LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
543 
with a boat's crew, now went on shore, for the purpose of ascer¬ 
taining the state of the ice, that was running out of the North 
Bay, which had continued without intermission for 8 or 9 hours; 
and therefore it was his opinion, that there must be an end to 
it. He ascended a very high hill, that looked not only directly 
into the bay, but also up it; and, on his return on board, he in¬ 
formed Capt. Ross, that the ice seemed to be more clear. Accord¬ 
ingly, as the wind was from the W.N.W. they cast off, and stretch¬ 
ed along the land, keeping the ship in the wind, for the purpose 
of getting the dingey on board, she being away to cast off the line. 
A piece of ground ice under their lee, obliged them to go about 
ship on the starboard tack, by which a great deal of ground was 
lost, which was considerably increased by being obliged to 
take the launch in tow astern of the ship, thereby hanging as a 
dead weight upon her, when she ought to have been entirely 
free from every incumbrance of the kind. The ship having 
hardly headway, again brought another berg under their lee, 
which it was found impossible to weather, and the ship struck 
it on her larboard bow, which shoved her head up ; but, as she 
did not lose her headway, she went about her own length, 
and took the rocks forehead, and her stern dropped in on the 
berg, and the rudder was knocked nearly to pieces. 
This accident, as it was significantly styled by a certain party, 
was in reality any thing but an accident: for it was known to 
be the effect of downright mismanagement. At this particular 
period, one of those quarrels had taken place between Capt. 
Ross and his nephew, which had assumed almost the character 
of a regular periodical occurrence, and which actually threw a 
gloom over the whole proceedings of the expedition. On first 
approaching the berg, it was strongly recommended by Com¬ 
mander Ross, to go to leeward of it; for, as the ship was in 
stays, the danger was great in attempting to go to windward, 
as in the event of the ship missing stays, there was no other 
prospect, than being driven right upon the berg, to the destruc¬ 
tion perhaps of the ship; at all events, to the commission of 
such damage, as might render it impossible to proceed on the 
voyage. 
