In running along shore towards Cape Hearne, generally at the
distance of half a mile from the land, we had from ten to sixteen
fathoms' water, and rounded the hummocks off the point in six and
a half fathoms by three P.M. As we opened the point, it was
pleasing to see that the coast to the westward of it was more
clear of ice (excepting the loose pieces which lay scattered about
in every direction, but which would not very materially have
impeded the navigation with a fair wind) than it had been when we
first arrived off it, a month later in the foregoing year; the
main ice having been blown off by the late westerly and
northwesterly winds to the distance of four or five miles from the
shore, which, from all we have seen on this part of the coast,
appears to be its utmost limit. The navigable channel, with a
beating wind between the ice and the land, was here from one to
two, or two miles and a half in width; and this seemed, from the
masthead, to continue as far as the eye could reach along shore to
the westward.
We found the wind much more westerly after we rounded the point,
which made our progress slow and tedious; the more so, as we had
every minute to luff for one piece of ice and to bear up for
another, by which much ground was unavoidably lost.
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