MOTION" IN THE ICE. 9/' 



replaced by a stronger one, but we could not 

 venture to throw a strain even on this ; and when- 

 ever any sudden change took place among the 

 ice it was immediately slackened. The snow 

 did not cease until 6 h . 30 ra . p. m., and then so 

 laden were the decks with it, that the people 

 were actively occupied more than an hour in 

 clearing it away : the mist at the same time par- 

 tially clearing, permitted a glimpse of the land, 

 which was found to be considerably nearer than 

 any one had anticipated, and proved that we had 

 been set further than was expected to the west- 

 ward. At 8 h p. m. Cape Comfort bore by compass 

 N.N.E., and soundings were obtained with one 

 hundred and seventy-five fathoms of line, at a dis- 

 tance of not more than five miles from the nearest 

 rocks. During the night the increased violence 

 of the wind, and its unwelcome constancy to the 

 adverse quarter, had a direful effect on the shore 

 ice in which we were embedded ; and though every 

 piece was so closely and firmly packed against the 

 other that there was not a hole large enough to 

 admit of drawing water, yet at4 h .30 m . a.m. Sept. 

 14th, an agitative motion discovered itself among 

 the surrounding ice, so violent, and indeed irresis- 

 tible, that what was not crushed by its enormous 

 force was raised up to various heights ; one pon- 

 derous mass, with several peaks, to upwards of 

 twenty feet. 



H 



