riplings, 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° 41' W.
A t 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 N. W. to S. E„ but afterwards they
assumed various shapes, and had a rapid motion.
On the 5th of August, a party of the officers endeavoured to get
on one of the larger icebergs, but ineffectually, owing to the steepness
and smoothness of its sides, and the swell produced by its undulating
motion. This was one of the largest we saw, and Mr. Hood ascertained
its height to be one hundred and forty-nine feet; but these
masses of ice are frequently magnified to an immense size, through
the illusive medium of a hazy atmosphere, and on this account their
dimensions have often been exaggerated by voyagers.
In the morning of the 7th, the Island of Eesolution was indistinctly
seen through the haze, but was soon afterwards entirely
hidden by a very dense fog. The favourable breeze subsided into a
perfect calm, and left the ship surrounded by loose ice. At this
time the Eddystone was perceived to be driving with rapidity
towards some of the larger masses-; the stern boats of this ship and
of the Wear were despatched to assist in towing her clear of them.
At ten, a momentary clearness presented the land distinctly at the
distance of two miles; the ship was quite unmanageable, and under
the sole governance of the currents, which ran in strong eddies
between the masses of ice. Our consorts were also seen, the Wear
pping within hail, and the Eddystone at a short distance from us.
Two attempts were ineffectually .made to gain soundings, and the
extreme density of the fog precluded us from any other means of
ascertaining the direction in which we were driving until half past
twelve, when we had the alarming view of a barren rugged shore
within a few yards, towering over the mast heads. Almost instantly
afterwards the ship struck violently on a point of rocks, projecting
from the island; and the ship’s side was brought so near to the shore,
that poles were prepared to push her off. This blow displaced the
rudder, and raised it several inches, but it fortunately had been previously
confined by tackles. A gentle swell freed the ship from this
perilous situation, but the current hurried us along in contact with
the rocky shore, and the prospect was most alarming. On the outward
bow was perceived a rugged and precipitous cliff, whose summit
was hid in the fog, and the vessel’s head was pointed towards the
bottom of a small bay, into which we were rapidly driving. There
now seemed to be no probability of escaping shipwreck, being without
wind, and having the rudder in its present useless state; the only
assistance was that of a boat employed in towing, which had been
placed in the water between the ship and the shore, at the imminent
risk of its being crushed. The ship again struck in passing over a
ledge of rocks, and happily the blow replaced the rudder, which
enabled us to take advantage of a light breeze, and to direct the ship’s
head without the projecting cliff. This breeze was only momentary,
and the ship was a third time driven on shore on the rocky termini
tion of the cliff. Here we remained stationary for some seconds,
and with little prospect of being removed from this perilous situation
; but we were once more extricated by the swell from this ledge
also, and carried still farther along the shore. The coast became
now more rugged, and our view of it was terminated by another
high projecting point on the starboard bow. Happily, before we had
reached it, a fight breeze enabled us to turn the ship’s head to
seaward, and we had the gratification to find when the sails were
trimmed, that she drew off the shore. We had made but little
progress, however, when she was violently forced by the current
against a large iceberg lying aground.