48 IMPEDED BY FOG AND ICE. 



yet in no instance could they be secured before 

 they sunk. 



About 4 h p m., though it was still perfectly 

 calm, the ice began to set past the ship to the 

 south-east, at an unusual rate, and then, by a 

 counter-movement, closed in around us so quickly 

 as to compel us to move, by warping on the 

 other side of the floe. A very light air then 

 sprung up from the S.S.W., but gradually got 

 more to the westward, accompanied as usual by 

 a dense fog ; and at nightfall it was remarked 

 that young ice was rapidly forming between the 

 stationary pieces. 



On the 13th the fog still continued, and it 

 had again fallen calm ; but the floes near us 

 being large and hummocky, we cast off from the 

 ice, and sending a boat a-head, along such open- 

 ings as could be found, made fast a line to pro- 

 jecting masses or hummocks, and so warped the 

 ship to the north. A faint breeze from the right 

 quarter fortunately came to our aid, and enabled 

 us to make sail on the vessel, and dispense with 

 this laborious substitute. The ice, however, 

 was distressingly close and heavy, and no clear 

 water could be seen in any direction. The wea- 

 ther indeed remained continually hazy, and so 

 prevented us from distinguishing the right, or in- 

 deed any, lead beyond the distance of two hundred 

 yards. My object was to force a passage to the 



