386 EMPLOYMENT TOR ARMOURER. [CHAP.VI. 



which, it was hoped, would carry away the piece 

 altogether. The wind having veered to N.N.E., 

 made the ice a little more slack, though it re- 

 mained still perfectly fixed. Having sawed as 

 far as we could, the next step was to extricate 

 the saw itself, in attempting which, having been 

 accidentally broken in two, it was again repaired 

 by our industrious and zealous armourer, who 

 never seemed more delighted than when he had 

 plenty of work on his hands. We now made a 

 fresh survey of the ice directly astern of the ship ; 

 and, finding that some places were much thinner 

 than others, we forthwith commenced digging 

 and sinking a trench, from the edge of the floe 

 towards, and in a line with, the keel, preparatory 

 to trying what might be effected with the long 

 saw. The rest of the afternoon was employed by 

 the carpenters putting in two screw ring-bolts, 

 about three feet from, and on a level with, the 

 eleven feet mark, according to a plan by the 

 carpenter, Mr. Smith, for securing the wooden 

 ends and injured parts of the ship's dead wood. 

 This consisted in simply passing the stream chain 

 under the heel of the stern-post, through both 

 ring-bolts, and securing it firmly on deck abaft, 

 the object being to prevent any further damage 

 thereabouts, either from the ice or sea. 



On July oth, land, which proved to be Salis- 

 bury Island, was distinctly seen at N.W. by N., 



