24 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
density, within the horizon. The weather-gall 
is generally considered by seamen as the liarbinr 
ger of a storm. 
The following day was stormy ; wind easterly.. 
Our latitude at noon was 71° 56', and the lon¬ 
gitude given by the chronometer at 5 h 58' r. M. 
was 8° 9' E.: my reckoning gave 6° 25' E. The 
difference 1° 44' is not surprising, when it is con¬ 
sidered, that the deviation, though evidently 
great, was not known, and that the point of 
change was probably different from what it had 
been on any preceding voyage. 
On the 25tli, I observed in latitude 75° 5', and 
early the following morning fell in with ice. We 
proceeded to the northward, among loose pieces and 
streams, until we got considerably involved. Sup¬ 
posing it to be the land-ice of Spitzbcrgeu, that 
generally skirts tho western coast in the spring of 
the year, even in open seasons, we hauled out to 
the nortlvwest, which soon relieved us, and ena¬ 
bled us again to bear away to the northward. 
For two or three nights preceding this, we had 
had no darkness, but only a faint and diminish¬ 
ing twilight. Now we were advanced into the 
region of continued day, where the sun for months 
together sweeps round the Northern Pole without 
ever descending below the horizon. 
Having now reached “ a fishing latitude,” we 
took two boats out of the ’tween decks, where 
