286 HAVOC SPREADS. [CHAP.V* 



frost smoke. I felt it keenly in making the 

 round of the now much rent floe, and in looking 

 with fresh wonder on the gigantic piles before 

 alluded to. Of the awful grandeur of these no 

 language could give an adequate description, and 

 even the more effective pencil has been able only 

 to catch one momentary aspect of a scene, the 

 terrible sublimity of which lay chiefly in the roll- 

 ing onward of these mighty engines of destruc- 

 tion. Cracks, rents, and banks extended from 

 the edge or base of the barrier towards the ship, 

 in every bearing on the north-east side, where 

 the ice was much the heaviest, and, conse- 

 quently, unless it should be splintered into 

 smaller masses, most to be dreaded in the encoun- * 

 ter. Around the other part of the floe the 

 havoc was, if possible, still greater, reaching, by 

 four or five transverse fractures, even to the 

 starboard side of the ship, while ahead and 

 astern longitudinal mounds of ice and snow 

 began to assume the appearance of barricades. 



Whilst engaged with the first Lieutenant in 

 contemplating these effects, within ten paces of 

 the vessel, the sound of rushing water beneath 

 warned us to expect some change. All at once, 

 however, it ceased : another rush was heard, 

 which stopped as suddenly ; but a third, ad- 

 vancing with a louder roar, threw the whole 

 body into motion, and bringing the ponderous 



