CHAP. V.] BEAMS, &C. INSPECTED. 235 



tained between west and north-west. On look- 

 ing round at day-break, it was found that the 

 ship had been released by the retreating of the 

 ice, and had nearly righted ; but at 5 h a. m. she 

 was again sorely squeezed, and the nip being 

 repeated at 7 h a. m., she rose eighteen inches as 

 before ; she was then at intervals jerked up from 

 the pressure underneath, with a groan each time 

 from the woodwork. Yet notwithstanding these 

 successive attacks, very little additional water 

 found its way into the well, which was sounded 

 every five minutes, and had not yet exceeded 

 seven inches in the twenty- four hours. On 

 inspecting the beams and decks — a precaution 

 that followed every nip — the former were found 

 firm, and the bolts still tight; but the latter 

 for about twelve feet abreast of the store-rooms 

 on the lower deck, had risen three quarters of 

 an inch, while the binding planks on the larboard 

 side abeam had also started a little. In order 

 therefore, to give additional support, it was pro- 

 posed to put up quarter shores along the lower 

 deck, and store-rooms, and the proposition was 

 immediately carried into effect. At 10 h the ice 

 eased off, and some on the outside appeared as 

 if setting to the S.E., which was in shore of us. 

 The weather was fine, but for the reason already 

 assigned, extremely cold in the shade, or facing 

 the northerly wind in the neighbourhood of 



