180 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



southwester is over, break us out of the bed where we 

 have so snugly lain for over two and a half months. 

 Nindemann and Alexey started off in pursuit of the 

 bear shot yesterday. But owing to the opening of the 

 ice in the mean time they were unable to reach the 

 place of the conflict. 



Inspected the ship at eleven a. m., and held divine 

 service at 1.30 p. m. 



November 2it]i, Monday. — It has come at last; we 

 are broken adrift from our floe ! Suspecting what the 

 continued action of this S. W. wind would be, I made 

 sure to have all the dogs securely housed on board ship 

 before I went to bed last night, i. e., before I lay down 

 in my clothes to get some sleep. At five p. m. I was 

 aroused by a preliminary pressure under the bow. 

 Turning out I reached the deck-house top in time to 

 see a very severe nip which started our port bulwark 

 planking, the ice being already piled higher than our 

 port rail in some places. The ice under the bow was 

 piled up as high as our figure-head, and the pressure in 

 this direction was increasing. A floe piece with a wedge 

 shape had pierced " our " floe, and was exerting its 

 force bravely. The ship creaked and groaned. Some- 

 thing had to give, for the pressure from ahead and 

 abeam was very great. Suddenly the ship lifted by the 

 stern, the wedge advanced, and our floe was split, and 

 the port pressure decreasing we were afloat on an even 

 keel once more. The port floe moved slowly to the N. 

 E., and we followed it, our snus; cradle of two and a half 

 months being split and shattered, and no longer our 

 refuge and our strength. All our effects being long 

 since removed we had nothing to bring in but our gang- 

 plank, which was soon accomplished. Throughout the 

 day we remained nearly in the same place, resting at 



