22 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



from the S. E., and I was compelled to bring the boat by the 

 wind and reef down as snug as possible. At this time, had we 

 been in open water, Cape York could have been reached with- 

 out any difficulty, but as far as we could see to the northward, 

 the ice was in a solid pack three to four feet thick, and we were 

 struggling along on the edge of it looking for a lead, and work- 

 ing to the westward in so doing. To the N. E. the ice was also 

 in a firm pack, with icebergs and hummocks close enough to pre- 

 vent the opening of the ice to any extent. At noon I estab- 

 lish the position of the boat in lat. 75° 48' N., long. 66° 50' W. 



" In the afternoon the S. E. gale had caused a fearful sea, 

 and working as we were on the edge of the ice-pack, our situa- 

 tion became one of great danger. The wind had started the 

 Melville Bay pack out from the land, and to the northward 

 and westward, making a regular bight in which we were fairly 

 placed. We had to carry sail in order to keep the boat under 

 control. Steam would have been of no use, since the Little 

 Juniata could not for one moment have steamed against such a 

 gale. Laying to was not to be thought of, lest we should drift 

 to the pack and be ground to pieces. The prospect at this 

 time was a terrible one. Icebergs near us, one hundred feet 

 in height, had the spray from the sea thrown over their tops. 

 On approaching the edge of the pack ice we could see a scene 

 of great confusion. The bordering ice would be broken in 

 large pieces, and hurled upon the more solid ice, only to be dis- 

 placed by fresh pieces torn adrift by the gale, and rolled over 

 and over upon the face of the pack. The fate of the boat and 

 the party appeared certain. We were half buried in the seas 

 at times, shipping quantities of water and deluging everything 

 in the boat. It rained in torrents. Had our sail split or our 

 mast gone, nothing could have been done. Providentially, 

 everything held, and we were enabled to keep the boat under 

 some control. The fog was very thick, making it extremely dif- 

 ficult to see the ice-pack each time until we were fairly along- 

 side of it, in which case we had to wear ship at once without 

 delay, not knowing in so doing whether we could clear this 

 grinding and crushing mass of ice or not. 



"" This state of affairs continued until ten o'clock on the 



