358 OFF CHARLES ISLAND. [CHAIWI. 



minds of the crew, they were set to work with 

 pickaxes, spades and axes, to reduce the for- 

 midable summits of the nearer waves, and mark 

 out the most feasible line of escape, when acci- 

 dent or time should favour us. There was a 

 great deal of loose ice between us and the land, 

 which the fineness of the day brought clearly 

 into view. It turned out to be Charles Island > 

 so that the late gale had driven the ice rapidly 

 to the eastward, and, as regarded the ship, some- 

 thing to the south. At noon the land bore from 

 8.S.W. to E.S.E. ; and, as seen from the deck, 

 had the appearance of three islands. The ice 

 closed again. 



The adverse direction from which the breeze 

 came kept the ice much closer than of late, and 

 for a few hours we seemed to retrograde ; but in 

 the night this ceased, and up to noon> June 10th, 

 we might be said to be stationary, the ice then 

 being very compact. The temperature varied 

 only from 30° to 38° 4-. The following night 

 we were set a few miles off the land in conse- 

 quence of the breeze having veered to south- 

 east, and increased in strength ; and though for 

 a brief interval some openings were observed, 

 yet they soon closed again, and in the morning 

 of June 11th, the ice was again perfectly com- 

 pact. However, soon after divine service, the 

 weather became so fine, that little rills of water 



