4 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
light to warn us of dangers, which the extreme 
darkness of the night prevented the possibility of 
discovering in time enough to avoid them, there 
was every occasion for apprehension and anxiety. 
The feelings excited by the sudden and unexpect¬ 
ed involvement in a danger so threatening, were 
necessarily augmented by the contrast the mind 
naturally drew, between the present circumstances, 
and those of only three evenings prior to this 
time: Then, surrounded by all the blessings of 
life,—in the bosom of an affectionate family,—in. 
the midst of a circle of refined and enlightened 
friends,—and partaking of all the rational and 
delightful enjoyments that can render life happy 
and valuable: Now, exposed to all the violence? 
of the tempest, and, under the augmenting in¬ 
fluence of anxious uncertainty and bewildering 
gloom, threatened with the horrors of shipwreck 
on a leeward shore ! 
Towards the approach of daybreak, our appre¬ 
hensions respecting the northern shore, which 
must have been extremely near, were relieved by 
the veering of the wind to the W. and NW. 2 
we immediately wore to the southward, and were 
enabled to lead off* the land. At 8 a. m. the 
wind chopped round to the northward, and blew 
tremendously. As soon as the haziness of the 
weather had so far dispersed that w r e could recog- 
