£62 APPALLING SHOCKS. [CHAP.V. 



fresh breezes which had brought the ice down 

 for more than three hundred and sixty miles, 

 had fallen calm, and given way to a more west- 

 erly and very light air ; an interval too of more 

 than twelve hours had elapsed to check the im- 

 petus so given, and it was, therefore, reasonable to 

 conclude that no impediment would occur to a 

 peaceable progress. In this, however, we were 

 cruelly deceived. From 6 h p. m. ominous rush- 

 ing sounds were heard far off to the north east 

 and north west. These gradually drew nearer, 

 as the flood made its way either under the com- 

 pact bodies that withstood the shock, or along 

 the cracks and openings — gaining in these latter 

 a furious velocity, to which every thing seemed to 

 yield. It happened that there were several of 

 these around the ship ; and, when they opened 

 on us like so many conduits pouring their con- 

 tents to a common centre, the concussion was 

 absolutely appalling, rending the lining and 

 bulkheads in every part, loosening some shores 

 or stanchions, so that the slightest effort would 

 have thrown them down, and compressing others 

 with such force as to make the turpentine ooze 

 out of their extremities. One fir plank placed 

 horizontally between the beams and the shores, 

 actually glittered with globules. At the same 

 time the pressure was going on from the larboard 

 side, where the three heaviest parts of the ruin 



