REGAIN THE OPEN SEA. 87 



pack beginning to open in every direction. 

 This dispersion, and the occurrence of a fresh 

 northeast wind, afforded us the only opportunity 

 of extricating the vessels that had occurred 

 since they were beset, and Captain Buchan 

 gladly availed himself of it, so that in a few hours 

 both vessels reached the open sea, after thir- 

 teen days' detention in the pack. 



The northerly wind increased to a gale, and 

 drifted a great quantity of ice away to the south- 

 ward. We passed several pieces, upon which 

 we noticed our own footmarks, and could thus 

 judge of the effect produced by the change of 

 wind. In the hope of its working a consider- 

 able alteration in our favour, we kept close to 

 the edge of the pack. 



On the 26th we had a fall of snow, and at 

 noon, for the first time since crossing the 

 Arctic Circle, a shower of rain, which, although 

 the summer was so far advanced, cased every 

 rope in ice as it fell. 



The gale abated, and the next day, having a 

 breeze from the southward, we approached the 

 ice about Cloven Cliff, and found it drifted close 

 down upon the land. Here it fell calm, and seve- 

 ral herds of walruses being seen, as usual, upon 

 detached pieces of ice near the main body, 

 permission was given to the boats to go in pur- 



