1854.] FIRST PURCHASE FAILS. 187 



his knapsack ; of which presently. The ten-day interval 

 of this, the 13th of June, affords, max. 33'5; min. 

 15'00; mean, 24'154: still unnaturally cold for this 

 season. 



On the 15th Monsieur De Bray returned to Beechey 

 Island, and on the day following the 'Dove' whaler, on 

 a new sledge constructed for her, followed. Another 

 boat will be forwarded to Baring Rendezvous, and the 

 ' Hamilton' and my own gig, to bear my pendant, will 

 eventually go to Beechey Island. Before proceeding to 

 the report of the proceedings of the western search by 

 Lieutenant Mecham and Mr. Krabbe, I will place the 

 ship afloat, and briefly observe on the difficulties attend- 

 ing such labours, where excavation to such an extent had 

 to be pursued. 



On the 16th the purchase ahead was tried, but it 

 straightened the flukes of the ice and stream anchors, and 

 displaced the pin of the purchase-block, splitting it to 

 pieces ! The effort proposed was to tear the ship from 

 her starboard adhesion to the ice, the saw cuts being- 

 free along the entire port side and one on the starboard 

 (w/tic/t froze as cut]. A heavy purchase from the mast- 

 head, to induce a heel on this crank sliip, was also brought 

 in aid, but without success. Verily this ice work is a 

 puzzling bit of engineering, and demands more thought 

 to meet its caprices than any other operation in which I 

 have been engaged. Under water we cannot see, but 

 we know that we have more depth to float her than we 

 require. By the powers applied, under ordinary pre- 

 sumptions, she should move ahead or yield to the force 

 applied to incline her from the upright position. 



