MASTER WAKING'S ADVENTURES. 65 



be seen to the northward. Toward the west the land was 

 low near the water, and ran out in long, low points, forming 

 deep bays, which held the ice packed in dense masses against 

 the shore. 



" The following morning the weather was clear, and Her- 

 ald Island appeared in plain view from the beach. By nine 

 o'clock the ice opened sufficiently to allow the boat to move 

 slowly by the aid of paddles, and, after six hours' hard 

 work, they had rounded the cape, and made about five miles 

 to the westward. 



" At five o'clock another effort was made to proceed, but 

 after laboring an hour and a half, and narrowly escaping 

 being crushed by two large masses, by backing out from be- 

 tween them just as they came together with a force that no 

 boat could have withstood, a narrow lead let them in to the 

 beach. Within five minutes after they landed not a vestige 

 could be seen of the opening by which they had so narrowly 

 escaped. Nothing but a grinding and crunching sea of ice 

 met the view." 



The next day, 30th, opened with a strong northerly wind 

 and flurries of snow. The ice remained densely packed 

 against the shore opposite the camp, and a reconnoissance 

 along the beach showed that it was in the same condition 

 both to the northward and westward. 



September 1st was a gloomy day for the party ; no move- 

 ment of the ice occurred to indicate the liberation of the 

 boat, and its abandonment and a march overland to the ship 

 seemed the only alternative. 



Early the next morning a party went westward about fif- 

 teen miles to a point from which they could see the land 

 trending to the south and west. Preparations were made 

 for abandoning the boat, which was hauled high up on the 

 beach and turned bottom side up. The boat mast was 

 erected on a neighboring hill, and a record deposited indi- 

 cating the route taken by the retreating crew. 



" A dismal snow storm was prevailing when, at five o'clock 

 5 



