146 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. Sepikubbr 



During the latter part of the gale, in addition to 

 the bower cable holding the ship, she was further 

 secured by a wire hawser passed from the bow to a 

 second anchor buried on shore. When laying it out 

 it was very readily handled in the cutter, and during 

 the gale, although the strands flattened in the sharp nip 

 at the hawse-hole, the wire cable held on admirably. 

 The following is extracted from my journal : — 

 1 In the evening, although a strong north-west wind 

 was blowing along the land, it produced very little snow- 

 drift in consequence of there being no more light snow 

 left to lly. A large pool of water remains open off Cape 

 Eawson, which, with this wind, will probably extend 

 as tar south as Cape Union. The day before the gale 

 commenced we were preparing an observatory on shore, 

 but fortunately none of the instruments were landed — 

 that is supposing we are still successful in moving 

 farther to the westward into the bay found by Aldrich. 

 I fear we can scarcely expect another favourable gale 

 before the season is quite at an end. A long continuous 

 south-west wind is ^he only power that will ever open 

 this ice. The " Polaris " had a fortnight's continuous 

 westerly winds at the end of this month, her time of 

 full moon ; so we may still have another chance. Were 

 the question of our advance to the north-west only to 

 gain northing, irrespective of any other consideration, 

 unquestionably I could gain ten or twelve miles ; but 

 at this advanced season other considerations have to be 

 thought of ; we must be quite sure that we gain a safe 

 wintering place. These hummocks can scarcely be 

 considered a desirable or sufficient protection for the 

 winter 



