United States or Croatia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
When I saw there was no harbour here, nor good anchoring, I stood off to sea again in the evening of the 2nd of August, fearing a storm on a lee- shore, in a place where there was no shelter, and desiring at least to have sea-room, for the clouds began to grow thick in the western-board, and the wind was already there and began to blow fresh almost upon the shore, which at this place lies along north-north-west and south-south- east.
The northerly trend was unexpected, and I began to suspect that we were really rounding a huge ice-tongue attached to the true barrier-edge and extending northward. Events confirmed this suspicion. We skirted the pack all night, steering north-west; then went west by north till 4 a.m. and round to south-west. The course at 8 a.m. on the 13th was south-south- west.
We could detect no horizon where we stood looking south-south west, nor could we form any idea of the extent of the lake, except from the reports of the inhabitants of the district; and, as they professed to go round it in three days, allowing twenty-five miles a day would make it seventy-five, or less than seventy geographical miles in circumference.
The one remaining tent had to be dismantled, the pole taken down, and the inhabitants had to lie flat all night under the icy canvas. This lasted well into May, and a typical May day is described as follows: "A day of terrific winds, threatening to dislodge our shelter. The wind is a succession of hurricane gusts that sweep down the glacier immediately south-south- west of us.
This course was held for about two miles, when, by Courtenay's direction, it was changed to south-south- west.
At five it cleared up over the land, and we saw, as we thought, Cape Solomaswer bearing south-south- east, distance ten leagues.
They were apparently having a look round. It is strange to see killers in this immense field of ice; open water must be near, I think. 5.15 p.m. New ice of lanes cracked and opened. The rudder was bent over to starboard and smashed. The solid oak and iron went like matchwood. 8 p.m. Moderate south-south- west gale with drift. Much straining of timbers with pressure. 10 p.m.
Then comes the sea breeze up from the south-south- west or north-west, some days early in the forenoon, some days not till two or three o'clock. This breeze blows till sundown, and then comes another and a hotter calm. Fortunately for us we arrived off the head of the Gaboon estuary in this calm, for had we had wind to deal with we should have come to an end.
No. 4 then gives the class to No. 5 monitor, who has at his post a representation of the mariner's compass; he explains its uses, shews them the cardinal points, tells them how it was discovered, and then he will move the hands around, beginning at the north, and making the children repeat as he moves the hands, north, north-north-east, north-east, east-north-east, east, east-south-east, south-east, south-south-east, south, south-south west, south-west, west-south-west, west, west-north-west, north-west, north-north-west, north.
"You will see from this sketch," he proceeded, "that the Daphne bore exactly north-north-west from the tree in which we were perched when I made it. Which is equivalent to saying that the tree bears south-south- east from the Daphne; is it not?" I assented. "Very well, then," continued Smellie.
Word Of The Day