A LAST RESOURCE. 125 



feet, much less render any assistance to the vessel. 

 The motion, indeed, was so great, that the ship's 

 bell, which in the heaviest gale of wind had 

 never struck of itself, now tolled so continually 

 that it was ordered to be muffled, for the pur- 

 pose of escaping the unpleasant association it was 

 calculated to produce. In anticipation of the 

 worst, we determined to attempt placing the 

 launch upon the ice under the lee, and hurried 

 into her such provisions and stores as could at 

 the moment be got at. Serious doubts were 

 reasonably entertained of the boat being able 

 to live amongst the confused mass by which 

 we were encompassed ; yet, as this appeared to 

 be our only refuge, we clung to it with all the 

 eagerness of a last resource. 



After some time had elapsed without any im- 

 provement in our situation, and when, on the con- 

 trary, it became more and more evident, from the 

 injury the vessel repeatedly received, that she 

 could not hold together very long, we were 

 convinced that our only chance of escape de- 

 pended upon getting before the wind, and pene- 

 trating further into the ice. To effect this, with 

 any probability of success, it became necessary 

 to set more head-sail, though at the risk of the 

 masts, already tottering with the pressure of that 

 which was spread. Watching an opportunity, 



