ulls were, in most parts,
wading across; and there was, therefore, no other course than to await
the separation of the ice from the reef. On the dispersion of the fog in
the afternoon, we perceived that some of the masses of ice were from
twenty to thirty feet high; and we derived little comfort from
beholding, from the top of one of them, an unbroken surface of ice to
seaward.

[Sidenote: Wednesday, 2nd.] The gale blew without the least abatement
throughout the night, and until noon of the 2nd, when it terminated in a
violent gust, which overthrew the tents. The field of ice was broken in
the offing, and the pieces put in motion; and in the evening there
appeared a large space of open water, but we could not take advantage of
these favourable circumstances, in consequence of the ice still closely
besetting the reef. We remarked large heaps of gravel, fifteen feet
above the surface of the reef, on the largest iceberg, which must have
been caused by the pressure of the ice; and from the top of this berg we
had the satisfaction of discovering that a large herd of rein-deer were
marching in line towards the opposite side of the channel. Our party was
instantly on the alert, and the best hunters were sent in the Reliance
in chase of them. The boat grounded about midway across, and the eager
sportsmen jumped overboard and hastened to the shore; but such was their
want of skill, that only three fawns were killed, out of a herd of three
or four hundred. The supply, however, was sufficient for our present
use, and the circumstances of the chase afforded amusing conversation
for the evening. The astronomical observations place our encampment in
latitude 69 degrees 43 minutes N.; longitude 141 degrees 30 minutes W.
The temperature this day varied from 40 degrees to 42 degrees.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 3rd.] On the morning of the 3rd a strong breeze set
in from the east, which we were rejoiced to find caused a higher flood
in the channel than we had yet seen, and the hope of effecting a passage
by its course was revived; as the ice was still fast to the reef, and
likely to continue so, it was considered better to occupy ourselves in
dragging the boats through the mud, than to continue longer in this
irksome spot, where the wood was already scarce, and the water
indifferent. The boats, therefore, proceeded with four men in each,
while the rest of the crew walked along the shore, and rendered
assistance wherever it was necessary, to d