roceed, the last year's ice was not yet wholly detached from the
shores, and where a fresh formation had already commenced, which there
was too much reason to believe would prove a permanent one. Our
wintering in the strait involved the certainty of being frozen up for
eleven months; a sickening prospect under any circumstances, but in the
present instance, probably, fatal to our best hopes and expectations.

The young ice had now formed so thick about the Fury, that it became
rather doubtful whether we should get her out without an increase of
wind to assist in extricating her, or a decrease of cold. At ten A.M.,
however, we began to attempt it, but by noon had not moved the ship more
than half her own length. As soon as we had reached the outer point of
the floe, in a bay of which we had been lying, we had no longer the
means of applying a force from without, and, if alone, should therefore
have been helpless, at least for a time. The Hecla, however, being
fortunately unencumbered, in consequence of having lain in a less
sheltered place, sent her boats with a hawser to the margin of the young
ice; and ours being carried to meet it, by men walking upon planks, at
considerable risk of going through, she at length succeeded in pulling
us out; and, getting into clear water, or, rather, into less tough ice,
at three P.M. we shaped a course to the eastward.

In our return to Igloolik we encountered a severe gale, but we luckily
discovered it at half past ten A.M., though such was the difficulty of
distinguishing this from Neerlo-nakto, or either from the mainland, on
account of the snow that covered them, that, had it not been for the
Esquimaux huts, we should not easily have recognised the place. At noon
on the 24th we arrived off the point where the tents had first been
pitched, and were immediately greeted by a number of Esquimaux, who came
running down to the beach, shouting and jumping with all their might.

As soon as we had anchored I went on shore, accompanied by several of
the officers, to pay the Esquimaux a visit, a crowd of them meeting us,
as usual, on the beach, and greeting us with every demonstration of joy.
They seemed disappointed that we had not reached Akkolee, for they
always receive with eagerness any intelligence of their distant country
people. Many of them, and Toolemak among the number, frequently repeated
the expressions "_Owyak Na-o_!" (no summer), "_Took-too Na-o!_" (no
reindeer), which we cons