Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/152

 by the motion of the ice, we at length succeeded, with infinite labour, in collecting our whole equipage upon a small floe; which, being partially covered with water, formed a sort of wet-dock. There we hauled up our little vessels, and, momentarily liable as we were to be overwelmed by the turning over of our icy support, trusted to a gracious Providence for the event. We were three miles from the land; the fog again settled round us, and the night was very inclement.

At 4 next morning, finding that the gale had abated, and the ice relaxed a little around our hazardous position, we pushed for a lane of water that appeared at a short distance to seaward. After a considerable circuit it fortunately led to the shore, about a league to the eastward of our former situation. There, at the foot of a green hill, near a stream, we encamped to await the chances of time and tide. The tracks of reindeer in the vicinity were innumerable. It was high-water at half-past 1, the tide having risen ten and a half inches. The evening was calm, with a dense fog and drizzling rain.

The 19th was dark and cold, the temperature at noon rising no higher than 39°. We were favoured with another visit from a party of our Esquimaux neighbours, apprized of our return by one of their hunters, who chanced to pass