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PHIPPS’s JOURNAL.
wt
559
fourteen fathoms. Should they, or the ice to which they were faft, take the ground,
they muft be inevitably lo{t, and probably overfet. The hopes of getting the hips
out was not hattily to be relinquifhed, nor obftinately adhered to, till all other means
of retreat were cut off.. Having no harbour to lodge them in, it would be impoflible
to winter them here, with any probability of their being again ferviceable ; our pro-
vifions would be very fhort for fuch an undertaking, were it otherwife feafible ; and
fuppofing what appeared impoffible, that we could get to the neareft rocks, and make
fome conveniences for wintering, being now in an unfrequented part, where {hips
never even attempt to come, we fhould have the fame difficulties to encounter the ~
next year, without the fame refources; the remains of the fhip’s company, in all pro-
bability, not in health: no provifions; and the fea not fo open, this year having cer-
tainly been uncommonly clear. Indeed it could not have been expected that more
than a very fmall part fhould furvive the hardfhips of fuch a winter with every ad-
vantage; much lefs in our prefent fituation. On the other hand, the undertaking to
move fo large a body for fo confiderable a diftance by boats, was not without very
ferious difficulties. Should we remain much longer here, the bad weather mutt be
expected to fet in. The ftay of the Dutchmen to the northward is very doubtful: if
the northern harbours keep clear, they ftay till the beginning of September; but when
the loofe ice fets in, they quit them immediately. I thought it proper to fend for the
officers of both fhips, and informed them of my intention of preparing the boats for
going away. I immediately hoifted out the boats, and took every precaution in my
power to make them fecure and comfortable: the fitting would neceflarily take up
fome days. The water fhoaling, and the fhips driving faft towards the rocks to the
N. E., T ordered canvafs bread-bags to be made, in cafe it fhould be neceflary very
fuddenly to betake ourfelves to the boats: I alfo fent a man with a lead and line to
the northward, and another from the Carcafsto the eaftward, to found wherever they
found cracks in the ice, that we might have notice before either the fhips, or the ice
to which they were faft, took the ground; as in that cafe, they mult inftantly have
been crufhed or overfet. The weather bad ; moft part of the day foggy, and rather cold.
The feventh, in the morning, 1 fet out with the launch over the ice; fhe hauled
much eafier than I could have expected ; we got her about two miles. I then returned
with the people for their dinner. Finding the ice rather more open near the fhips, I
was encouraged to attempt moving them. ‘The wind being eafterly, though but little
of it, we fet the fails, and got the fhips about a mile to the weftward. They moved
indeed, but very flowly, and were not now by a great deal fo far to the welt-
ward as where they were befet. However, I kept all the fail upon them, to force
through whenever the ice flacked the leaft. The people behaved very well in hauling
the boat ; they feemed reconciled to the idea of quitting the fhips, and to have the
fulleft confidence in their officers. The boats could not with the greateft diligence be
got to the water-fide before the fourteenth; if the fituation of the fhips did not alter
by that time, I fhould not be juftified in ftaying longer by them. In the mean time I
refolved to carry on both attempts together, moving the boats conftantly, but without
omiting any opportunity of getting the fhips through.
The eighth, at half paft four, fent two pilots with three men to fee the ftate of the
ice to the weftward, that I might judge of the probability of getting the fhips out. At
nine they returned, and reported the ice to be very heavy and clofe, confilting chiefly
of large fields. Between nine and ten this morning, IJ fet out with the people, and got
the launch above three miles. The weather being foggy, and the people having
worked hard, I thought it beft to return on board between fix and feyen. ‘The fhips
had
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