i 9 ii] CAUGHT IN THE ICE 249 



seen to the S.W. Following the pack along towards the land, it 

 was soon seen that there was clear water inside the pack. This 

 water extended, apparently, up to the land, and at one place the 

 line of pack was not more than a mile broad. After sounding in 

 154 fathoms the ship was worked into the pack with high hopes 

 of finding another place like Robertson Bay, which is often clear 

 of pack, though the entrance is usually more or less guarded 

 by it. 



At 5 P.M., after an hour's struggle, the attempt was seen to 

 be hopeless, the ship was only a third way through, and the pack 

 grew heavier as she advanced. A light wind had sprung up and 

 this had closed the pack, so that the ship was caught and unable 

 to move at all. This was very disappointing and the position 

 was not free from anxiety as, undoubtedly, there is a fair tidal 

 stream in these waters, and grounded icebergs do not make pleas- 

 ant neighbours in such circumstances. 



As the sun got low, the day improved, the clouds broke, and 

 in the sunshine we had a good view of the land, though the upper 

 parts of it were always shrouded in cloud. The ship appeared 

 to be off a point (or angle) in the coast, apparently forming the 

 western end of a large bay to the east of us. The coast was steep 

 and rugged, half bare rocky points separated by glaciers being 

 the chief features. The hills behind did not appear to be very 

 high, but this is only guess-work, as the higher land was ob- 

 scured in clouds all the time and only occasionally a glimpse could 

 be got when the clouds partially lifted in one spot or another. 

 There was no movement in the ice in respect to the ship till 

 5 A.M., when Cheetham reported a general easing up, and shortly 

 after the ship was able to turn and work out to the northward 

 without unusual difficulty. 



After taking bearings and making sketches from the edge of 



the pack we ran to the northward and northwestward, with pack 



on the port hand and the coast beyond the pack till 



Feb. 26, . 1111 



79/7, 68 5? 2 P.M., when the coast made a sharp bend to the west- 

 S., 158 ss' ward, though the edge of the pack still continued to 

 E ' trend to the northward. While one of the soundings 



was being taken on this day a rorqual fouled the sounding wire 

 in a most extraordinary manner, and for a short time there was 

 quite an exciting and very novel sport of playing whale, which 

 naturally ended by the wire parting. 



