378 Drift Ice and Currents of the North Atlantic. 



British brig Peace, Robson, May 9th, 1844, made the ice in 

 latitude 46° 52', longitude 46° 30', being bound to the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, and was soon so completely imbedded in a large 

 field of fragments that escape was impossible. She remained 

 fast until the 13th, without injury, when in the night a gale of 

 wind set in, crowding the large cakes down fast upon the sides 

 and bulwarks of the vessel, which, from being in ballast, was 

 soon stove in by the immense weight. On the 14th the small 

 boats were got out and stocked with provisions, dec, and in the 

 night of the same day the brig was abandoned. Captain R. 

 with crew and boats remained upon the ice until the 18th, being 

 unable to get into clear water, and on that day were taken off, in 

 latitude 46° 50', longitude 45° 42', by the ship Copernicus, after 

 much suffering. 



Ship Burgundy, Wotton, in May, 1844, from the latitude 45° 

 30', longitude 45°, to latitude 43° 30', longitude 48°, was com- 

 pletely surrounded by icebergs and drift ice ; lay to four nights, 

 owing to the density of the fog ; saw an iceberg two miles in 

 length ; no ice seen on the Banks. 



Ship Virginia, Allen, latter part of January, 1844, was 34 hours 

 fast in the ice. On the Banks, in a hurricane, lost foresail and 

 main-topsail — saw large quantities of ice. 



Ship Swanton, Heath, from 18th to 21st July, 1842, experi- 

 enced thick foggy weather, latitude 43° and longitude 49° to 

 54°, passed upwards of 300 icebergs, some of them very large ; 

 came near being wrecked on them, having run between two 

 large islands in the night, which nearly rubbed the ship on each 

 side before we discovered them, notwithstanding all hands were 

 upon the lookout. 



Captain WiUiam Wier, bound eastward, gave the following ac- 

 count. On the 9th of March, 1787, latitude 42° N., longitude 

 55° 40' W., was called by the mate to see a large ridge of 

 breakers: altered my course from E. S. E. to S., the appearance 

 of breakers being N. N. E., and trending from E. N. E. to W. S. 

 W. March 11th, latitude 43° 34', found myself in the midst of 

 a large body of ice, trending E. N. E. and W. S. W. ; soon got 

 through. March 13th, latitude 44° 03', at 8 a. m., made a large 

 body of ice, extending beyond view from mast-head, and trend- 

 ing N. E. by E. and S. W. by W. At 10 p. m., met a larger 

 body of ice, which entirely stopped the ship's way. On the morn- 



