POLAR ICE.— ^DRIFTING. 29S 



prospect was indeed appalling ; but, perceiving indi- 

 cations of the enlargement of the passage, rather 

 than the contrary, we advanced under a press of sail, 

 driving aside some disengaged lumps of ice that op- 

 posed us, and shortly accomplished our wishes in 

 safety. Here, an enlivening prospect presented it- 

 self: to the extreme limits of the horizon, no inter- 

 ruption was visible. We made a predetermined 

 signal to the ships we had left, indicative of our 

 hopes of a speedy release. In two hours, however, 

 our sanguine expectations of an immediate escape 

 received a check, for we then met with fields in the 

 act of collapsing and completely barring our pro- 

 gress. As the distance across was scarcely a mile, 

 and the sea to appearance clear beyond it, the inter- 

 ruption was most tantalizing. We waited at the 

 point of union, in the hope of the separation of 

 the two fields ; and on the morning of the 26th of 

 May, our anxiety was happily relieved, by the wish- 

 ed-for division of the ice. The ship, propelled by a 

 brisk wind, darted through the strait, and entered a 

 sea, which we considered the termination of our dif- 

 ficulties. After steering three hours to the south- 

 eastward, as directed by the northern ice, we were 

 concerned to discover tiiat our conclusions had been 

 premature. An immense pack opened on our view, 

 stretching directly across our track. There was no 

 alternative, but forcing through it : we therefore 

 pushed forward into the least connected part. By 

 availing ourselves of every advantage in sailing. 



