Chap. L and his wintering in Charlton Ifland. 410 
But there arofe a very thick Fog^ and Night came on with- 
al, that we were forced to fallen to a Piece of Ice expell- 
ing Day, and better W eather. 
I'he 1 5th in the Morning, although the Fog was very 
tliick, we would endeavour to get out of the Ice, and 
Hood away Well ; but within two Hours the Water 
Ihoaled from forty to twenty-five Fathoms ; whereby we 
knew that we had the Shoaling of the wellern Shore. 
I'hen we fhaped our Courfe to the northward ; the Fog 
continued fo thicks that we could not fee a Pillol-fliot 
about us. We had not Hood this Way two Hours, but 
we heard a Rut of Ice ahead of us, which made the molt 
hideous Noife of any I had heard this Voyage. We 
hauled ourTacks aboard, and flood to the wellward in this 
Day-darknefs ; hearing it fometimes, and feeing it fome- 
times, which was very large, deep, and high ICe above 
the Water *, we weathered it all except fome few Pieces, 
and got into open Water. About Sun-fet there came a 
fudden Gull at North- north- well, and before We could 
handle our Sails it was with us, and put us into fome 
Trouble ; it dallied with us, by Gulls, till nine o’Clock j 
and then it fell into a moll violent Storm. We confidered 
where we might have the clearell Drift, and fo took in 
all, and let her drive her Head to the Ihoreward. Before 
Midnight the Water llioaled on us unto fifteen Fathoms. 
Then we turned her Head to the eallward, and fet our 
main Courfe low-fet, but as much as llie could bear. 
The Water deepened but little, and we knew that we 
were on thofe rocky Slides which we ftruck on the lall 
Year % God be merciful unto us. Here was the firft 
great breaking Sea we had this Year. The 1 6th, in the 
Morning, we were driven to a great Rand of Ice ; to avoid 
which we fet our Force and Courfe too, and flood to the 
fhorewardin fifteen Fathom Water, and then about again. 
We Hood in a Mile to the Ice, but there was a great 
fwelling Sea in it, that it was not durable *, fo we ilood 
out again. About three in the Afternoon the Storm broke 
up, and blew fair at North-well, which produced Good 
for us, for we had not Drift for four Hours, befides, it 
was but five Leagues betwixt the Sholes and the Ice ; 
We fet all our Sails, and endeavoured to weather the Ice, 
but in the Evening we were Hill pellered with it. By 
Midnight we knew not which Way to turn, nor what to 
do ; fo we took in ail our Sails, and let her drive among 
it. The Ice beat us on every Side, for there went among 
it a very great full Sea. The i yth in the Morning, 
when we could fee about us, we were in the Midll of it •, 
but in the lall Storm it was all broken to Pieces, as big as 
a Boat of three or four Ton, which gave us m.any a heavy 
Blow in the dark Night. If this Storm had taken us among 
it, it had broken us all to Pieces without God’s miracu- 
lous Prefervation. We made fail, and endeavoured to 
clear ourfelves of it to the northward, which, by eight 
in the Morning, we had done ; we then went to Prayer, 
and gave God hearty Thanks, that had delivered us out 
of it ; for we were hourly, for the Space of fix Weeks, 
as it were in the Jaws of Death ; yea, never had any, 
that I have heard of, been for fuch a Space in fuch long 
Nights upon a foul Shore, tormented with Ice, as we 
have been. 
At Noon we were in 58 Degrees 20 Minutes. Now, 
as touching the Difiblution of the Ice, we found that this 
Storm had torn and fliattered this Rand of Ice which was 
on the Outfide, although it mull have a long time to 
work into the main Body of it. I have in July^ and in 
the Beginning of Augufi, taken fome of the Ice into the 
Ship and cut it fquare, two Foot, and put it into the 
Boat where the Sun Ihone with a very llrong Re- 
fiedtion about it, and notwithllanding the Warmth of the 
Ship, for we kept a good Fire, and all our Breathings 
and Motion, it would not melt in eight or ten Days. 
It was our Pradlice, when we Ihould be two Days too-e- 
ther fall to a Piece of Ice, to fet Marks to it, to fee how 
it confumed, but it yielded us fmall Hope of difiblving ; 
we could not in that time perceive any Diminution by 
the finking ot it, or otherwife *, neverthelefs, I think that 
it is ruined by Storms, or confumed by Heat fome Years, 
or elfe the Bay would be choaked up ; but I confefs thefe 
Secrets of Nature are paft my Comprehenfion, Being out 
VoL. IL Numb. 98. 
of it (but we yet faw it from off the Leeks to theEall^ 
ward) I ordered the Mailer to fleer away North and by 
Eall, keeping the Shoalings of the wellern Shore. Thd 
1 8th at Noon we were in Latitude 53 Degrees 36 
Minutes. 
37. The 19th we continued our Courfe betwixt the 
North-north-eall, and the North and by Eall, and by 
Noon were In Latitude 61 Degrees 7 Minutes, fome 
twelve Leagues off the Shore: I ordered the Mafter to 
lhape his Courfe North-eall, to look into that Place be- 
Car f s Swans-neji mdi Ne plus ultra. The 20th we 
were in Latitude 61 Degrees 45 Minutes. This Day 
we faw fome few Seals about the Ship. The 2 ill the 
Water fhoaled fo that it v/as concluded we were near 
Land ; but about Noon the Wind came up at North-eall^ 
direblly oppolite ; We loofed as near as we could, and as 
it larged we came to Hand Eall, and Eall and by North. 
The 2 2d we fell with the Land to the Wellward of 
Carf s S‘wans-nejl, where we had forty Fathoms three 
Leagues off. We Hood in within a League of the Shore 
into eighteen Fathoms, and feeing the Land to the South- 
ward of us, We compalled about it, it being Carf s Swans~ 
neji^ which is in the Latitude of 52 Degrees. All the 
23d we failed North-eall, and, for the moll part, in 
Sight of Land. 
The 24th at Noon, by Judgment, we were In Latitude 
69 Degrees 3oMinutes, having failed a Noith-eafl Courfe t 
All this Day was a very thick Fog, which about one 
o’clock cleared a little, fo that I expecfled to fee the 
Land ; fome of our Men, better fighted, fpied it about 
two Leagues off. I knew it could be none other than 
Nottingham IJland, though it was fomething contrary to 
the Expedlation of our bell Mariners : We Hood in to 
make it, it was the North-end of it, and it bore off us 
due Eall ; I was foon affured of it, and I ordered the 
Mailer to lhape his Courfe North-well and by North. 
Both he and others were unwilling, but without much- 
ado fubmitted themfelves : It was very foul, thick Wea- 
ther. The Reafons of my Refolution were thefe : The 
Time of the Year was far fpent, and the Winter came 
upon us, therefore I would make the fhortell Way be^ 
twixt the Lands already difcovered. If I found an open 
Sea, I had my Delire, and then I intended to proceed 
to the utmoll of our Power. 
If I met with Land, I Ihould then finilh the Difcovery^’ 
it being not above fifteen Leagues from Land to Landj 
and not above ten Leagues from Nottingham IJland to the 
Main of the North Shore, we made what fail we could, 
it blowing a very fliff Gale of Wind till eight in the 
Evening j then it began to blow fiercely, and we took 
in our Topfails, and flood under our two Courfes and 
Bonnetts ; at nine it blew a violent Storm at Soiith- 
fouth-eafl, fo that we took in our Forefail, and let hef 
drive North-well. All Night it continued an extraordi- 
nary Stormj that we heaved the Lead every half Watch ; 
but the Ship drove fo fall that flie would be pall the Lead 
before there were two Fathoms of Line out, all the 
Night being exceeding cold withal. The 25th the Storm 
continued, and fo perplexed us, that there were but few 
that could fleep or eat for twenty-four Hours. About fix 
in the Afternoon the Storm began to abate, yet there blew 
a frefli Gale of Wind between the South and South-well^ 
we flood Well-north-weft, and made a North-weft Way j 
when fuddenly the Sea became very fmooth. We rea- 
foned thereupon among ourfelves. What might be the 
Caufe ot it ? We all thought it to be a Leeward Tide, 
nothing doubting what we afterwards encountred j the 
Ship had a very quick Way in the fmooth Water. 
38. The 26th by two in the Morning we were fudden- 
ly got among the Ice, and it pleafed God that the Moon 
at that Inllant gave us fo much Light that we could fee 
a little about us. We would have Hayed the Ship, but 
it was fo thick to the Windward, and fo near us that we 
durff not. We then bore up in this unexpefted Acci- 
dent, and I verily believe did not efcape Hriking the 
Length of a Foot againff the Ice, as hard as Rocks, two 
or three times, as the Ship now having Way after twelve 
Leagues a Watch. Then we Hood clofe by the Wind to 
the EaHward, cxpedling Day that we might fee about 
5 WS. 
