From hence his party proceeded to a high and remarkable
hill called BROOKS'S BLUFF: following the strait to the northward,
they passed the remains of many Esquimaux habitations; and, though
their short journey had been unsatisfactory on account of the
badness of the weather, there was still sufficient to cause the
most lively interest, and give strong hopes of the existence of
some passage to the northeast of the small inlet they had
examined.
At eight P.M., having shoaled the water from sixty to forty, and
then to thirty-two fathoms, and the weather still continuing
extremely thick, I suspected that the tide was taking us too close
to Passage Island, which was the nearest land when the fog came
on. A large space of open water was at this time not more than a
quarter of a mile distant from us in the opposite direction; but,
before the ships could be moved by warps or any other means within
our power, the tide was observed to be setting her directly
between the island and the little yellow-looking rock I have
before mentioned as lying on its eastern side. The anchors were
kept ready to drop in an instant should the ship drive into shoal
water; had we grounded, and the heavy masses of ice continued to
drive upon us, little less than the total destruction of the ship
was to be apprehended.
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