154 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



did not feel altogether satisfied with his situa- 

 tion ; but, there being no wind, he could not 

 move one way or the other, and he therefore 

 kept a strict watch, knowing that he would be 

 safe as long as the icebergs continued in their 

 respective places. About midnight the wind 

 rose to a gale, accompanied by thick showers of 

 snow, while a succession of thundering, grind- 

 ing, and crashing noises gave fearful evidence 

 that the ice was in motion. 



The vessel received violent shocks every 

 moment, for the haziness of the atmosphere 

 prevented those on board from discovering in 

 what direction the open water lay, or if there 

 actually was any at all on either side of them. 

 The night was spent in tacking as often as any 

 case of danger happened to present itself, and 

 in the morning the storm abated, and Captain 

 Warrens found, to his great joy, that his ship 

 had not sustained any serious injury. He re- 

 marked with surprise that the accumulated ice- 

 bergs, which had the preceding evening formed 

 an impenetrable barrier, had been separated and 

 disengaged by the wind, and that in one place a 



