196 BECALMED NEAR ICEBERGS. 



During the 25th we were becalmed off the 

 Upper Savage Islands, amidst several large ice- 

 bergs., some of which were stranded on the 

 shore, and would receive the accumulation of 

 another winter's fall of snow, from not being 

 driven out of the Straits into the Atlantic Ocean, 

 where they are dissolved. The winter was again 

 setting in with a cold frosty air, and frequent 

 snow storms. The next morning the wind 

 freshened, and on the 27th, when we were off 

 Saddle Back, we experienced another heavy 

 gale of wind, which was so violent about eight 

 o'clock in the evening, that it broke the mizen 

 top sail yard, while nine of the sailors were 

 furling the sail. Providentially the broken 

 part of the yard slung with the ropes, or every 

 soul must inevitably have perished, from the 

 violent rolling of the ship. A more rough and 

 stormy night could not well be experienced, 

 with the aggravated danger of sailing among a 

 number of large isles of floating ice ; the run- 

 ning foul of one of which would be immediate 

 destruction, as upon a rock. 



The next day the wind moderated, and was 

 favourable, but from the rolling of the ship I 

 could only read the morning and evening 

 prayers, and that with some difficulty, when we 

 met for divine worship. In the evening we ap- 



