187G YOUNG ICE. 150 



Prince Imperial Island, and afterwards on the main- 

 land to observe the ice. 



Towards the end of the flood-tide a large water- 

 pool formed near Cape Hawks, and a fairly navigable 

 passage appeared to exist amongst the intermediate 

 ice. Making a signal to the ships to get up steam we 

 hastened on board. 



The young ice at this time was so thick and tough 

 that we had great difficulty in breaking a passage-way 

 through it in the dingy ; and after starting in the ships 

 it was found necessary to use both boilers and to put 

 the engines on full speed before we could force them 

 through what would otherwise have been considered 

 fairly open ice. 



Whenever we met with a quantity of small ice col- 

 lected between large floes, so long as the pack was not 

 closing we had long ceased to wait for the formation 

 of a decided water-channel, as with full steam-power we 

 could usually force a passage for the ships. 



But now with the young ice forming and the snow 

 tending to toughen it, we found that when one piece 

 of old ice was struck, although it was itself forced out 

 of our way, it failed to propel the pieces behind it. 

 Consequently, after struggling along for about three 

 miles at a very large expenditure of coal, I was obliged 

 to secure the ships to a large floe amongst a quantity 

 of debris ice which had become cemented together with 

 the frost. 



This was our first experience during the season of 

 young ice forming thick enough to be troublesome ; the 

 previous summer it was almost as thick a fortnight 

 earlier in the season. After this date it was always 



