12 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1819. On the 5th, it was necessary to pass through some heavy streams of ice, 
in order to avoid the loss of time by going round to the eastward. On this, 
Mon. 5. as on man y other occasions, the advantage possessed by a ship of considerable 
weight in the water, in separating the heavy masses of ice, was very apparent. 
In some of the streams, through which the Hecla passed, a vessel of a 
hundred tons less burthen must have been immoveably beset. The Griper 
was on this, and many other occasions, only enabled to follow the Hecla by 
taking advantage of the openings made by the latter. 
Tues. 6. At noon, on the 6th, being in lat. 67° 44' 05", long. 57° 46' 26", we had 
soundings in one hundred and seventy-two fathoms, on a bottom" of 
shining sand, mixed with small black specks. A number of looms were 
killed, which being very good to eat, were served to the officers and 
ship’s company. A herd of sea-horses ( Trichecus Rosmarus ) being seen 
lying on a piece of ice, our boat succeeded in killing one of them. 
These animals usually lie huddled together, like pigs, one over the other, 
and are so stupidly tame, as to allow a boat to approach them, within a few 
yards, without moving. When, at length, they are disturbed, they dash 
into the water in great confusion. It may be worth remarking, as a proof 
how tenacious the walrus sometimes is of life, that the animal killed to-day 
struggled violently for ten minutes after it was struck, and towed the 
boat twenty or thirty yards, after which, the iron of the harpoon broke ; and 
yet it was found, on examination, that the iron barb had penetrated both 
auricles of the heart. A quantity of the blubber was put into casks, as a 
winter’s supply of lamp-oil. 
Wed. 7. On the 7th, in standing to the northward, we came to a stream of ice, three 
quarters of a mile wide, which obstructed our passage in that direction. The 
wind died away as soon as we had entered the stream, and it required six 
hours’ rowing in the boats to tow the ships into clear water beyond it. It is 
curious to observe, in passing under the lee of ice, however small its extent or 
height above the sea, an immediate decrease in the strength of the wind. This 
effect cannot be attributed to any degree of shelter afforded by the ice, as, in 
the cases to which I allude, it is, perhaps, not more than a single foot above 
the surface of the sea. At noon, being in lat., by observation, 68° 24' 52", and 
in long. 57° 00' 43", we obtained soundings in a hundred and seventy-five 
fathoms, on a bottom of greenish-coloured mud, into which the lead sunk several 
inches. At two P.M. a thermometer in the sun rose to 70°, the temperature of 
the shade being 44°, and the weather perfectly calm and cloudless. The card 
