the bottom. The register thermometer was attached to the line just
above the lead, and is supposed to have descended six hundred and
fifty fathoms. A well-corked bottle was also fastened to the line,
two hundred fathoms above the lead, and went down four hundred
and fifty fathoms. The change in temperature, shewn by the register
thermometer during the descent, was from 52° to 40.5° ; and it
stood at the latter point, when taken out of the tin case. The
temperature of the water brought up in the bottle was 41, being
half a degree higher at four hundred and fifty than at six hundred
and fifty fathoms, and four degrees colder than the water at the
surface, which was then at 45°, whilst that of the air was 46°. This
experiment in shewing the water to be colder at a great depth than
at the surface, and in proportion to the increase of the descent,
coincides with the observations of Captain Ross and Lieutenant
Parry, on their late voyage to these seas, but is contrary to the results
obtained by Captain Buchan and myself, on our recent voyage to the
north, between Spitsbergen and Greenland, in which sea we invariably
found the water brought from any great depth to be warmer
than that at the surface.
On the 28th we tacked, to avoid an extensive stream of sailing ice.
The temperature of the water fell to 39.5°, when we were near it, but
was at 41°, when at the distance of half a mile. The thermometer
in the air remained steadily at 40°.. Thus the proximity of this ice
was not so decidedly indicated by the decrease of the temperature of
either the air or water, as I have before witnessed, which was probably
owing to the recent arrival of the stream at this point, and its
passing at too quick a rate for the effectual diffusion of its chilling
influence beyond a short distance. Still the decrease in both cases
was sufficient to have given timely warning for a ship’s performing
any evolution that would have prevented the coming in contact with
it, had the thickness of the weather precluded a distant view of the
danger.
The approach to ice would be more evidently pointed out in the
Atlantic, or wherever the surface is not 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°. 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°
when amongst the ice, 38° when just clear of it, and 41.5° at two
miles distant.
On the 4th of August, when in latitude 59° 58' N., longitude 59°
53' W., 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