176 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



tion of endurance as to our retaining our present place. 

 The view to port therefore receives our greatest consid- 

 eration. 



At 2.30 p. M. the young ice alongside of us commences 

 to split, and immediately the floebergs commence to 

 make down on us. Jumping on the deck-house I view 

 the procession with some anxiety. By great good for- 

 tune a projecting piece of our starboard floe holds on 

 and fends off the floating pieces, and this push, aided 

 by the wind, carries all dangerous masses just clear of 

 our port side. Just astern of us there happens to be a 

 bight in the floe, into which the drifting ice goes quietly 

 and comfortably, and the open spaces being soon filled 

 up the movement ceases about three. 



To-day the sun left us, although for all the good he 

 did he might have left yesterday. The weather was so 

 cloudy that we had nothing more than daylight. In sev- 

 enty-one days we Vvill be looking for his reappearance. 



November 17th, Monday. — Ice quiet during the day. 



November ISth, Tuesday. — At six a. m., with a light 

 northern wind, the ice got under way again and jammed 

 along to the N. W. The pressure across the bows was 

 very great, and this time the grinding mass fairly 

 reached the stem. I surely expected the ship to be 

 carried along with it, but a heavy beam pressure held 

 us up against our floe, and the barricade was switched 

 off at an angle. The pressure lasted until noon, the 

 ship creaking considerably, rising a little, and heeling 

 over 41° to starboard. 



November 19th, Wednesday. — From six a. m. to 

 noon heavy ice pressure on port quarter and beam, in- 

 creasing our heel to 5°. From six to seven p. m. heavy 

 beam pressure. 



November 20th, Thursday. — Beyond occasional slight 



