362 CARPENTERS BUSY. [CHAP.VI. 



the diminution of the upper ice, which wasted 

 away from one to two inches in the twenty-four 

 hours. 



On June 15th not fewer than twenty-six 

 planks of the ship's side could be counted from 

 the fore chains directly down to the ice, and as 

 this had dissolved enough to bring within reach 

 of the carpenters several more streaks, prepara- 

 tions were made to caulk and coat them with 

 coal tar like the rest. It was found, too, that 

 we could, by removing the ice down to the water 

 level, reach the upper part of the damaged stern- 

 post, though this was not to be accomplished 

 without hard labour, since the mere pressure had 

 formed an icy cement so tough and adhesive, 

 that fragments stuck to the planking, even be- 

 tween the narrow breadth of the strokes of the 

 pickaxe. It looked, indeed, as if the ship had 

 been placed in a bed of some plastic compo- 

 sition, which time had indurated into the solidity, 

 and almost the substance, of limestone rock. 

 However, under the direction of Lieutenant 

 Smyth, the men contrived to get below the ten 

 feet mark, and it was then ascertained that the 

 doubling as well as the split stern-post were more 

 twisted from their true positions than when last 

 seen about three months ago. The water in 

 some measure interrupted the proceedings, but 

 with the assistance of the fire engine it was kept 



