CUTTING AWAY THE ICE. 85 



other, endeavouring to remove a piece of ice 

 by pushing against a larger mass, would set him- 

 self adrift with it, and every such adventure was 

 followed by shouts of laughter, and vociferous 

 mirth. In this way considerable progress was 

 made, and in the meantime the weather be- 

 came warmer, and the wind veered to the south- 

 ward. It became therefore more desirable than 

 ever that the ship should be liberated, and, if 

 possible, got closer to the shore, to avoid being 

 drifted with the pack away to the north, as we 

 knew must happen if the breeze should freshen 

 from the quarter in which it now was. At noon, 

 the latitude was something south of yesterday's, 

 and the longitude a mile or two west. The 

 temperature was 33° + . In the afternoon, the 

 wind drew more to the eastward, and destroyed 

 the hope of warping the ship out in the channel 

 which we had been employed in cutting ; but 

 as it was by that process alone that we could 

 hope to get clear, the task was resumed with 

 undiminished ardour in a direction immediately 

 to the westward, where the ice was not quite 

 so tightly pressed as elsewhere. 



The work went on cheerily, and as the breeze 

 increased the sails were hoisted, and much to 

 our satisfaction forced the head round, when the 

 ship gradually gathered way, and went slowly 



g a 



