SHIP HOVE-TO. 57 



tinuance, yet the favourable breeze soon brought 

 in sight an enormous floe, the extremes of which 

 were lost in the driving snow and mist. Un- 

 willing to try the north end of it, as that would 

 have led us again to the eastward, in which di- 

 rection it trended as far as could be discerned, 

 I determined on running along its lee side. This 

 was almost in the direction of our course, but, 

 as it turned out, conducted us into a labyrinth, 

 that might have been of serious consequence 

 had the wind at all abated ; for, after sailing for 

 some time, we found ourselves between two floes 

 of unknown extent ; and though if the weather 

 had been clear we might perhaps have found a 

 passage, yet with every thing dark a-head, and 

 the liability to be nipped by the closing of the 

 ice, no such chance could be trusted to. Not 

 a moment therefore was lost in worming our 

 way back, which after some trouble and anxiety 

 was accomplished. 



An attempt was then made in another * lead ', 

 which only guided us to a solid pack ; so that, 

 baffled at every turn, the ship was for a time 

 hove-to. As soon as the weather cleared — which 

 it did with a change of wind, directly contrary 

 to our progress, but the very best for sepa- 

 rating and clearing away the ice — we took 

 the only course left to us, and beat to wind- 

 ward, towards a narrow opening, which it was 

 thought might possibly offer a channel. Snow 



