CHAP. V.] VIOLENT PRESSURE. £37 



acres with all their loads against the ship, threw 

 her up and considerably over to starboard, with 

 great violence, though, strange to say, without 

 apparent injury. It was then we saw her rise to 

 the pressure, and endeavour to thrust the ice 

 beneath her bends, a result much to be desired, 

 as it would form a sort of bolster to support her. 

 We had certainly gone somewhat to the east- 

 ward, since a point named, after the third Lieu- 

 tenant, M'Murdo, the bearing of which yester- 

 day was before, was now abaft the beam, and the 

 high bluff land was more clearly visible, though 

 in some measure dimmed by frost smoke. 

 There was no interruption from this time until 

 3 h 30 m p. m., when the ice suddenly pressed up 

 against the ship. It was not however till 6 h that 

 it came with much force, when the decks, espe- 

 cially the upper one, creaked fearfully in the 

 afterpart, notwithstanding the four newly erected 

 shores in my cabin. As usual, after some resist- 

 ance, she rose and heeled over to starboard. 

 The two following hours kept us in a state of 

 painful suspense, for the ice closing in different 

 points occasioned violent pressure, that threw 

 her over twenty inches, and raised her nearly as 

 much. This was accompanied by one of those 

 loud rushing noises beneath, so frequently men- 

 tioned before. Judging from the previous even- 

 ing, we might now have expected a few hours of 



