ADVANTAGES 
OF STEAMER. 
131 
ception, we have had no drawback but that capricious 
and feeble motive power, upon which, under the most 
favorable circumstances, our little craft is dependent. 
How often, when retarded by bafEing winds or unfa- 
voring leads, have I wished for a few hours of steam!" 
The arguments in favor of a towing steamer to pro- 
mote the transit of this tedious bay seem to me very 
simple and conclusive. The linear distance, including 
tortuosities, is but three hundred miles, or two days' 
run. It had cost us already, including our besetment 
off the Thumb, five weeks. 
The causes of this delay were either closed ice, calms 
and adverse surface currents, contrary winds, or baf- 
fling leads. None of these, except the first, would 
have arrested a steamer. The predominant winds of 
July and August are, to use the expression of the whal- 
ers, " closing winds ;" and, except casters and south- 
easters (true), which are comparatively rare and of 
short continuance, all the " opening winds" are con- 
trary, and impracticable for sailing vessels. 
I have observed that in calm weather, especially 
if it continues for some time, the ice becomes less te- 
nacious, and opens gradually in leads ; but sails are 
powerless in a calm. Slight airs from the north al- 
ways relaxed the ice, and these were frequent; yet 
here, too, we were hampered, for the north wind was 
dead ahead ; and, while it lasted, we had nothing to 
do but tie up and await a change. 
Even in that rare conjunction of an opening wind 
and a favoring wind, the tortuous leads may utterly 
check the navigator's advance. When a " slant" from 
the southward and eastward did come, as my wind 
tables will show that it sometimes did, a single tonguev 
of ice or a zigzag lead would delay us until the favor- 
