room to turn. The ice, which had been all flat the day before, and almost level with the water's edge, was now in many places forced higher than the main-yard, by the pieces squeezing together. Our latitude this day at noon, by the double altitude, was 80 deg. 37 min.

2d. Thick foggy wet weather, blowing fresh to the westward; the ice immediately about the ships rather looser than the day before, but yet hourly setting in so fast upon us, that there seemed to be no probability of getting the ships out again, without a strong east, or north-east wind. There was not the smallest appearance of open water, except a little towards the west point of the North-east land. The seven islands and North-east land, with the frozen sea, formed almost a bason, leaving but about four points opening for the ice to drift out, in case of a change of wind.

'3d. The weather very fine, clear, and calm; we perceived that the ships had been driven far to the eastward; the ice was much closer than before, and the passage by which we had come in from the westward closed up, no open water being in sight, either in that or any other quarter. The pilots having expressed a wish to get if possible farther out, the ship's companies were set to work at five in the morning to cut a passage through the ice, and warp through the small openings to the westward. We found the ice very deep, having sawed sometimes through pieces twelve feet thick. This labour was continued the whole day but without any success; our utmost efforts not having moved the ships above 300 yards to the westward through the ice, at the same time that they had been driven (together with the ice itself, to which they were fast) far to the N. E. and eastward, by the current; which had also forced the loose ice from the westward, between the islands, where it became packed, and as firm as the main body.

5th. The probability of getting the ships out appearing every hour less, and the season being already far advanced, some speedy resolution became necessary as to the steps to be taken for the preservation of the people. As the situation of

the ships prevented us from seeing the state of the ice to the westward, by which our future proceedings must in a great measure be determined, I sent Mr. Walden, one of the midshipmen, with two pilots, to an island about twelve miles off, to see where the open water lay.

6th. Mr. Walden and the pilots, who were sent the day before to examine the state of the ice from the island, returned this morning with an account, that the ice, though close all about us, was open to the westward, round the point by which we came in. They also told me, that when upon the island they had the wind very fresh to the eastward, though where the ships lay it had been almost calm all day. This circumstance considerably lessened the hopes we had hitherto entertained of the immediate effect of an easterly wind in clearing the bay. We had but one alternative; either patiently to wait the event of the weather upon the ships, in hopes of getting them out, or to betake ourselves to the boats. The ships had driven into shoal water, having but fourteen fathom. Should they, or the ice to which they were fast, take the ground, they must be inevitably lost, and probably overset. The hopes of getting the ships out was not hastily to be relinquished, nor obstinately adhered to, till all other means of retreat were cut off. Having no harbour to lodge them in, it would be impossible to winter them here, with any probability of their being again serviceable; our provisions would be very short for such an undertaking, were it otherwise feasible; and supposing, what appeared impossible, that we could get to the nearest rocks, and make some conveniences for wintering, being now in an unfrequented part, where ships never even attempt to come, we should have the same difficulties to encounter the next year, without the same resources; the remains of the ship's company, in all probability, not in health; no provisions; and the sea not so open, this year having certainly been uncommonly clear. Indeed it could not have been expected that more than a very small part should survive the hardships of such a winter with every advantage; much less in our present situation. On the other hand, the under

taking to move so large a body for so considerable a distance by boats, was not without very serious difficulties. Should we remain much longer here, the bad weather must be expected to set in. The stay of the Dutchmen to the northward is very doubtful: if the northern harbours keep clear, they stay till the beginning of September; but when the loose ice sets in, they quit them immediately. I thought it proper to send for the officers of both ships, and informed them of my intention of preparing the boats for going away. I immediately hoisted out the boats, and took every precaution in my power to make them secure and comfortable: the fitting would necessarily take up some days. The water shoaling, and the ships driving fast towards the rocks to the N. E., I ordered canvass bread-bags to be made, in case it should be necessary very suddenly to betake ourselves to the boats: I also sent a man with a lead and line to the northward, and another from the Carcass to the eastward, to sound wherever they found cracks in the ice, that we might have notice before either the ships, or the ice to which they were fast, took the ground; as in that case, they must instantly have been crushed or overset. The weather bad; most part of the day foggy, and rather cold.

7th. In the morning I set out with the launch over the ice; she hauled much easier than I could have expected; we got her about two miles. I then returned with the people for their dinner. Finding the ice rather more open near the ships, I was encouraged to attempt moving them. The wind being easterly, though but little of it, we set the sails, and got the ships about a mile to the westward. They moved indeed, but very slowly, and were not now by a great deal so far to the westward as where they were beset. However, I kept all the sail upon them, to force through whenever the ice slacked the least. The people behaved very well in hauling the boat; they seemed reconciled to the idea of quitting the ships, and to have the fullest confidence in their officers. The boats could not with the greatest diligence be got to the water side before the 14th; if the situation of the ships did not alter by that time, I should not be justified in staying longer by them. In

the mean time I resolved to carry on both attempts together, moving the boats constantly, but without omitting any opportunity of getting the ships through.

8th. At half past four, sent two pilots with three men to see the state of the ice to the westward, that I might judge of the probability of getting the ships out. At nine they returned, and reported the ice to be very heavy and close, consisting chiefly of large fields. Between nine and ten this morning, I set out with the people, and got the launch above three miles. The weather being foggy, and the people having worked hard, I thought it best to return on board between six and seven. The ships had in the mean time moved something through the ice, and the ice itself had drifted still more to the westward. At night there was but little wind, and a thick fog, so that I could not judge precisely of the advantage we had gained; but I still feared that, however flattering, it was not such as to justify my giving up the idea of moving the boats, the season advancing so fast, the preservation of the ships being so uncertain, and the situation of the people so critical.

9th. A thick fog in the morning: we moved the ship a little through some very small openings. In the afternoon, upon its clearing up, we were agreeably surprised to find the ships had driven much more than we could have expected to the westward. We worked hard all day, and got them something more to the westward through the ice; but nothing in comparison to what the ice itself had drifted. We got past the launches; I sent a number of men for them, and got them on board. Between three and four in the morning the wind was westerly, and it snowed fast. The people having been much fatigued, we were obliged to desist from working for a few hours. The progress which the ships had made through the ice was, however, a very favourable event: the drift of the ice was an advantage that might be as suddenly lost, as it had been as unexpectedly gained, by a change in the current: we had experienced the inefficacy of an easterly wind when far in the bay, and under the high land; but having now got through so much of the ice, we began again

to conceive hopes that a brisk gale from that quarter would soon effectually clear us.

10th. The wind springing up from the N. N. E. in the morning, we set all the sail we could upon the ship, and forced her through a great deal of very heavy ice: she struck often very hard, and with one stroke broke the shank of the best bower anchor. About noon we had got her through all the ice, and out to sea. I stood to the N. W. to make the ice, and found the main body just where we left it. At three in the morning, with a good breeze easterly, we were standing to the westward, between the land and the ice, both in sight; the weather hazy.'

6

Next day, captain Phipps came to anchor in the bay of Smeerenberg, to refresh his people. Here were several remarkable icebergs. These,' says he, are large bodies of ice filling the vallies between the high mountains; the face towards the sea is nearly perpendicular, and of a very lively light green colour. That near the anchorage, was about 300 feet high, with a cascade of water isuing out of it. The black mountains, white snow, and beautiful colour of the ice, make a very romantic and uncommon picture. Large pieces frequently break off from the icebergs, and fall with great noise into the water: we observed one piece which had floated out into the bay, and grounded in twenty-four fathom; it was fifty feet high above the surface of the water, and of the same beautiful colour as the iceberg."

As the season was now far advanced, and fogs and gales of wind so much to be expected, the ships, on the 22d, sailed southward; and reached Orfordness on the 24th of September.

The very interesting account which is here given by lord Mulgrave, of the ice islands which float within the polar circles, have induced many to deny the practicability of approaching the pole. Sir Hugh Willoughby perished amongst the huge masses of ice, with all his crew, in 1553, and many other navigators have been nearly destroyed by tremendous floating mountains of ice.

The forms assumed by the ice in this chilling climate are extremely pleasing to the most incurious eye. The surface of