Apr. N° V.] OF THE SHIP HERCULES. 
449 
Saturday, 7th Sept, commenced with light ENE. winds' 
and fine clear weather, and a moderate frost. At 3 a. m. 
cast off and proceeded to the eastward, along the edge of 
the floe about three miles, and then came to a compact 
barrier of floes. This chain having a lane of water to 
leeward, with the packed ice on the west side, we proceed¬ 
ed along it, with but little interruption, to the southward, 
until we were without all the floes, with loose ice, to the 
eastward. At 10 a. m. strong winds and hazy weather. 
Finding the ice slack, proceeded to the SE. as last as pos¬ 
sible. At noon strong gales at ENE., but more clear, 
and plenty of water to the southward, with a pack to the 
westward. At 4 r. m., after steering about thirty miles 
SE. amongst sailing ice, we got into an open sea, where 
there was much swell. We stood all night to the SSE., 
and had dark gloomy weather. 
Sunday, 8th Sept .—Strong ENE. gales, and thick 
weather. At 6 a. m. fell in with streams of very heavy 
ice, and apparently much ice to the southward. I there¬ 
fore wore and stood to the westward, for I then reckoned the 
ship to be in latitude 71° 30', about the parallel of Jan Mayen. 
To make sure of going to the westward of the island, we 
stood in all the day, mid dodged all night, having dark 
stormy weather. 
Monday, 9th Sept .—At 5 a. m. more moderate, but hazy 
weather. Made sail and proceeded to the SE.; but soon 
came to a solid pack of ice, along which we steered to the 
WSW. At 8 a. jr. it cleared up, and we saw the land on¬ 
ly thirty or forty miles distant, which I did not expect to 
be in sight of; but our having been continually in a heavy 
SE. sea, from the time of getting out of the pack, may per¬ 
haps account for our getting so much westing. Within this 
heavy pack was a large lane of water, entirely free from 
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