1853.] 'PIONEER' PREPARED FOR SERVICE. 31 



had given permission to unpack for the winter, and be- 

 fore her machinery could be effective, affairs had assumed 

 a different aspect. It was fortunate that I did not ; as 

 upon a more minute inspection of the western ice, mani- 

 festly in motion, I felt satisfied that it was still too close, 

 and we should probably have been hampered within ten 

 miles of our present position. 



Many concurrent reasons induced me to be in readi- 

 ness to move, should Nature again offer an escape ; and 

 one perhaps of those uppermost in my mind was to prove 

 how late and at what degree of low temperature steamers 

 could act with effect. With such feelings I directed the 

 ' Pioneer' " to prepare for service." Of course many 

 observations were hazarded on the time required to 

 complete such a duty; but these only proved, to my 

 mind, the necessity of placing such questions beyond 

 mere opinion, and thus afford me sure grounds on 

 which to base any future orders. Eventually, after some 

 little conversation with the Chief Engineer (Mr. Har- 

 wood), he considered that he could place his engines in 

 action within sixteen working hours, and, much to his 

 credit, within that interval, in so far as the machinery 

 was concerned, she was reported efficient. About the 

 same moment the light bay ice had recommenced form- 

 ing ; but the breeze still kept open clear lanes of water, 

 the temperature ranging between 19 and 22. 



October 13. This evening, and whilst these matters 

 were in progress, two persons were reported to be ad- 

 vancing by the beach from the southward. Anxiously 

 alive to any accident to our sledge parties, it naturally 

 produced a little excitement ; but this was of short du- 



