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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 973
they ufe a fledge in form of a boat; the water cannot penetrate it, and the traveller in
it is fheltered from cold. Thefe fledges are drawn by the rein-deer with fo much {wift-
nefs, that they feem almoft to fly over the mountains and valleys, and through the fo-
re{ts: they are ufed only upon ice and fnow. The Laplanders, as well as the Fins,
make ufe of a fingular kind of fkate peculiar to themfelves; it is made of planks fix or
feven feet long, and nearly a foot broad: this plank is pointed, and turned up before.
A fimilar plank is faftened to each foot, and taking a long ftick, the bottom of which
has a flat circle attached to it to prevent its finking into the fnow, they fkate with fuch
velocity as to overtake bears and wolves. This is the whole which in detail can be faid
of thefe northern people. I return now to Berghen.
FOURTH PART.
Containing the Courfe from Berzhen to the Eaftern Coa/t of Iceland ; a Defcription of the
Ports in thofe Parts ; of the Wands of Ferro, Shetland, and the Orcades ; and Return to
France.
Arter taking in refrefhments at Berghen for my fhip’s company, and completing
the neceflary repairs to my frigate for fitting her for fea, I made ready to fail. The
wind was adverfe for feveral days ; I was defirous of a fouth wind, in order to get out
by one of the paffes north of Berghen, and continue my courfe direct towards the coafts
of Iceland ; but the wind did not come round to the fouth before the tenth of Auguft,
at three in the morning, and at four o’clock we weighed anchor, the wind weak, and the
fky overcaft, with fmall rain. We hoifted all our fails, and ran fix leagues on the
N. N. W. to N. W. tacks, keeping the iand to leeward, that is to fay, the fouth, on ac-
eount of the winds from fhore. After running this diftance we perceived an opening
in the northern bank of the river; we made for it immediately, in order to keep the
cape at N.E., and pafs through it. We coafted along a {mall ifle to leeward, within
piftol-fhot, in order to avoid a rock under water, which was {till nearer to us, to judge
from the eddy, and which the pilot pointed out, After paffing this rock we fteered N.,
then N. quarter N. W., afterwards N. N. W., in order to double feveral {mall iflands
or rocks which we left to leeward. After doubling all thefe iflands, we found ourfelves
in a little road, clofe.as a bafin ; the entrance of which, and the way of getting out, was
invifible. A fquadron of four or five veffels might anchor here in feven fathoms water,
fandy bottom ; yeflels have wintered here. On all fides iron rings are feen, for the pur-
pofe of mooring. We went out of this bafin through a gullet or narrow ftrait, wherein
two veflels could fcarcely pafs abreaft, and found ourfelves afterwards in a bay of more
than twelve leagues in circumference, and which had no apparent opening but to the
N. W., three leagues before us. I then fhipped my oared cutter, and carried all the
fail I could, fteering N. W., in order to get out of the bay by the opening we faw. At
noon we were between the two iflands, which form this paflage, which is called the paf-
fage of Hennegat, or Hennefiord; hence the Norwegian pilots returned, and I fteered _
W.N. W. in full fail, in order to get rid of the land. _It may be obferved, that this way
out of the river of Berghen is long, but it is not difficult. It is ten French leagues
from Berghen to this pafs, called Hennegat ; but in thefe ten leagues there is no more
than half a league of difficult navigation. ‘I’wo anchorages are to be met with for large
veffels, and feveral for {mall, between Berghen and the entrance of the little bafin, of
which I have before made mention, where fhips may ride in fafety, whether the wind
be contrary, or too violent, to go to fea. This road-{tead is even more happily fituated
for veflels coming from fea, which find themfelves upon the caaft in bad weather ; for
they
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