VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
145 
of our being beset; at length a heavy piece, the 
extent of which could not be discovered, was 
seen not two ships’ length from us, and conse- 
quently the most powerful exertion of the crew in 
towing, with all the other efforts used on such 
occasions, was employed to keep clear of it. The 
effect produced by immense masses coming in 
contact with each other resembled heavy cannon- 
ading at a distance ; the sound was at once awful, 
and sublimely grand. At noon the weather began 
to clear, though not sufficiently to take an observa- 
tion from the deck ; but Captain Scoresby, whose 
resources seemed inexhaustible, attained his object 
by measuring from the mast head the altitude of 
the sun from its reflected image upon the water,, 
which was so smooth as to act the part of a mirror: 
our latitude, thus ascertained, was found to be 74° 
30' N. and longitude 12° W. This made me still 
more anxious for clear weather, as from our situa- 
tion we ought to see the west land. At six o’clock 
in the evening the fog began to disperse, and in 
two hours I had the gratification of seeing, about 
forty-five miles distant, the land on the eastern 
side of old or lost Greenland. 
This remote region called by geographers of 
northern countries. West Greenland, is presumed 
to reach from the southernmost point of Cape 
Farewell and Statenbrook on the right side, in 
the 60th degree of north latitude, north-east towards 
Spitzbergen as far as the 80th degree of north 
latitude. This eastern side is almost totally un- 
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