lying exactly across our course, and at right angles to the main
body of the ice. As this stream extended to the eastward as far as
we could see from the "crow's nest," an endeavour was made to push
the ships with all sail through the narrowest part. The facility
with which this operation, technically called "boring," is
performed, depends chiefly on having a fresh and free wind, with
which we were not favoured on this occasion; so that, when we had
forced the ships about one hundred yards into the ice, their way
was completely stopped. The stream consisted of such small pieces
of ice, that, when an attempt was made to warp the ships ahead by
fastening lines to some of the heaviest masses near them, the ice
itself came home, without the ships being moved forward.--Every
effort to extricate them from this helpless situation proved
fruitless for more than two hours, when the Hecla was at length
backed out, and succeeded in pushing through another part of the
stream in which a small opening appeared just at that moment. All
our boats were immediately despatched to the assistance of the
Griper, which still remained beset, and which no effort could move
in any direction We at length resorted to the expedient of sending
a whale-line to her from the Hecla, and then, making all sail upon
the latter ship, we succeeded in towing her out, head to wind,
till she was enabled to proceed in clear water. The crossing of
this stream of ice, of which, the breadth scarcely exceeded three
hundred yards, occupied us constantly for more than five hours,
and may serve as an example of the detention to which ships are
liable in this kind of navigation.

Early on the morning of the 21st the fog cleared away, and
discovered to us the land called by Davis, Hope Sanderson and the
Woman's Islands, being the first land we had seen in sailing