34 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
of the side of the ship on which the sun shone, 
was heated to the temperature of 9C° or 100°, and 
the pitch about the bends became fluid. Thus, 
while on one side there was uncommon warmth, 
on the opposite was intense freezing * 
As soon as the dispersion of the frost-rime dis¬ 
closed to us the position of the ice, we were again 
enabled to proceed to the westward, following the 
trendings of the northern ice, between a NNW. 
and a W. course. 
The evening was fine ; sea calm and beginning 
to freeze. 
May 1st .—The 1st day of May is usually ush¬ 
ered in by the Greenland sailors, by the suspen¬ 
sion in the rigging of a garland of ribbons, attend¬ 
ed with grotesque dances and other amusements, 
and occasionally with ceremonies somewhat simi¬ 
lar to those commonly.practiscd in crossing the line. 
It affords opportunity for the display of feats of ac¬ 
tivity or strength; for the practice of such kinds of 
harmless frolic, as the circumstances of a whaling 
voyage will admit; and for the development of that 
species of original and frequently extraordinary 
wit, peculiar to the sailor. Not having any par¬ 
ticular taste for witnessing these scenes, I did not 
turn out at the time when the ship’s company 
* Latitude at noon, by observation, 80° 19 '; Longitude, by 
account, 3° E. 
