"We could but bear up there, and see what it looks like." The helm was set a-port, and the sails swung round to take the wind, which, for the last hour, had been shifting to the south-east.

In half an hour we were up in the mouth of the channel.

It was a rather narrow opening, not more than thirty-five or forty rods in width, with considerable ice floating about.

We were in some doubt as to its safety.

The schooner was hove to, and the lead thrown.
"Forty-seven fathoms!" "All right! Bring her round!" The wind was light, or we should hardly have made into an unknown passage with so much sail on: as it was, we did but drift lazily in.
On each side, the islands presented black, bare, flinty crags, distant scarcely a pistol shot from the deck.