We told him that so far from being land, it was nothing but fresh water, which we found some difficulty to convince him of at first, till we shewed him the ice which was formed in the scuttled cask on the deck.  He assured us, however, that he would, at all events, call this the white land, by way of distinguishing it from all the rest.”—­G.F.

[4] “About one o’clock, whilst the people were at dinner, we were alarmed by the sudden appearance of a large island of ice just a-head of us.  It was absolutely impossible either to wear or tack the ship, on account of its proximity, and our only resource was to keep as near the wind as possible, and to try to weather the danger.  We were in the most dreadful suspension for a few minutes, and though we fortunately succeeded, yet the ship passed within her own length to windward of it,”—­G.F.

[5] On a moderate calculation, one may reckon the bulk of immersed ice to be ten times greater than that which appears above the surface.  This will afford the reader some notion of the prodigious magnitude of these floating islands; and he will readily comprehend the hazard of sailing amongst them, when he considers the mischief occasioned by the collision of a large ship and a small boat.—­E.

    [6] “About this time many persons were afflicted with violent
    rheumatic pains, headaches, swelled glands, and catarrhal fevers,
    which some attributed to the use of ice-water.”—­G.F.

Without any way calling in question, what is so often said of the injurious effects of sea-water, when long used, it is evidently more rational, in the present instance, to ascribe these complaints to the inclemency of the weather.—­E.

[7] There is something very peculiarly affecting in the following observations of Mr. G.F.—­“This being Christmas day, the captain, according to custom, invited the officers and mates to dinner, and one of the lieutenants entertained the petty officers.  The sailors feasted on a double portion of pudding, regaling themselves with the brandy of their allowance, which they had saved for this occasion some months beforehand, being solicitous to get very drunk, though they are commonly solicitous about nothing else.  The sight of an immense number of icy masses, amongst which we drifted at the mercy of the current, every moment in danger of being dashed in pieces against them, could not deter the sailors from indulging in their favourite amusement.  As long as they had brandy left, they would persist to keep Christmas “like Christians,” though the elements had combined together for their destruction.  Their long acquaintance with a sea-faring life had inured them to all kinds of perils, and their heavy labour, with the inclemencies of weather, and other hardships, making their muscles rigid and their nerves obtuse, had communicated insensibility to the mind.  It will easily be conceived,