68 ELISHA KENT KANE. 



bad been taken out, were restored, tbe bousing-clotb 

 taken off, and tbe vessel made in every respect ready 

 for sea. There was little prospect, however, of our 

 being able to reach the desired element very soon. 

 The nearest water was a narrow lane more than two 

 miles distant. To cut through the ice which inter- 

 vened would have been next to impossible. Beyond 

 this lane, from the mast-head, nothing but inter- 

 mediate floes could be seen. It was thought best to 

 wait with patience and allow nature to work for us. 

 "June 6th, a moderate breeze from S.E. with 

 pleasant weather, thermometer up to 40 at noon, 

 and altogether quite warm and melting day. During 

 the morning a peculiar cracking sound was heard 

 on the floe. I was inclined to impute it to the 

 settling of the snow-drifts as they were acted upon 

 by the sun; but in the afternoon, about five o'clock, 

 the puzzle was solved very lucidly, and to the ex- 

 ceeding satisfaction of all hands. A crack in the 

 floe took place between us and the Eescue, and in 

 a few minutes thereafter the whole immense field 

 in which we had been imbedded for so many months 

 was rent in all directions, leaving not a piece of one 

 hundred yards in diameter. The rupture was not ac- 

 companied with any noise. The Kescue was entirely 

 liberated, the Advance only partially. The ice, in 

 which her after-part was imbedded, still adhered to 



