LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
577 
considered as to be totally frozen in. The young* ice was 
inches thick, and every 24 hours added to its thickness. The 
only chance now, of escaping out of this bay, was, by cutting a 
groove across it, in case the ice should take a turn cut of it. 
Some hope indeed was entertained, that this would be the case, 
as, from a survey, taken from a hill in the immediate vicinity, 
the ice was seen on the outside, running rapidly to the south¬ 
ward, whilst, at the distance of about two miles from the mouth 
of the bay, no ice whatever was to be seen. A more unfortu¬ 
nate situation for the ship, perhaps could not have been selected, 
and every day brought with it, the painful conviction, that had 
the vessel been under the command of a Parry, a very different 
prospect would have presented itself, than that, which was 
now the lot of the crew of the Victory. A striking proof of the 
truth of the foregoing remarks, was exhibited on the 20th, 
when the wind, hauling to the south, set the ice to the north, 
and as the north-east point lay a long way out, it brought up a 
large floe, which completely blocked up the harbour. Had 
this unfortunate circumstance not occurred, it was the general 
opinion, that the ship would have been got out into clear 
water, for the ice had so completely gone off the shore, that the 
eye could not see it in any direction. To the seamen, who 
are at all times prone to superstition, it appeared, that this floe 
of ice was placed there by some hostile genius, for the sole 
purpose of preventing the Victory from gaining her liberty. 
It is, however, an undoubted fact, that to this floe is in a great 
measure to be ascribed, the circumstance of the Victory being 
obliged to pass the winter in her present harbour; and it may 
also be said, that this was the last chance, which ever presented 
itself, of the vessel making her escape, for, by the beginning 
of October, the w inter set in with such a severe intensity, that 
all hope was abandoned of ever getting the Victory out again, 
and she was now looked upon as another sacrifice in the search 
of an object, which, as a geographical problem, it is desirous 
that it should be solved, but which, as offering any decided 
advantages in a commercial point of view, is scarcely worthy 
of the pursuit. In fact, the discoveries of Capt. Ross, in his 
25. 4 e 
