July, 1858. ENTEE POND'S BAY. 149 



readied Cape Warrender three days before us. 

 From thence to Possession Bay she met with no 

 obstruction. The subsequent east winds brought 

 in all the ice which has so much retarded us. 



The 'Diana' has already captured twelve 

 whales. Taking the hint from Capt. Gravill, 

 we have made fast to a loose floe, and are drift- 

 ing very nearly a mile an hour to the south- 

 ward along the edge of very formidable land-ice, 

 which is seven or eight miles broad. All to 

 seaward of us is packed ice. The old whaling 

 seamen of the ' Diana ' are astounded at the 

 unusual and unaccountable abundance of ice 

 which everywhere fills up Baffin's Bay. All 

 the ' Diana's ' steaming-coals, her spare spars, 

 wood, and even a boat, have been burnt in the 

 protracted struggle through the middle ice. 



21th. — After putting our letter-bag on board 

 the ' Diana ' this morning we steamed on for 

 Pond's Bay, and at noon made fast near But- 

 ton Point to the land-ice, which still extends 

 across it. 



For four hours Petersen and I have been 

 bargaining with an old woman and a boy, not 

 for the sake of their seal-skins, but in order to 

 keep them in good humour whilst we extracted 

 information from them. They said they knew 

 nothing of ships or white people ever having 



