JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE

he at firft fuppofed to be pieces of ice. About nine, however, I was
awakened to refolve the doubts which had taken place refpetting this
extraordinary appearance. I immediately perceived that they were |
whales; and having ordered the canoe to be prepared, we embarked in
purfuit of them. It was, indeed, a very wild and unrefleCting enterprife,
and it was a very fortunate circumftance that we failed in our attempt to
overtake them, as a {troke from the tail of one of thefe enormous fifh
would have dafhed the canoe to pieces. We may, perhaps, have been
indebted to the foggy weather for our fafety, as it prevented us
from continuing our purfuit. Our guide informed us that they are
the fame kind of fifh which are the principal food of the Efquimaux,
and they were frequently feen as large as our canoe. ‘The part of them
which appeared above the water was altogether white, and they were
much larger than the largeft porpoife.

About twelve the fog difperfed, and being curious to take a view of
the ice, I gave orders for the canoe to be got in readinefs. We accord-
ingly embarked, and the Indians followed us. We had not, however,
been an hour on the water, when the wind rofe on a fudden from the
North-Eaft, and obliged us to tack about, and the return of the fog pre-
vented us from afcertaining our diflance from the ice; indeed, from this
circumitance, the ifland which we had fo lately left was but dimly
feen. Though the wind was clofe, we ventured to hoift the fail, and
from the violence of the fwell it was by great exertions that two men
could bale out the water from our canoe. We were ina ftate of aGual
danger, and felt every correfponding~emotion of pleafure when we
reached the land. The Indians had fortunately got more to windward,

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