32 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
noticed for many days, and several seals sporting 
about, I prepared my gun for any subject of natural 
history that might come near. The ship lying to, I 
shot a Columbus Troile, Linn. The bill was three 
inches long ; the neck, head, back, wings and tail, 
of a deep mouse-colour; secondaries tipt with white ; 
breast and belly pure white ; legs dusky ; weight 
twenty ounces ; length seventeen inches ; and ex- 
tent of wing twenty-seven and a half inches. These 
birds are called the foolish Guillemot, from the stupid 
indifference they manifest to their own preserva- 
tion, in exposing themselves to danger. On pas- 
sing through a continuation of detached pieces of 
ice, several of them were standing in an erect pos- 
ture upon them. As we proceeded, the ice became 
more closely packed, and appeared to set limits to 
our further progress : the second mate’s report from 
the crow’s nest, was to the same effect, and, indeed, 
the ojpinion was partly confirmed by three vessels 
which had been keeping the same course with us, 
and were now all bearing away. The undismayed 
commander of the Baffin, whose strong mind acted 
for itself, and was not influenced by the conduct of 
others, kept his course, and the ship soon came to 
some ice of no great resistance, which was separated 
with ease, causing only a rumbling sound, not un- 
like distant thunder, or subterraneous matter gather- 
ing its materials for a convulsion. Scarcely had the 
roaring subsided, when the ship struck a large body 
of ice, which, from the concussion agitated its whole 
frame with ‘‘ earthquake shock.” It was awful, but 
