IN DANGER. 47 



more serious purposes, and this reflection made the 

 davs irksome to me. 



Four days of almost constant calm would tax the 

 patience of even Job-like resignation. We had a 

 breath of wind now and then to tantalize us, treach- 

 erous currents to keep us ever anxious, icebergs al- 

 ways threatening us ; now at anchor, then moored to 

 a berg, and again keeping free from danger through a 

 hard struggle with the oars. We had many narrow 

 escapes, one of which, as illustrating a peculiar feature 

 of Arctic navigation, is perhaps worthy of more par- 

 tic ular record. 



We had made a little progress during the night, 

 but soon after breakfast the wind died away, and the 

 schooner lay like a log upon the water. Giving too 

 little heed to the currents, we were eagerly watching 

 the indications of wind which appeared at the south, 

 \nd hoping for a breeze, when it was discovered that 

 the tide had changed, and was stealthily setting us 

 upon a nest of bergs which lay to leeward. One 

 of them was of that description known among the 

 crew by the significant title of " Touch me not," and 

 presented that jagged, honey-combed appearance in 

 dicative of great age. They are unpleasant neigh 

 bors. The least disturbance of their equilibrium may 

 cause the whole mass to crumble to pieces, and woe 

 be unto the unlucky vessel that is caught in the dis- 

 solution. 



In such a trap it seemed, however, that we stood a 

 fair chance of being ensnared. The current was car- 

 rying us along at an uncomfortably rapid rate. A 

 boat was lowered as quickly as possible, to run out a 

 line to a berg which lay grounded about a hundred 

 yards from us. While this was being done, we grazed 



