OLD WHALING DAYS. 81 



panions the Gipsy and Undaunted, and were in good 

 hopes of getting through "the bay in a reasonable time. 

 Anticipating easterly winds and calms, we got provisions 

 and two splendid tents on deck in case of emergency. This 

 was the first time such comforts had been provided for the 

 crew, and were made expressly for the purpose. One 

 would accommodate forty men, and the other twenty. The 

 poles were in six feet lengths, and fitted with copper 

 sockets. During the time we were in the bay we 

 occasionally used them, and they were highly appreciated. 

 The next calm opened the floes, but we only got two miles 

 further when the ice again closed. A dark nimbus sky 

 rising in the south, we began to saw a dock, but had 

 scarcely time to get into it before a heavy gale burst upon 

 us, which made us fear we should lose our good ship. The 

 ice had not much space to drive, otherwise the floe would 

 have crushed us to pieces. After this came a succession of 

 'gales for six weeks from the same quarter, quite contrary to 

 what we anticipated. At times when the weather was very 

 clear we could see the southern fleet from the mast head, 

 sheltered under the lee of the Duck Islands. Every possible 

 means were used to secure a safe place by sawing docks. 

 During the time we were in the bay we sawed eighteen, but 

 each gale broke the floes more and more, and left no safe 

 place for us. One heavy gale caused the floe to pass over 

 the Gipsy and Undaunted, the ice cutting through them, 

 and they became total wrecks. 



We were forced on our beam ends, and every moment 

 expected to share the same fate. However, we providen- 

 tially escaped, and prayed to be led safely out of the much 

 dreaded Melville Bay. Our critical position, and the loss of 

 the other two ships, made some of our men very depressed. 

 The crew of the Undaunted set her on fire, which is the 

 usual practice when a whaler becomes a wreck, and the 

 crews of both ships came on board of us and stayed two 



