“The Vessels Left in the Ice” (2, p. 179)
We have the satisfaction of announcing to our readers the arrival at Hull of the Viewforth, the Jane, and the Abram, three of the vessels which were frozen up in Baffin’s Bay. It is remarkable that all the vessels got clear of the ice about the 31st of January, within two days of each other, in different positions, each having been drifted in it down Davies Strait. The Jane cleared the ice about midway between Cape Farewell and the Labrador coast, the Viewforth about one hundred miles to the northward of her, and the Abram about the same distance to the southward of her, on the coast of Labrador, after being drifted into Hudson’s Strait, and carried out again. The crews of these vessels have suffered most severely from the intense cold, and being on short provisions. The lost vessels are the Middleton, the Dordon, the Lee, and the Mary-Frances. Hopes are yet entertained of the safety of the Lady Jane and the William Torr. The latter, it is believed, is in Home Bay, in latitude 69°, and supposed to have been last seen on the 15th of October; while of the former, little or nothing appears to be known. She may have drifted down with the ice along the coast of Labrador. On the arrival of the ship Jane at Stromness on the 13th Feb. she found H. M. ship Cove lying there, on the point of sailing again, after having repaired the damages she had sustained at sea, and which had compelled Captain Ross to bear up for that place. The Cove had left Stromness on the 11th of January, and had reached the longitude of 34° west, when she lost her bowsprit, and received other damage about the bows. The behaviour of Captain Ross, her commander, on this occasion, is spoken of in terms of the highest praise. The manner in which he put the ship before the wind, and secured his foremast after the loss of the bowsprit, and the cool and collected fortitude which he displayed on this occasion, was the admiration of all on board.