as we supposed, to the southward; the compasses useless; and the
sun completely obscured by a fog so thick, that the Griper could
only now and then be seen at a cable's length astern. We had
literally, therefore, no mode, of regulating our course but by
once more trusting to the steadiness of the wind; and it was not a
little amusing, as well as novel, to see the quartermaster conning
the ship by looking at the dogvane.

The weather cleared a little at intervals, but not enough to
enable us to proceed till nine A.M. on the 31st, when we cast off
from the ice, with a very light air from the northward. We
occasionally caught a glimpse of land through the heavy fog-banks
with which the horizon was covered, which was sufficient to give
us an idea of the true direction in which we ought to steer. Soon
after noon we were once more enveloped in a fog, which, however,
was not so thick as to prevent our having recourse to a new
expedient for steering the ships, which circumstances at the time
naturally suggested to our minds. Before the fog recommenced, and
while we were sailing on the course which, by the bearings of the
land, we knew to be the right one, the Griper was exactly astern
of the Hecla, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile. The
weather being fortunately not so thick as to prevent our still
seeing her at that distance, the quartermaster was directed to
stand aft, near the taffrail, and to keep her constantly astern of
us, by which means we contrived to steer a tolerably straight
course to the westward. The Griper, on the other hand, naturally
kept the Hecla right ahead; and thus, however ridiculous it may
appear, it is nevertheless true, that we steered one ship entirely
by the other for a distance of ten miles out of sixteen and a
half, which we sailed between one and eleven P.M.