142 STRUGGLING TO THE WESTWARD. Chap. VIII. 



circumstances the ship was made fast as near 

 to the nip as safety permitted, to await some 

 favourable change. 



10th. — All the 7th we remained in our small 

 basin, there being no outlet from it, and but 

 little water anywhere visible. To pass away 

 the dull hours and get rid of unwelcome reflec- 

 tions upon the similarity of our present posi- 

 tion and that in August last, I commenced an 

 attack upon all the feathered denizens of the 

 pack — they seemed so provokingly contented 

 with it — but they soon became wary, and de- 

 serted our vicinity, so I shot only a dozen 

 fulmar petrels, three ivory gulls, two looms,* and 

 a Lestris parasiticus ; some of them were useful 

 as specimens, and such as were not destined for 

 our table were given to the dogs. Although 

 Cobourg Island was 45 miles distant from us, its 

 lofty rounded outlines were very distinct, and 

 much covered with snow. On the 8th we 

 squeezed through nips for 4 or 5 miles, and on 

 the 9th, reaching a large space of water, steamed 

 towards Cobourg Island until again stopjDed 

 by the pack at an early hour this morning, 

 when within 5 or 6 leagues of it. 



This evening we are endeavouring to steam 



* These birds are called willocks at home ; they are the " Uria 

 Bninnichii " of naturalists. 



