the ports were knocked out, and a considerable portion of the bulwark cut away, the vessel could scarcely discharge one sea before shipping another, and the decks were frequently flooded to an alarming depth. At 6 a.m. having received two overwhelming seas, both the other cables went at the same moment, and we were left helpless, without anchors, or any means of saving ourselves, should the shore, as we had every reason to expect, be close astern. The ship, in trending to the wind, lay quite down on her broadside, and as it then became evident to all that nothing held her, each man instinctively took his station, while those at the leads, having secured themselves as well as was in their power, repeated their soundings, on which our preservation depended, with as much composure as if we had been entering a friendly port. Here again that Almighty Power which had before so mercifully preserved us, granted us his protection, for it so happened that it was slack-water when we parted, the wind had come round to N.N.W. (along the land), and our head fell off to seaward; we set two try-sails, for the ship would bear no more, and even with that lay her lee gunwale in the water. In a quarter of an hour we were in 17 fathoms.
“In the afternoon, having well weighed in my mind all the circumstances of our distressed situation, I turned the hands up and informed them, that ‘having now lost all our bower-anchors, and chains, and being in consequence unable to bring up in any part of the ‘Welcome;’ being exposed to the sets of a tremendous tide-way and constant heavy gales, one of which was now rapidly sweeping us back to the southward, and being yet about 80 miles from Repulse Bay, with the shores leading to which we were unacquainted; our compasses useless, and it being impossible to continue under sail, with any degree of safety, in these dark 12-hour nights, with the too often experienced certainty that the ship could not beat off a lee-shore, even in moderate weather, I had determined to clear the narrows of the ‘Welcome,’ after which I should decide on some plan for our future operations.’
“Anxious to do what was best for the service, and considering that the Company’s ships were frequently as late as this period in leaving the factories, I decided on endeavouring to reach Hudson’s Strait, and proceeding to England, well knowing that although our risk in again passing Southampton Island would be very great, yet it was no worse than searching for winter-quarters; and Mansel Island being once passed, we should be in comparative safety. In order, however, to satisfy myself still further in this measure, I addressed a letter to my officers, requesting their respective opinions on our situation, without stating my own; and their individual answers advised, ‘that in consequence of our loss of anchors, &c. we should return to England without delay.’
“Thus were all our present hopes of discovery and reputation completely overthrown; our past difficulties of no avail; and our only consolation was, that to the latest moment every exertion had been made for the