88 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1819. accordingly made fast in a proper birth of this kind, not far from that which 
we had occupied the preceding night, in fifteen fathoms’ water, and at a hun- 
dred and fifty yards from the beach. 
I entertained a hope that our people, and especially the Griper’s crew, who 
were still much reduced by the effects of their late sufferings and fatigues, 
would have been allowed a good night’s rest, of which they stood much in need, 
in order to prepare them for fresh exertions in the morning ; but, at eight P.M., 
while it was fortunately yet light enough to see about us, it was perceived that 
a large floe to the south-east had very much neared the shore since we an- 
chored, rendering it necessary immediately to leave our present situation, 
where there was not a single mass of grounded ice on the outside to afford 
the smallest shelter to the ships. I determined, therefore, to stand back to 
the eastward, and as the night was, for the first time this fortnight past, very 
fine and moderate, to keep the ships under way, and to regulate our course, 
in the best manner we could, by the stars. We had at this time a fine work- 
ing breeze off the land, but it gradually died away towards midnight, after 
which the “ young” ice began to form so rapidly on the surface of the sea, that 
we could scarcely get the ships to move through the water ; and at six A.M. 
Sat. 18. on the 18th, when we were within a quarter of a mile of the shore, their 
way was altogether stopped. The current was still running so fast to the 
westward, that we were now swept back along the land at the rate of a mile 
and a quarter per hour. An attempt was, therefore, made to run a line to the 
shore, but the “ young” ice had become so “ tough,” that the boats could not 
succeed in getting through it, while at the same time it was much too weak to 
allow of their being hauled over it, not exceeding an inch in thickness. As 
the main body of the ice to the southward of us was now perceived to be in 
motion towards the shore, it became essential to the safety of the ships that 
they should be got in to the beach in order to secure them, if possible, within 
the land ice ; and, as the current was now rather carrying us into deeper 
water, I directed the ships to be anchored, as the only means of retaining them 
in their present situation till the lines could be run out. to the shore. As soon 
as we had anchored, a second attempt was made to effect this, but with as little 
success as before, and we were very glad to get the boats on board again, the 
young ice having nearly carried them away from us to the westward. As the 
day advanced, however, this ice became gradually thinner and less conti- 
nuous ; so that, after much unavailing labour, we at length succeeded in 
getting a hawser to the beach, by watching the little openings, and taking the 
