394 INQLEFIELD'S EXPEDITION. 



with the heavy gale that now blew, was the most pru< 

 dent step I could take. The rest of the 27th and the 

 following day were spent in reaching, under snug sail, 

 on either tack, whilst the pitiless northerly gale drove 

 the sleet and snow into our faces, arid rendered it pain 

 ful work to watch for the icebergs, that we were contin- 

 ually passing. On this account, I could not heave the 

 ship to, as the difficulty of discerning objects rendered 

 it imperative that she should be kept continually under 

 full command of the helm. The temperature, 25, and 

 the continual freezing of the spray, as it broke over the 

 vessel, combined with the slippery state of the decks 

 from the sleet that fell and the ice which formed from 

 the salt water, made all working of ropes and sails not 

 only disagreeable, but almost impracticable ; so that I 

 was not sorry when the wind moderated. 



" By four A. M., of the 29th, it fell almost to a calm ; 

 but a heavy swell, the thick fog and mist remaining, 

 precluded our seeing any distance before us ; and thus 

 we imperceptibly drew too near the land-pack off the 

 western shore, so that, a little after Mr. Abernethy had 

 come on deck, in the morning watch, I was called up, 

 as he said that the ship was drifting rapidly into the 

 ice. Soon on deck, I found that there was no question 

 on that score ; for even now the loose pieces were all 

 round us, and the swell was rapidly lifting the ship fur- 

 ther into the pack, whilst the roar of waters, surging 

 on the vast floe-pieces, gave us no very pleasant idea 

 of what would be our fate if we were fairly entrapped 

 in this frightful chaos. The whale-boat was lowered, 

 and a feeble effort made to get her head off shore ; but 

 still in we went, plunging and surging amongst the 

 crushing masses. 



" While I was anxiously watching the screw, upon 

 which all our hopes were now centred, I ordered the 



