VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
99 
bank was seen rising from the horizon; and scarcely 
had we accomplished our passage into a fine space 
of water, when a most dense fog enveloped us. 
The density of the fog prevented our 
seeing objects scarcely a ship’s length from 
us, and consequently the vessel was run against 
several pieces of ice during the night ; in the 
morning, the wind changed to the south-west, and 
blew a hurricane all the day, during which we had 
most fearful sailing between floes that were in rapid 
motion, but which were passed with great adroit- 
ness. As the wind abated, the fog became more 
dense, and our companion, the Trafalgar, like our- 
selves, was encompassed by an impenetrable barrier 
of ice, which the gale had collected. Finding that 
there was no opening to proceed, and that the one 
through which we had come was closed, our situa- 
tion was considered perilous, and the apprehension 
of being beset was entertained by every one conver- 
sant with the nature of the ice. The only consola- 
tion was, that the wind having ceased, there were 
hopes of our being enabled to cut a dock in a floe, 
large enough to receive the ship ; this would be 
less dangerous than being forced between a sta- 
tionary field, and a floe driven by the impulse of 
the elements, with a fury against which no human 
ingenuity could avail in preventing the inevitable 
destruction that must ensue. Happily we were 
not reduced to the extremity which we had so much 
reason to dread. 
That some opinion may be farmed of the dangers 
H 2 
