CHAP. V.] TURMOIL. 209 



I should rather perhaps say guarded, by a sort of 

 fierce wolf dog, which amidst all changes main- 

 tained its post by its mistress's side. I encouraged 

 this humour of the men, glad to perceive that 

 their minds were free enough from care to indulge 

 in it. Indeed the first warmth of the sun and the 

 tranquillity of the ice had dispelled the notion of 

 immediate danger, and the light-hearted sailors 

 yielded to their feelings and enjoyed the hour 



while it lasted. 



After 6 h p. m. the tide set towards the S. E., 



and notwithstanding the calmness of the weather 



and the decreasing flow and ebb, there were at 



long intervals, distant sounds, that portended 



nothingfavourable. As these increased in strength 



and rapidity, the various cracks and openings near 



us gradually drew closer, but without squeezing 



the ship. At length, after many rushes and many 



sudden pauses, the larger remnants of the floe to 



seaward came slowly nearer, preceded by ruins 



which, though insignificant as compared with 



what had been, were still massy enough to make 



a fearful clamour as thev were sunk beneath and 



wedged against the ship's bottom. At this time 



(past 9 h p. m.) she showed symptoms of suffering 



in the hull, which was evidently undergoing a 



severe ordeal. Inexplicable noises, in which the 



sharp sounds of splitting and the harsher ones 



of grinding were most distinct, came in quick 



