26o THE VOYAGE OF THE ';DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



of a few days, but I am now all impatience to be away, and 

 therefore contemplate expediting matters by some explosions. 

 To make the necessary holes in the ice I have been obliged to 

 call in the assistance of the officers, who have been digging 

 away busily, but it has been no light matter to get through, for 

 the ice at the edge is twelve feet thick, whilst closer to the ship 

 it runs from fifteen to seventeen feet. We shall work all night 

 till our boilers are filled, but what a very different matter work 

 is under these new conditions ! Faces have regained the old 

 cheerful expression, and already the wags are finding new 

 subjects for their sallies.' 



^February i6. — I felt much too restless to go to bed last 

 night, and so after spending the evening with my fellow 

 captains I wandered about to see how the work went, and 

 presently mustered the explosion party and prepared a large 

 charge containing 67 lbs. of gun-cotton. We lowered this 

 carefully into a hole some fifteen yards ahead of the ship, and 

 at I A.M., regardless of the feelings of the sleepers, blew it up. 

 It shook the whole bay, and I fear awakened all those who 

 slumbered, but its effects were much what I had hoped. The 

 ice, which had been very solid about the " Discovery," now 

 showed cracks in all directions, and I knew I could go to bed 

 with the hope of finding many of these well open when I arose. 

 After breakfast I found this had duly happened. Nearly all 

 had opened out an inch or two, whilst one from the stern of the 

 ship was gaping a foot or more in width ; our ship work was 

 completed, and nothing remained but the last stroke for 

 freedom. 



' So the last explosive charge was borne out and lowered 

 into the yawning crack astern of the ship, the wires were 

 brought on board and everyone was directed to seek shelter. 

 When all was ready, I pressed the firing key; there was a 

 thunderous report which shook the ship throughout, and then 

 all was calm again. For a brief moment one might have 

 imagined that nothing had happened, but then one saw that 

 each crack was slowly widening; presently there came the 

 gurgle of water as it was sucked into our opening ice -bed, and 



