SEVERE WEATHER. 41 



to make the attempt to reach a high northern 

 latitude on the western side of Spitzbergen first, 

 Ave plied to windward along that part of the 

 coast until the 28th, when we were overtaken 

 by a violent gale at south-west, in which the 

 ships parted company. At the commencement 

 of this tempestuous weather, we ran before the 

 gale ; but, towards evening, many heavy pieces 

 of ice, which we occasionally found it difficult 

 to avoid, led us to conjecture that the pack 

 was not far distant, and that our course could 

 not be continued without danger ; we conse- 

 quently rounded-to until the wind should mo- 

 derate. 



The weather was now very severe ; the snow 

 fell in heavy showers, and several tons' weight 

 of ice accumulated about the sides of the brig, 

 and formed a complete casing to the planks, 

 which received an additional layer at each plunge 

 of the vessel. So great, indeed, was the accu- 

 mulation about the bows, that we were obliged 

 to cut it away repeatedly with axes to relieve 

 the bowsprit from the enormous weight that 

 was attached to it : and the ropes were so 

 thickly covered with ice, that it was neces- 

 sary to beat them with large sticks to keep 

 them in a state of readiness for any evolu- 

 tion that might be rendered necessary, either 



