260 ANXIETY. [CHAF, V 



at £ h p. m. it set at the rate of between two and 

 three miles an hour to the S. E. The barometer 

 indicateda further rise, and therefore fine weather ; 

 but though clear overhead it grew misty about 

 the horizon as the sun went down ; and the breeze 

 freshening in squalls brought a proportionate 

 pressure from the entire body to windward, which 

 caused much straining and cracking on the lar- 

 board side and quarter. The ice too alongside 

 and near became agitated, occasioning consider- 

 able annoyance. On this day of the new moon, 

 indeed, such effects were to be expected, but our 

 fear was that, having commenced earlier than was 

 expected, they betokened something more serious 

 afterwards. Our anxiety {for there is no becom- 

 ing indifferent to this kind of trial) lasted till 8 h 

 p. m., during which interval we had drifted closer 

 to the fearful looking wall of what was called the 

 shore ice. About 9 h p. m. the ship suffered many 

 shocks and hard rubbings from afresh disturbance, 

 and we should doubtless have been kept in a 

 state of restlessness all night, had not a sepa- 

 ration taken place in a crack about fifty paces 

 from the ship, which allowed a lateral escape to 

 the pressure of the opposing parts. 



On the following day, March 7th, we were un- 

 usually quiet until 5 h a.m., whenanother commotion 

 began, and again made the poor ship crack and 

 tremble violently. This was accompanied by a 



