102 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
pursuit of three unicorns, but without success. A 
walrus or sea horse was seen to leeward, but at too 
great a distance for a boat to be spared. We con- 
tinued sailing forward in apparent security, with the 
expectation of a good lead into slacker ice, or pro- 
bably into open water, when a thick fog suddenly 
obscured our prospects. Before it cleared away, 
we found the ice to be rapidly closing, and ulti- 
mately we were surrounded by pieces, which, from 
their magnitude, were frightful to behold ; the water 
being very transparent, they exhibited their awful 
appendages, termed tongues^, far protruding below 
the surface. Every direction that the best judgment 
could suggest, was given, and the promptest obe- 
dience was observed. Two hours were never spent 
ingreater anxiety, activity, and interest, as we sailed 
^ over a great space, often between large pieces of 
ice, until we came into open water, when, the fog 
returning, the ship lay to. At four o’clock in the 
afternoon the fog cleared off, but the wind gathered 
to a gale, and laid the ship on her beam ends almost 
all the night. 
The wind changed from north to south, 
June 21. blew with equal violence, putting the 
ice in motion in every direction. The gales seemed 
to conspire against the attainment of the interesting 
object of our pursuit, the western land ; for, just 
as we were preparing to avail ourselves of a favour^ 
* A point of ice projecting nearly horizontally from a part that 
is under water. 
