374 Drift Ice and Currents of the North Atlantic. 



common route of navigation, chiefly since 1832. This will serve 

 to show the region where it is most often encountered. 



Although little or no ice be seen in one passage, or even in 

 many times crossing the Atlantic, yet it has been frequently met 

 in such quantities as seemed to indicate a vast, or indefinite ex- 

 tension of the ice-fields, towards the polar seas. And from the 

 inexhaustibility of the sources of supply, and the permanent 

 character of the polar currents, we may infer that there is no 

 spot of ocean within the influence of these currents which has 

 not, at some time, been covered with ice. 



A recital of the various authorities and marine reports from 

 which our ice-chart has been compiled, might prove more tedious 

 than useful. The following, however, selected from many others, 

 may serve as examples of the cases in which the ice has been 

 noticed by navigators. 



Ship Eli Whitney, Harding, April 7, 1836, sea account : wind 

 S. S. W. and thick fog ; ordered the temperature of the water to 

 be tried every half hour ; at 6 p. m. water 36° ; passed a small 

 ice-island ; ship going west all night three knots ; 6 a. m. water 

 34°, at 8 A. M. water 31^°, passed considerable quantities of ice. 

 At 10 A. M. saw a large field of ice ahead, which extended to 

 the north and south as far as the eye could reach ; entered it in 

 expectation of finding an opening to westward. After proceed- 

 ing a cable's length, wore round and stood out as we went in, 

 and then hauled the ship on the wind to the S. E. Longitude 

 by account, 47° 06' W., latitude by account, 44° 41' N.— April 



8, wind S. S. W., stood to the S. E. till 5 a. m. ; water 46°; 

 tacked ship to the westward. At noon water 44°, latitude by 

 observation, 44° 35', longitude by chronometer, 46° 56'. — April 



9, wind S. S. W. and foggy. At 4 p. m. water 34° ; wore ship 

 to the S. E. At midnight water 44° ; tacked ship to the west- 

 ward. At 8 A. M. wind shifted N. W. and cleared off" the fog ; 

 three large islands of ice in sight ; water 44° ; latitude by ob- 

 servation, 44° 17' N., longitude by chronometer, 47° 50' W. — 

 April 10, wind N. W. ; passed six large islands ; water in vicin- 

 ity of the ice 40°, latitude by observation, 43° 09', longitude by 

 chronometer, 48° 55'. — April 11, passed four large islands of ice 

 this day ; at 8 a. m. sounded and found bottom with 42 fathoms ; 

 water 35° ; latitude at noon by observation, 43° ; longitude by 

 chronometer, 50° 36' W. 



