40 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
impede our progress. The ship was equally pre- 
pared for the combat, and its skilful commander 
placed himself at the mast head, to observe the 
movements of the enemy, and to take the best 
position : pieces of ice of such immense magnitude 
and weight, as, it might be imagined, must over- 
whelm us, often opposed our progress: to meet 
these, was displayed nautical skill, interesting be- 
yond description ; such as ^vhen advancing, under 
a pressure of sail, promptly bracing back the yards 
in an instant to impede the ship’s way ; then, at the 
moment of meeting, filling the sails, and driving 
the obstinate foe aside. Numbers of the finest evolu- 
tions were made during the day ; we turned with 
celerity upon the flanks of some, upon the rear of 
others, and on many occasions manoeuvered in the 
perfect figure of 8, to defeat not only the columns, 
but the reserves that threatened to cut off our re- 
treat, and keep us captive in a prison of ice, if not 
to effect our destruction. By the uncommon per- 
severance of Captain Scoresby, who remained thir- 
teen hours in the crow’s nest, the thermometer being 
twelve degrees below the freezing point, we were 
at eleven e’clock at night, once again in the open 
sea, to explore and pursue some more favourable 
situation for fishing ; for which purpose we sailed 
to the north-west. At one period of the day, when 
the wind had ceased, and the difficulties were less 
formidable, I requested a boat to examine some bo- 
dies of ice at no great distance from us. On ap- 
proaching them, nothing could exceed their endless 
