Page:Journal of a Voyage to Greenland, in the Year 1821.djvu/152

112 present month, which is commonly found to be remarkably fine, calm, open, and clear, with a pleasant temperature, whereas this has been accompanied by repented gales, with a temperature below that of the freezing point. Our endeavours to penetrate to the westward were so anxiously conducted, as to constitute a perfect voyage of discovery, and no navigator, in the endeavour to explore regions known only by conjecture, could have been kept in more watchful expectation than we were, or have suffered more disappointment than we now experienced.

A change of weather at length took place, and we were favoured with a most beautiful day. About noon, the wind abated to a gentle breeze, and the sun shone with uncommon lustre, as we entered a large bay, the bottom of which was formed of impenetrable floes of rugged ice, extending from the south-east north about to south-west; thus again was our western progress arrested. Here our squadron of five ships was augmented to twelve, and presented an interesting spectacle as they were all lying-to in the bay. One of our boats was despatched for a load of ice or congealed snow, to be dissolved for the use of the ship's crew, the only means, in this forlorn region, of providing that very necessary article of life; and availed myself of this opportunity to take a shooting excursion. On my return I went on board the Cato, a ship which had been in company with the Thornton when that vessel was wrecked in May; here I obtained many interesting particulars of the