THROUGH MELVILLE BAY. 
39 
trust any one else in selecting the leads for our 
course, I have spent the whole day with McGary at 
mast-head,—a somewhat confined and unfavorable pre¬ 
paration for a journal entry. 
“Iam much encouraged, however; this off-shore wind 
is favoring our escape. The icebergs too have assisted 
us to hold our own against the rapid passage of the 
broken ice to the south ; and since the larger lloes have 
opened into leads, we have nothing to do but to follow 
THE NORTH WATER. 
them carefully and boldly. As for the ice-necks, and 
prongs, and rafts, and tongues, the capstan and wind¬ 
lass have done a great deal to work us through them; 
but a great deal more, a brave headway and our little 
brig’s hard head of oak. 
“ Midnight.—We are clear of the bay and its myriads 
of discouragements. The North Water, our highway 
to Smith’s Sound, is fairly ahead. 
“It is only eight days ago that we made Wilcox 
