A FROZEN SUMMER. 



429 



then over the rail on board, where it was manned by 

 some hands, while Chipp, with two men, pointed and 

 guided the saw by means of a bar in the saw's upper 

 end. During the forenoon the small sawing, picking, 

 and chiseling were done on the port side, where a num- 

 ber of small holes were connected; and in the after- 

 noon both sides were worked at. As soon as the tripod 

 got near the ship the fall was led through a block on the 

 mainyard, and the sawing proceeded with good speed. 



lice 3 feet 

 i*under wateiD 



A. Sounding hole. 



B. Ice ten feet thick. 



C. TripoJ for sawing ice. 



D Holes through the ice connected by small saws, picks, and chisels. 

 E Place where fine broke in two. 



(From a sketch by Capt. De Lonz-) 



although laborious and trying to the men standing in 

 the water guiding the saw. By 2.30 p. m. the saw had 

 nearly reached the sounding hole, when, crash ! bump ! 

 bump ! the floe broke into two large cakes which came 

 to the surface striking hard under our counter, and 

 rolled and swashed like two whales. While some of the 

 men got ice-claws, and with ropes dragged the cakes 

 away, others rove off the propeller-purchase, and Mel- 

 ville went below to get the blades vertical. Upon trying 

 to turn the shaft, he found that it would only go a little 

 way, and we began to fear the blades were so bent as 



