480 
LAST VOY GE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
running in the same direction. Now, if the Victory had been 
pushed through, instead of being fastened to a berg, the north- 
easternmost point, as well as all the islands, that lay off it. 
would have been cleared : this was the current opinion amongst 
the crew, and one of the mates in particular openly avowed his 
sentiments on the subject, viz. that if he had had charge of the 
vessel, he would have shoved her out into the ice, because it 
was then running to the north, and the inlet became broader, 
the further they advanced. It was well known to all the crew, 
that Capt. Ross always entertained a strong objection to carry 
his vessel amongst the ice ; but, that had she been under the 
command of Capt. Parry, a very different fate would have be¬ 
fallen the Victory, than when under the command of Capt. 
Ross. We have the authority of several of the crew, for stating, 
that a greater degree of danger was experienced with Capt. 
Parry in one hour, than was incurred on board the Victory, from 
the period of her reaching the ice, to the moment of her aban¬ 
donment : and further, that if a strong desire had not been 
manifested to return to England, a greater advance to the north¬ 
ward might have been obtained, which, however, was relin¬ 
quished, either from timidity or an indisposition to endure any 
longer the perils of the voyage. 
During the 18th and 19th, the wind shifted to almost all the 
two-and-thirty points of the compass, driving the ice in every 
direction. But the Victory had got into such an unfavourable 
situation, that very little hope remained, of emancipating her 
from it: no other prospecttherefore presented itself, thanp assing 
another winter within four miles of the former harbour, with 
the dread of a scarcity of provisions staring them in the face; and, 
perhaps, their ultimate fate, being the abandonment of the ship, 
with the chance of being frozen to death in their endeavor to 
reach the seas frequented by the whalers, which, at all events, 
could not be done for nearly nine months to come 
On the 20th, the wind got round to the south-west, blowing 
strong : but it was too late for the Victory to take any advantage 
of it, as she was completely frozen in, and the young ice pouring 
in upon her, in all directions. The labor of the crew was here 
