Considerable difficulty
was experienced in steering through the narrow channels between the
different masses in this foggy weather, and the ship received several
severe blows.
The water, as usual in the centre of the stream, was quite smooth, but we
heard the waves beating violently against the outer edge of the ice.
There was some earthy matter on several of the pieces, and the whole body
bore the appearance of recent separation from the land. In the space of
two hours we again got into the open sea, but had left our two consorts
far behind; they followed our track by the guns we discharged. The
temperature of the surface water was 35 degrees when amongst the ice, 38
degrees when just clear of it, and 41.5 degrees at two miles distant.
On the 4th of August, when in latitude 59 degrees 58 minutes North,
longitude 59 degrees 53 minutes West, we first fell in with large
icebergs; and in the evening were encompassed by several of considerable
magnitude, which obliged us to tack the ship in order to prevent our
getting entangled amongst them. The estimated distance from the nearest
part of the Labrador coast was then eighty-eight miles; here we tried for
soundings without gaining the bottom.
