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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 755
is the prodution of a volcano, thus being a child of the earth. The fame day at noon,
having taken the latitude, I perceived mytfelf exactly upon the line of the polar circle. 1
was defirous of continuing my courfe towards the north ; but was flopped bya chain of
ice which extended from the North Cape as far as the eye could diftinguifh to the N. W.
I did not choofe to expofe myfelf to it with a frigate of a weak defcription, which was
leaky, and which from its length was difficult to navigate amid iflands of ice. I rhought
it therefore expedient to veer about to the fouth; and as I was obliged to go into fome
port in order to take in wood and provifions, I preferred Berghen in Norway, whilft the
fifhing veflels were employed in feeking a paflage between the iee to reach the ifle of
Grims and the point of Langernefs.
On the twentieth, at midnight, as we were fteering W.S.W.., to pals at large the ifland
of Birds, the wind N. E., and the weather foggy, a cry from the forecaftle warned us
of being upon the ice. At the fame inftant I faw on the ftarboard auarter large pieces,
which made part of a bank of ice, the extremities of which were before me. 1 imme-
diately brought the fhip to larboard, to double it with the wind, and pafled fo nigh that
I ftruck againft feveral detached fragments, but without damage, although the frigate
received rather rude fhocks from the contact. It may not be ufelefs here to mention
fome expedients which may be of fervice to thofe who fhould for the firft time be en-
tangled in ice. It is no ways wonderful that fuch perfons fhould be intimidated at the
fight of thefe enormous mafles, which will frequently break of themfelves about them
with a horrid crafh: their dread however will difappear on learning that veffels have
frequently taken fhelter amid the ice, and that navigators frequently refort to it for pro-
tection from ftorms, on account of the fea being always fmooth when furrounded by it 5
amidft it the veffel rides as if in harbour: butit is requifite to guard the outfide
of the fhip with the ends of old cables, mattraffes, or paillaffes. A fhip may even be
moored along-fide a piece of ice, fixing in it iron crows of five feet long, to which {mall
cables are faftened at head and ftern, taking care to make them tight on board by
means of the capftan. In the abfence of iron crows, graplins and iron bars are made
ufe of, which are driven into the ice with mallets. he fails are taken in and brailed,
and a fhip rides there as well as befide a wharf. Care muit be taken not to moor to a
mafs of ice of too much elevation, fince fuch are often fubject to break and roll over.
When the fight of an opening in the ice, a change of wind, or the neighbourhood of
fhore, induce to go about, the veffel is fteered by help of her lafhings, the fame as in
port. If defirous of breaking way, either to enter or to go out, two {pare top-mafts are
taken, the thicker ends of which are lafhed to the mizen-chain wales, and the two fmall
ends are made to form a fork before the prow, which fork is fupported by lafhing under
the bowfprit: this fork ferves to feparate the ice in front of the veflel. If it be not
confidered proper to ufe this tackling, a fragment of ice is chofen in a {mall degree
more elevated than the prow, which is fteered upon under eafy fail, and when got under
the cutwater, all fails are fet. This lump of ice driven by the veffel, drives forward in
its turn all thofe which obftru& the way of the fhip, which by this means receives no
injury.
The twenty-firlt, twenty-fecond, and twenty-third, the wind continually varying, and
the fea running high, I fteered S.S. W. and S. W. quarter S.; and the twenty-third,
at midnight, reckoning myfelf ten leagues W. of the Birds’ ifland, I founded and found
two hundred and five fathoms water, with fand as black as gunpowder. The quality of
the bottom brought to mind what I had heard the captain of a fifhing veffel fay, that
hehad met with a rock N. W. of Birds ifland, at a diftance of feven leagues; that he
had founded all round and found twenty fathoms water, with a bottom of black fand.
5D. 2 ; The
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