356 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



1822. A.M., finding the weather still becoming worse, I determined to run back to 

 ^y^j Tern Island, where alone we knew of any shelter during the approaching bad 

 weather. A fresh gale almost immediately coming on, with a considerable 

 sea and very thick snow, it was for some time doubtful whether we should 

 be able to find the little spot we were in search of. Discovering it at length 

 under our lee appearing like a long white cloud upon the horizon, we bore 

 up to run round the reefs by which it is encompassed, and which may be 

 perceived at a considerable distance by the whiteness of the water. Every 

 seaman will be aware of the difficulty of choosing an anchorage in a gale of 

 wind, and upon a coast so little known as to render extreme caution neces- 

 sary in approaching it. To these difficulties however must be added, in the 

 present instance, the extreme smallness of the island , which afforded so little 

 lee that, to use an expression of the seamen, it was like " anchoring under 

 the point of a needle." On the other hand it was requisite for the leading 

 ship to keep sufficient sail set to the last moment, to ensure gaining anchor- 

 age, which once lost would have placed us in a situation of extreme danger 

 during the ensuing dark and tempestuous night. The consequence was that 

 though the Fury's sails were clewed up and furled with the utmost alacrity, 

 the strain proved too heavy for the anchor, which after bringing the ship 

 nearly head to wind, began again to drag along the ground. The chain 

 cable being then veered to seventy fathoms, she was at length brought up, 

 being in five fathoms and a half and close to some grounded masses of ice 

 lying upon the reefs ; but we had every reason, notwithstanding this, to sup- 

 pose that all was not right with the anchor. The Hecla having the Fury as 

 a guide came to in a good birth a little outside of us. 

 Mon. 23. The gale now continued to increase, and a good deal of swell setting into 

 our roadstead incommoded us less by the additional strain thus put upon 

 the anchors, than by the numerous heavy masses of ice that it served to lift 

 off the ground, and which driving past the ships occasioned them some 

 heavy shocks during this inclement night. We rode the gale out however 

 quite securely, and on the morning of the 23d had once more a moderate 

 breeze, though with continued snow. Advantage was taken of this change 

 to shift our births a little further out, in case of the wind coming upon the 

 shore, when our conjectures respecting the Fury's anchor were disagreeably 

 verified by its coming to the bows with only one fluke. Having now but a 

 single serviceable anchor on deck, the launch was hoisted out and one re- 

 ceived from the Hecla. The wind shifted to the westward soon after we had 



