VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
117 
hensions for the fate of the Baffin. If these fears 
were not consolatory, I was cheered by a religious 
thankfulness to God, that we were yet safe and with 
health to exert ourselves in case of necessity. To 
strengthen the general opinion which was formed 
of the undertaking, the four ships which had been 
in company kept lying to, not daring to follow. 
Notwithstanding the terrific nature of this naviga- 
tion, I afterwards learned that Captain Scoresby did 
not attempt the enterprise until he had satisfied 
himself that the motion of the ice was favourable to 
his wishes, and such as with the prudent measures 
he had adopted, would, by the blessing of God, 
ensure our safety. 
Among the subjects that in these regions are ex- 
tremely interesting to the philosopher, one of a 
particular nature occurred this day, in the extraor- 
dinary effect and power of refraction. By this 
phenomenon, the exact representation of vessels 
at a distance, at which the convexity of the earth 
would prevent the possibility of their being seen, 
was presented to us above the horizon in an inverted 
form. The details of this curious subject will pro- 
bably be given to the public by the able pen of 
Captain Scoresby, whose attainments in science so 
pre-eminently distinguish him ; and the result of 
his observation may therefore be looked for with 
great interest. 
While we were passing between two floes that 
had formed a neck, and just opened a passage wide 
enough for the ship to move through, I observed 
