Aug. 1857. MELVILLE BAY. 33 



nivik, and ran soutliward along its edge all 

 night. This morning, in thick fog, the ship was 

 caught in its margin of loose ice. The fog soon 

 after cleared off, and we saw the clear sea about 

 two miles to the eastward, whilst all to the 

 west was impenetrable closely-packed floe-pieces. 

 After steaming out of our predicament (a matter 

 which we could not accomplish under sail) we 

 ran on to the southward until evening, but found 

 the pack edge still composed of light ice very 

 closely pressed together. 



Having now closely examined it for an extent 

 of 40 miles, I was satisfied that we could not 

 force a passage through it across Baffin's Bay, 

 as is frequently done in ordinary seasons : there- 

 fore, taking advantage of a fair wind, we steered 

 to the northward, in order to seek an opening 

 in that direction. 



\2th, — We are in Melville Bay ; made fast this 

 afternoon to an iceberg, which lies aground in 

 58 fathoms water, about 2 miles from Browne's 

 Islands, and between them and the great glacier 

 which here takes the place of the coast-line. 



We have got thus far v/ithout any difficulty, 

 sailing along the edge of the middle ice ; but 

 here we find it pressing in against Browne's 

 Islands, and covering the whole bay to the 

 northward, quite in to the steep face of the 



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