The brig Renovation, of Shields, Captain E. Coward, bound to Quebec, on April 

 20th, 1851, when near the East edge of the Bank, in lat. 45° 30', wind N.E., fresh 

 br^ze, clear weather, as much as they could carry fore-topmast studding-sail, fell 

 in with Icebergs, one of which was very large, with field-ice attached, on which 

 there were two three-masted ships, having their masts struck and yards down, 

 and all made snug ; to all appearance they had passed the winter together on the 

 ice. Took the spying-glass, and carefully examined them to see if there was any 

 one on board, but could see no one, &c., &c. A further statement says they were 

 apparently two full-rigged ships (one about 500 tons, and the other 350), on an 

 Iceberg, high and dry, the larger one on her beam-ends, &c. Singularly enough, 

 this statement had been published in the " Limerick Chronicle," May 28th, 1851, 

 a year previous to any notice having been taken elsewhere. 



In our minds there is no doubt but that these were the ill-fated ships which had 

 been drifted out of Melville Sound and Baffin's Bay, and thus eluded all the 

 elaborate and anxious searches that were made. The incident is a singular one in 

 the history of Arctic Ice.* 



(462.) Some particulars of later encounters with Icebergs are given in (448). 

 In addition, the experience of Captain Potter, of the ship UdhiUtnt, may be re- 

 corded. He reports having met a remarkable number of Icebergs in lat 49° 30' N., 

 long. 45° 20' W., on May 17th, 1892. When the fog lifted in the morning, the 

 ship seemed to be in a great valley, with peak after peak of ice towering all 

 around amid acres of floating ice-cakes, 6 or 8 feet above the water. Twenty- 

 five Bergs were counted in sight, averaging from 100 to 250 feet high, and for 

 some hours the ship sailed along a narrow passage between them, the ice reflect- 

 ing all the colours of the rainbow in the bright sunlight. Clear tvater was not 

 entered until night, when the ship had run 75 miles through the ice. 



(463.) Lieutenant J. Steele Park, from whose journal we have given extracts 

 elsewhere, recites the following incident, which will bespeak for itself an inculca- 

 tory caution : — 



" June 29th, 1826. — A light breeze from the Southward, with foggy ' Bank 

 weather,' as the sailors call it. Steering E. by S. At 8 o'clock this morning it 

 cleared away, and I took altitudes for my chronometer, which made the longitude 

 49° 42' ; and, at the same time, we discovered an island on the starboard beam, 

 3 or 4 miles off. Shortened sail, hove the ship to, and sent the mate to see what 

 it really was ; for, although I had no doubt of its being an Iceberg, yet ifc certainly 

 looked something like land ; and I did not wish to leave it in any kind of uncer- 

 tainty. The fog, which had cleared away at 8 o'clock, and left a beautiful blue 

 sky, returned suddenly when the boat was about half-way from the ship. The 

 mate, an active, skilful seaman, had a compass with him, and he apprehended no 

 danger, but pushed on for the island, instead of returning, when he saw the fog 



* See Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. xxvi., pp. 26—35, '* On the 

 Probable Course pursued by Sir John Franklin's Expedition," by A. G. Findlay. Not- 

 withstanding that this great mystery was partially cleared up by the expeditions of 

 Dr. Rae and Sir L. M'Clintock, yet no vestige of the ships themselves have been seen 

 by Europeans. That portion, as well as others, is still involved in mystery ; and the 

 opinion is still tenable, and maintained by many, that these derelict ships were tha 

 Brebu$ and Terror. 



