STOEM AND SNOWDIUFT. 373 



What if tlie ship should break away from the ice ? Could 

 ^ye then remain on the same spot ? Land had apparently 

 disappeared. A dreadful squall drove the sharp snow in 

 our faces, and, shuddering, we quickly retreated under 

 the tent-roof, Avhich bent inwards more and more, the 

 fastenings seeming to slacken. The chimney shook; 

 even the mast above, which we could see through a slit 

 in the roof, swayed. We feared the tent would split up 

 if the storm lasted much longer. And then ? then the 

 whole of the deck would be swept clean, and we must 

 resign ourselves to remain below until the storm had 

 spent itself, and allowed us to make good all damage 

 done. And on land ? how could we tell whether this 

 furious storm had not demolished our provision depot, 

 torn off the roof, or destroyed the chests, &c., and rolled 

 them into the sea ? 



As we paced the deck on that Sunday morning we 

 were grave, but still of good heart ; we had done all that 

 lay in our power. On deck it looked interesting enough. 

 Through all existing or freshly-made holes, through the 

 smallest breaks or rents, and even through the sail-cloth 

 itself, the snow had forced its way ; the atmosphere was 

 filled with the smallest grains and needle-points, which 

 fell on everything on deck, soon, in spite of all our 

 trouble, forming a thick covering of snow. 



The after-part of the ship presented the worst appear- 

 ance ; here was a perfect snow landscape. And in order 

 to get at the provisions we were obliged every time to 

 use the shovel, and at the wheel-house the drift was from 

 six to seven feet high. 



Later, the storm seemed to abate a little, allowing 

 Mr. Sengstacke and Dr. Copeland to work their way 



