Chap. I. (tnd his wintering in Chariton Iflaild, 
that Extremity that they could not come to us, if there 
were any, we comforted and refrefhed ourfelves by 
fleeping the more fecurely. 
We changed our Idand Garrifon every Week, for 
other refrefhing we were likely to have none till the 
Spring. From the ipth to the 20th it fnowed and 
blowed fo hard that the Boat could hardly venture on 
Shore, and but feldom land unlefs the Men waded in 
the thick congealed Water, carrying one another ; we 
fenfibly perceived withal, how we daily funk into more 
Miferies. The Land was all deep covered with Snow, 
the Cold ftrengthened and the thick Snow Water en- 
creafed, and what would become of us, our moft merci- 
ful God and Prefer ver knew only. The 29th I ob- 
ferved an. Eclipfe of the Moon with what Care polTible 
I could, both in the Trial of the Exa6lnefs of our In- 
flruments, as alfo in the Obfervation. This Month of 
O^ober ended with Snow and bitter cold W eather 
1 7. On the firft of November^ I caft up Accounts with 
the Steward coiicerning Vibluals, the third Part of our 
Time being this Day out. I found him an honeft Man ; 
for he gave me an Account every Week what was fpent 
and what was ffill in the Hold remaining under Jiis 
Hand. I would take no Excufe for I.eakage or other 
Wafte, unlefs he daily fhewed it to me. Every Month 
I made a new Survey, and every fix Months put what 
he fpared by itfelf, which now was at lead; a Month’s 
Provifion of Bread, and a Fortnight’s Peafe, Fifh, 
The 3d Day the Boat endeavoured to get on Shore, but 
could not go through the congealed Water. 
On the 4th they found a Place to get on Shore, and 
fo once in two or three Days till the 9th, bringing 
Beer to our Men on Shore in a Barrel, which would 
freeze firmly in the Floufe in one Night ; other Pro- 
vifions they had ftore. The Ice Beer being thawed in a 
Kettle was not good, and they broke the Ice of the 
Ponds to come at Water to drink. This Pond Water 
had a moft loathfome Smell with it, fo that doubting 
leaft it might be infedlious I caufed a Well to be funk near 
theHoufe ; there we had very good Water, which tafted, 
as we flattered ourfelves, like Milk. The loth, having 
enough Boards for fuch a Purpofe, I fet the Carpenter 
to work to make a Boat which we might carry over 
the Ice, and make ufe of her wherever there was W ater. 
At Noon I took the Latitude of this Ifland by two 
Quadrants ; which I found to be 52 Degrees. I urged 
the Men to make Traps to catch Foxes ; for we daily 
law many •, fome of them were pied black and white, 
whereby I gathered that there were fome black Foxes, 
whofe Skins I told them were of great Value, and I 
promifed that whoever could take one of them fhould 
have the Skin for his Reward ; hereupon they made 
divers Traps, and waded in the Snow, which was very 
deep, to place them in the Woods. 
The 1 2th our Houfe took Fire, but we foon quench- 
ed it ; we were obliged to keep an extraordinary Fire 
Night and Day, and this Accident made me order a 
Watch to look to it continually, fince if our Houfe and 
Cloathing fhould be burnt we ftiould be in a woeful Con- 
dition •, I lay afliore till the 1 7th, all which Time our 
Miferies increafed. 
It fnowed and froze extremely, at which Time we 
looking from the Shore towards the Ship, fhe appeared 
a Piece of Ice in the Falhion of a Ship, or a Ship re- 
fembling a Piece of Ice ; the Snow was all frozen about 
her, and all her Fore-part firm Ice, and fo Ihe was on 
both Sides, alfo our Cables frozen in the Hawfe. I got 
me aboard, where the long Nights I fpent with tor- 
menting Cogitations, and in the Day-Time I could not 
fee any Hopes of faving the Ship. This I was aflfured 
of, that it was impoffible to endure thofe Extremities 
long every Day the Men muft beat the Ice off the 
Cables, while fome within, with the Carpenter’s lono- 
calking Iron, digged the Ice out of the Hawfers : . In 
which Work the Water would freeze on their Cloaths 
and Hands, and would fo benumb them that they could 
hardly get into the Ship without being heaved in with 
a Rope. The 19th, our Gunner who, as you may re- 
member, had his Leg cut off, languiftied irrecoverably, 
and now grew very weak, defiring that for the little Time 
VoL. IL Numb. 97. 
he had to live, he mnght drink Sack altogether, which f 
ordered he fliould. 
The 2id in the Morning he died, an honeft and a’ 
ftrong hearted Man. Fie had a clofe boarded Cabin 
in the Gun-room, which was very clofe indeed, and as 
many Cloaths on him as was conVenienti and a Pan of 
Coals and a Fire continually in his Cabin, notwith- 
ftanding which Warmth, his Plaifters would freeze at 
his Wound, and his Bottle of Sack at his Head ; wO 
committed him, at a good Diftance from the Ship^ untd 
the Sea. 
18. On the 23d the Ice increafed extraordinarily, and 
the Snow lay in Flakes as it fell, much Ice alfo drove 
by us, yet nothing hard all this while. In the Evening, 
when the Watch was fet, a great Piece of Ice came 
athwart the Flawfer, and four more followed after it, 
the leaft of them a Quarter of a Mile broad, which in 
the Dark very much aftoniihed us, thinking it would 
carry us out of the Harbour upon the Shole’s eaftern 
Point, which was full of Rocks. It w^as newly con-^ 
gealed two Inches thick, and we broke through it, the 
Cable and Anchor enduring an incredible Strefs, fome 
time flopping the whole Ice. We Ihot off three Muf- 
kets, fignifying to our Men afliore that we were in 
Diftrefs ; who anfwered us again, but could not help us. 
By ten o’Clock it was all paffed, neverthelefs we watch- 
ed carefully, and the Vf eather was warmer than we had 
felt it any time this Month. 
In the Morning by break of Day I fent for our Men 
aboard, who fnut up the Houfe and arrived by ten, 
being forced to wade through the congealed Water, fo 
that they received the Boat with Difficulty. There drove 
by the Ship many Pieces of Ice, tho’ not fo large as the 
former, but much thicker One Piece came foul of the 
Cable and made the Ship drive. As foon as we were clear 
of it we joined our Strength together, and had up our 
eaftermoft Anchor ; and now I refolved to bring the Ship 
aground, which I had delayed for the following Rea- 
fons. Firft, It was all ftoay Ground, fome Stones lying 
dry three or four Foot above the Water, fo that it was 
to be fufpedled that it was the like all round. Secondly, 
It ordinarily flowed but two Foot and a half here, and 
if flie fliould bed deep in the Sands we could not ever 
come to dig her out again, for that fhe would not be 
dry by four or five Foot. Thirdly, it was a clofe Sand 
which might rife with the Surface, or fo mount about 
her, that ail our weak Powers could not heave it away 
the next Spring. Fourthly, We doubted the Tides 
would not rife fo much in the Summer as they did 
now. Fifthly, We could not bring her out of the Tide’s 
Way, which ran fometiiing quick here, and the fee 
befide might drive and mount up upon her, and fo, 
overfet her, and tear her, and carry away her Planks and 
Iron Work ; and alfo that we fliould have nothing left 
to finifli our Pinnace with. Sixthly, If it blew a Storm 
at North- weft or thereabouts, the Water would flow 
ten Foot and upv/ards, and that Wind being off the 
Shore, it would blow away all the Ice, and there would 
come in an extraordinary great Surf about the Shole to the 
eaftward Point, which was occafioned by a deep Overfall, 
befides flie would beat extremely, and if flie were put 
up by the Sea or that Surf, it was very doubtful that 
we fliould never heave her off again ^ for thefe Reafons 
we endured all, ftill hoping for fome fortunate Accident : 
But now all our Defigns we faw Foolifhnefs, and that a 
great deal of Labour had been fpent in vain by us. 
With the Flood we weighed our weftermoft Anchor, 
perceiving God’s Afliftance manifeftly, becaufe it hap- 
pened to be, fine warm Weather, otherwife we had not 
been able to work. 
The Wind was now South, which blew in upon the 
Shore, and made the loweft Tides. We brought the 
Ship into twelve Feet Water, and laid out one Anchor 
in the Offing, and another in Shole-water, to drav/ her 
on Land at Command : Our Hope alfo was, that fome 
Stones that were to the Weft ward of us would fend off 
fome of the Ice j we then being about a Mile from the 
Shore. About ten o’Clock in the dark Night the Ice came 
driving upon us, and our Anchors came home. She 
drove fome two Cables-Rngth, and the Wind blowing 
5 O ©a 
