CHAP. VI.] RUDDER CONTRIVED. 371 



ble, it was requisite to devise a rudder of an en- 

 tirely different construction, yet so contrived as 

 to lose little of its power, and such a one was 

 ingeniously hit upon by Lieutenant Smyth. It 

 was effected by the simple operation of transposing 

 the wood, forming the lower part or heel of the 

 rudder, to that forming the upper part, thus 

 giving to it when finished an oblong form, not 

 much unlike that used by a Thames barge rigged 

 with sails, and at the same time the desirable 

 property that it could be hung on the strongest 

 part of the stern-post. Having a spare rudder on 

 board, which had fortunately been put together 

 in pieces for the convenience of stowage, as it 

 was divided into two portions, an upper and lower, 

 just where the division was wanted, the thing 

 was half done to our hand*, some iron work and 

 a few fittings for putting it together being all that 

 was required. Throughout the night the ice 

 kept opening and closing, and the temperature 

 sank to 30° +. In the early part of June 20th, 

 however, it became very slack to the westward, 

 especially along the shore of Charles Island, to 

 which we were much nearer. The Strait, never- 

 theless, was completely blocked to the north and 

 east, though the ice, at least that near us, was 

 certainly drifting slowly down towards the 



* The rudder had been made in this way to provide 

 against accidents. 



B B 2 



