194 
DISCOVERIES. 
along in hopeless isolation, to find a way open to its 
grim but protecting barriers. 
I return to my journal. 
September 19, Thursday. About five o'clock this 
morning the wind set in from the northward and east- 
ward ; but the ice was tightly compacted, and for a 
while did not budge. Presently, however, we could 
see 'the water-pools extending their irregular margins. 
Ahead of us, that is, still further to the north, was ice 
apparently more solid than the ten-inch field around 
us. It shot up into larger hummocks and heavier 
masses, and was evidently thicker and more perma- 
nent. It had been for the past two days not more than 
fifty yards ahead, and we called it in the log the ' fixed 
ice.' By breakfast -time this opened into two long 
pools on our right, and one on the left, which seemed 
to extend pretty well toward the western shore. It 
was evident that we were now drifting to the south- 
ward again. 
" The sun, so long obscured, gave us to-day a rough 
meridian altitude. Murdaugh, always active and ef- 
ficient, had his artificial horizon ready upon the ice, 
and gave us an approximate latitude. We were in 
75° 20' 11' north. A large cape and several smaller 
headlands were seen, together with apparently an in- 
let or harbor, all on the western side. They remain 
unchristened. From our mast-head, no positive land 
was visible to the north. Tides we have not had the 
means of observing. Our soundings on the 17th gave 
us bottom at 110 fathoms, nearly in mid-channel. 
September 19, 11 20 P.M. The wind continued all 
day from the northward and westward, freshening 
gradually to a gale. The barometer fell from 29° 73' to 
32, and our maximum temperature was 26°. A heavy 
fall of snow covered the deck. 
