Viewing page 36 of 88

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

on the East side of said Strait.
There arenoe 2/3 of said harbor in sight but no drift ice.  Already does the Capt. and others aboard who have been here [[strikethrough]] were [[/strikethrough]] several times before begin to say:"no ice, no whales?
It is a fact that the Greenland Whales [[strikethrough]] is[[/strikethrough]] [[insertion]] are [[/insertion]] not to be found and captured extensively unless there be considerable ice.
Capt. Buddington has this moment told me that during all his experiences here whaling for over 10 years he has never seen anything like what he now sees - [[underlined]]'free waters all the way across Davis Strait". [[/underlined]]Said I to him: As the sea now is, do you not think you would find free navigation ^[[insertion]] on the W. side even [[/insertion]] up to Pond's Bay?  His answer was 'Yes, I do.  I am sure of it.'
There has been no wind to-day.  The ship has done nought but tumble - & ^ [[insertion]] (sails) [[/insertion]] flap, flap!  The Capt. & I with our instruments were up on deck to  take the Altitude of Meridian. A little before 12 a thick fog came on thus
[[end page]]
[[new page]]
preventing our observation.
The fog began to dispense about 4 o'clk. I saw the lst Seal to-day to have a fair view of him.  It was a young one.  He passed his head above the water looking very wishfully up to several very fine Halibut we have hanging at the stearn of the ship.  Sterry sprung for his gun, but before he could get it in ^[[insertion]] readiness, [[/insertion]][[strikethrough]] readness [[/strikethrough]] seal jr. was off.
The thermometer has stood at 40° in the Air - in the Sea 37° - all day.
Bar ^[[insertion]] ometer [[/insertion]] 29.150 Morn - 29.200 Noon - 29.300 This Eve. Any man can live ^[[insertion]] in [[/insertion]] such weather as this.
During the fog to-day, lost sight "Rescue" - she came along side about VI O'clock this Eve. Where she was ^[[insertion]] at Meridian, [[/insertion]] some distance to the N.E. of Us, the Officers were able to determine the latitude which they found to be 65°-30'N.
Relative to the formation of Ice-bergs - Sterry says that at places bet. 2 mountains up in Northumberland he once counted something like 100 strata on courses of ice that had been deposited - 1 thickness each year -

Transcription Notes:
Information: [[end page]] [[start page]] only needed between the two pages of the double image - not at beginning and end of transcription. Sterry is correct. 'ss' looks like 'fs' in old hand (passed)