132 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. September 



served land, it was evident that none existed within a 

 distance of at least twenty miles. 



During the evening, with a falling barometer, the 

 wind again freshened considerably from the south- 

 west, the drifting snow hiding the land from our 

 sight. In a sudden squall the hawsers by which the 

 ship was secured, carried away and obliged me to let 

 go a bower anchor ; but before the ship was brought 

 up she had drifted outside of the barrier of floebergs, 

 from which the pack was again slowly retreating to- 

 wards the north-east, being driven off by the gale. 



I naturally expected that a water-channel would 

 open alongshore by which we might advance, but 

 nothing of the kind occurred ; for although a mag- 

 nificent sea two miles in breadth formed abreast of 

 our position, in which a light southerly swell forcing, 

 its way up Bobeson Channel was perceptible, yet 

 the pack remained persistently locked against Cape 

 Sheridan, only a mile and a half to the north-west of 

 us. Even with the ebb-tide, no offshore movement 

 occurred, the ice being evidently held tight by some 

 opposing pressure of wind or current. 



At work during a greater portion of the night, we 

 fully appreciated the advantages we enjoyed by the 

 sun being still above the northern horizon at midnight ; 

 in more southern Arctic latitudes it had long since 

 ceased to be light at that time. 



On the morning of the 2nd the wind shifted 

 suddenly from S.W. to N.W., causing the ship to drift 

 in amongst the floebergs, and driving the pack rapidly 

 towards the shore. 



The barometer having indicated the probability of 

 a change occurring, steam had been kept ready, and 





