340 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
the snow on the land. This offset it is, aided, per¬ 
haps, by north-west winds, which, in opposition 
to the general indraught of the sounds and inlets, 
clears the bays and coast, so as to afford access to 
the navigator in the height of summer. But as 
soon as the discharge of water from the moun¬ 
tains ceases, this offset appears also to cease, and 
an inset then takes place, which chokes up the 
bays and sounds with ice, and packs the whole of 
the body floating to the eastward in close contact 
upon the shore. The indraught which takes place 
at the close of the summer, as far as regards the 
present season, has been sufficiently proved ; and 
the offset, or at least a suspension of the inset, is 
rendered equally certain, by the progressive sepa¬ 
ration observed to take place in the ice, and more 
especially by the vein of clear water found in 
many places betwixt the coast and the ice. Thd 
inset that occurs in the end of summer, renders 
the West Land fishing not a little dangerous at 
this season; and of this tendency the fisher should 
be always on his guard. 
In addition to this danger to the navigator, of 
his being hemmed in by the closing ice, and of 
being detained throughout the winter, there is 
another, which greatly affects the safety of the 
fisher, and must not be forgotten. This is the 
prevalence (if we may judge by one year’s expe- 
