34 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



and had several slight squeezes on this occasion, but no 

 signs of a breeze from the S.W. 



Our fleet was now joined by the large exploring 

 expedition for Sir J. Franklin, under the command of 

 Sir Ed. Belcher and Capt. Kellett, two old tars who had 

 seen a great deal of service, especially the former, in the 

 China seas. He was the dread of the China pirates, and 

 swept the seas of them. We succeeded, by tracking and 

 towing, in getting sight of Cape York, north part of the 

 Bay. Heavier fields of ice were met with. A very sudden 

 and heavy gale sprang up from the S.W., with snow and 

 rain. All the ships were close together. There was no time 

 to saw a dock, but each had to lie and take their chance. 

 We launched our boats, and put into them provisions and 

 clothes, and left the ships, prepared for what might follow. 

 The ice came crushing and tumbling upon us, and all expected 

 the vessels would be wrecked, for it appeared as if nothing 

 short of a miracle could save us. The American ship, the 

 McLellan, of New London, fell over on her broadside, 

 and lifted out of the water, about nine feet : the ice had 

 cut through her. The scene was intensely exciting, 

 and our minds* were full of gloomy apprehensions. With 

 the exception of the captains, everybody had left the 

 ships. Each of the masters was standing on an elevated 

 part of his vessel giving instructions through speaking 

 trumpets, and firmly resolved to be the last to leave. The 

 ships began to crack and groan, and give sudden jumps.. 

 This was hailed as a good sign, for it proved that the ice 

 had got under them, and that they would have a better 

 chance of surviving the pressure. At intervals there would 

 be a lull in the movements of the ice. Another sudden 

 squeeze would follow, making the crews anxious for fear their 

 own ships would be the next to be wrecked. This dismal 

 state of things continued for eighteen hours. The crew be- 

 longing to the expedition, during the time, gave great assis- 



