108 THE GERMAN ABOTIC EXPEDITION. 



before noon did our position become serious. At tliis 

 time, the constantly nearing, piled-up masses of young ice 

 (about four feet tliick) had broken up on the starboard side 

 of the vessel, and pressed heavily on the outer side. The 

 fore part of the ship rose somewhat, and would have risen 

 more, had not the high ice-blocks prevented it; it had 

 therefore to bear the whole weight of the pressure. A trial 

 of the pumps in the meantime showed that she was still 

 water-tight. Shortly before one o'clock, the deck-seams 

 amidship sprang, but still she seemed tight. After this 

 strong pressure followed a short pause, which we employed 

 in taking our mid-day meal on deck. Below it was very 

 uncomfortable. But soon some mighty blocks of ice 

 pushed themselves under the bow of the vessel, and 

 although they were crushed by it, they forced it up, 

 slowly at first, then quicker, until it was raised 17 feet 

 out of its former position upon the ice. This move- 

 ment we tried to ease as much as possible by shovelhng 

 away the ice and snow from the larboard side. The rising 

 of the ship was an extraordinary and awful, yet splendid 

 spectacle, of which the whole crew were witnesses from 

 the ice. In all haste the clothing, nautical instruments, 

 journals, and cards were taken over the landing-bridge. 

 The after part of the ship, unfortunately, would not rise ; 

 and therefore the stern-post had to bear the most fright- 

 ful pressure, and the conviction that the ship must soon 

 break up forced itself upon our minds. 



About five o'clock there was again a pause in the pres- 

 sure of the ice-floes, and the raised ice retreated, so that 

 in the course of an hour the ship, lying on her starboard 

 side, glided into more open water. The hawsers, which 

 had been cast loose, so as not to stop her from rising. 



