21 
VOYAGE T(^ GREENLAND. 
pass before. It being Sunday, we hauled off to a 
considerable distance, took in our sails, and lay to, 
preparatory to the religious observance of the day. 
It may here be proper to notice that, should a whale 
be seen close along side the Baffin, on a Sunday, a 
boat is never lowered down in pursuit. 
Scarcely was the morning service ended, whep 
one of the most tremendous gales ever witnessed, 
began to blow directly towards the ice. The clouds 
had given no indication of a storm ; but, commenc- 
ing at once with furious blasts, it caused the waves 
to roll mountains high. We appeared to be the 
sport of the element : at one instant tossed on its 
heaving bosom to a frightful height, then descend- 
ing into a yawning gulf, that threatened to swallow 
us up ; it was nevertheless awfully and sublimely 
grand. The situation of those ships which we had 
seen enter the ice in the morning, under what pro- 
bably was regarded as a propitious gale, was now 
considered to be so dangerous, that all on board 
were fearfully apprehensive for their safety. The 
wind continued raging all the afternoon, with the 
increased disadvantage of terrific pieces of ice float- 
ing about the surface of the ocean : these we had 
to avoid ; and violent snow storms prevented their 
being seen at any great distance from the ship. 
About nine o’clock, the gale rather moderated, but 
as if it had been only to gather strength for an 
increase of fury ; for, during the night, it blew from 
every point of the compass ; which occasioned such 
a contention of billows, rolling higher and higher. 
