180 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND; 
of the fingers of the hand widely distended, ex- 
tending from the great mass of western ice, to a 
distance of perhaps from fifty to a hundred miles. 
Should a ship unfortunately go with a fair wind 
into one of these bights, the difficulty of getting 
out again must be obvious, and it is from this con- 
sideration that the commanders of whale ships in- 
variably keep beating to windward, particularly in 
thick weather ; the better to be enabled in cases 
of entanglement, to avail themselves of a leading 
wind to ensure their return to safety. I was here 
struck with the singular character and appearance 
of the ice ; the heavy rains and the dense fogs, that 
had so long prevailed, had entirely dissolved the 
snow from its surface, and it was apparent that the 
lashings of the sea had made considerable ravages 
upon it. Its opaqueness intimated that it had re- 
ceived its origin from sea wmter, and in those re- 
cesses where shadows were created, were tints, 
whose richness not only emulated but excelled 
the sapphire in lustre. The effect of the waves 
upon the elevated pieces, explained the manner in 
which the beautiful and graceful forms 'assumed 
by the ice were modelled ; and proved that it 
was the continual action of the water, which pro- 
duced that evenness of surface, and formed those 
elegant tablets and other figures, so distinguished 
for correctness of proportion ; it was also observ- 
able, that it was to the washing of the sea, the 
height of which limited the length of the stems of 
ice, that their tasteful forms were to be ascribed. 
