LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
125 
were employed in clearing’ away the wreck of the fore top mast, 
whilst the remainder were preparing to get another up, which 
as a godsend, they had obtained from the Rookwood. 
On the 28th, the Island of Disco was in sight bearing soutli 
east, with a number of icebergs in every direction, and in the 
same day Hare Island was seen, but the wind being fair for the 
point to which they were steering, and neither the Island of 
Disco, nor that of Hare offering any inducement for landing, the 
Victory bore away steering due west. Lat. 68° 40', long. 58° 20'. 
The 29th the wind having subsided, the steam was got up in 
both boilers, and the engine was kept going until midnight, 
when a fair breeze sprung up, and the steam was let off; the car¬ 
penters were employed in fitting some spare davits to which a 
boat was hoisted, which was on deck, in order to make room 
for a capstan which was got from the Rookwood. Land was 
now in sight, the bearings of which were N. N. W., on which 
a more westerly course was steered, with the view of making 
direct for Lancaster Sound. On the same evening a cask was 
picked up marked Jane, which was supposed to belong to a ves¬ 
sel of that name, which had been lost. The weather was beau¬ 
tifully mild, and although the Victory was now in the same lati¬ 
tude and longitude, as where the Hecla and Fury were beset in 
the ice, yet not a morsel of it was at this time to be seen as far 
as the eye could extend. 
On the 31st, the west land of Davis 1 Straits was seen, and the 
ship sailing with a fine fair wind, but it soon afterwards becom¬ 
ing calm, the steam was got up, but the larboard boiler again 
proved leaky; the fire was however kept in all night, but the 
labour bestowed upon the engine was of little use, for although 
no impediment presented itself by the ice to the free naviga¬ 
tion of the vessel, the rate of sailing did not exceed two knots 
per hour. 
On the 2nd being Sunday, divine service was performed and 
in the evening a bottle was thrown overboard with a letter en¬ 
closed, reporting the proceedings of the ship, being then in lati¬ 
tude 74° 17' north, and longitude 67° 10' west. The following 
day being calm the steam was set on, but all the progress that 
