THE ARCTIC DISASTERS 265 



necessity of abandoning our vessels, and trying to work our way 

 south with our boats, and, if possible, get on board of ships that 

 are south of the ice. We think it would not be prudent to 

 leave a single soul to look after our vessels, as the first westerly 

 gale will crowd the ice ashore, and either crush the ships or 

 drive them high upon the beach. Three of the fleet have al- 

 ready been crushed, and two are now lying hove out, which 

 have been crushed by the ice, and are leaking badly. We have 

 now five wrecked crews distributed among us. We have barely 

 room to swing at anchor between the pack of ice and the beach, 

 and we are lying in three fathoms of water. Should we be 

 cast on the beach, it would be at least eleven months before we 

 could look for assistance, and in all probability nine out of ten 

 would die of starvation or scurvy before the opening of spring. 



''Therefore, we have arrived at these [above] conclusions: 

 After the return of our expedition under command of Capt. D. 

 R. Frazer, of the Florida, he having with whale-boats worked 

 to the southward as far as Blossom Shoals, and found that the 

 ice pressed ashore the entire distance from our position to the 

 shoals, leaving in several places only sufficient water for our 

 boats to pass through, and this liable at any moment to be 

 frozen over during the twenty-four hours, which would cut off 

 our retreat, even by the boats, as Captain Frazer had to work 

 through a considerable quantity of young ice during his expedi- 

 tion, which cut up his boats badly." 



This second statement they dispatched to their waiting 

 fellow whalemen : 



Ship ' Champion, ' 

 September 12, 1871. 

 Off Point Belcher 



''to the masters of the ships in clear water south of 

 Icy Cape: 



"Gentlemen: By a boat expedition which went out to 

 explore the feasibility of a ship's passage to clear water, report 

 there are seven vessels south of Icy Cape in clear water, whaling. 



"By a meeting of all the masters of the vessels which are em- 



