It was certainly much less here, than elsewhere; but the
inner, or eastern side of the island was entirely enveloped by it.
Having from twenty-six to twenty-four fathoms at the distance of four
miles from Walden Island, I was preparing two boats, with the intention
of going to sound about its northern point, which was the most clear of
ice, and not without a faint hope of finding something like shelter
there; but I was prevented by a thick fog coming on. Continuing,
therefore, to beat to the northward, we passed occasionally a good deal
of drift ice, but with every appearance of much clear water in that
direction; and the weather clearing about midnight, we observed in
latitude 80 deg.43'32". The Seven Islands were in sight to the eastward,
and the "Little Table Island" of Phipps bore E.N.E. (true) distant about
nine or ten miles. It is a mere craggy rock, rising, perhaps, from four
to five hundred feet above the level of the sea, and with a small low
islet lying off its northern end. This island, being the northernmost
known land in the world, naturally excited much of our curiosity; and
bleak, and barren, and rugged as it is, one could not help gazing at it
with intense interest.
At midnight on the 14th we had reached the latitude 81 deg.
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