1875 RETURN TO LINCOLN BAY. 125 



Fully expecting a change with the flood-tide on the 

 morning of the 31st, with much labour a working 

 space was cleared under the stern, but owing to the 

 rudder being badly balanced we nearly lost our oppor- 

 tunity. At 9.30 a.m., during a momentary slackening 

 of the ice, with steam up to its greatest pressure, we 

 commenced to move. By going ahead and astern 

 alternately, the ship formed an ever increasing water- 

 space and at last pushed her way to where the ice was 

 more open, and shortly afterwards entered a narrow 

 water-channel which led to Lincoln Bay. 



Few occurrences are more trying to the temper of 

 the commander of an Arctic ship than an accident 

 which prevents him taking immediate advantage of a 

 momentary change in the ice, on which the success 

 or failure of an expedition may depend. Had the 

 shipping of the rudder delayed us another five minutes, 

 the ship would in all probability have remained in the 

 pack during a heavy gale which shortly after set in 

 from the south, and continued for two days. 



When in the pack, I regretted that the ship was 

 not near a floe to which we might have escaped in 

 case of being nipped ; for although a large one was 

 within a quarter of a mile of us, such was the rugged 

 state of the broken-up intermediate ice, that had the 

 ship been destroyed, it would have been quite impos- 

 sible to have transported any provisions or stores to 

 it, even had we succeeded in reaching it ourselves. 



After our late escape all could appreciate Captain 

 Buddington's recommendation, when the ' Polaris ' was 

 placed in precisely similar circumstances, to get out of 

 the Polar pack as quickly as possible. It is either 



