So continually chilled by the passing and
the melting of ice as in this sea; and I should strongly recommend a
strict hourly attention to the thermometrical state of the water at the
surface in all parts where ships are exposed to the dangerous concussion
of sailing icebergs, as a principal means of security.
The following day our ship came near another stream of ice and the
approach to it was indicated by a decrease of the temperature of the
water at the surface from 44 to 42 degrees. A small pine-tree was picked
up much shattered by the ice. In the afternoon of the 30th a very dense
fog came on; and about six P.M. when sailing before a fresh breeze we
were suddenly involved in a heavy stream of ice. Considerable difficulty
was experienced in steering through the narrow channels between the
different masses in this foggy weather, and the ship received several
severe blows.
The water, as usual in the centre of the stream, was quite smooth, but we
heard the waves beating violently against the outer edge of the ice.
There was some earthy matter on several of the pieces, and the whole body
bore the appearance of recent separation from the land. In the space of
two hours we again got into the open sea, but had left our two consorts
far behind; they followed our track by the guns we discharged. The
temperature of the surface water was 35 degrees when amongst the ice, 38
degrees when just clear of it, and 41.5 degrees at two miles distant.
On the 4th of August, when in latitude 59 degrees 58 minutes North,
longitude 59 degrees 53 minutes West, we first fell in with large
icebergs; and in the evening were encompassed by several of considerable
magnitude, which obliged us to tack the ship in order to prevent our
getting entangled amongst them. The estimated distance from the nearest
part of the Labrador coast was then eighty-eight miles; here we tried for
soundings without gaining the bottom. The ship passed through some strong
ripplings, which evidently indicated a current, but its direction was not
ascertained. We found however by the recent observations that the ship
had been set daily to the southward since we had opened Davis Straits.
The variation of the compass was observed to be 52 degrees 41 minutes
West.
At nine P.M. brilliant coruscations of the Aurora Borealis appeared, of a
pale ochre colour with a slight tinge of red, in an arched form, crossing
the zenith from North-West to South-East, but afterwards they assumed
various shapes and had a rapid motion.
