OLD WHALING DAYS. 135 



In a short time the whole Bay broke up into floes, and no 

 fast ice remained. A calm, prevailing for a few hours, made 

 an opening, so we towed and tracked until the ice closed 

 again, and we then made fast. A dark sky was shewing to 

 the southward, and the barometer began to fall, which 

 denoted a strong wind from that quarter. No time was lost 

 preparing for the safety of the ships, and we began to saw 

 docks. The Abram and Lord Gambier were in one, and 

 the Hudson, of Hanover, in another. Our ship was 

 placed in a third, and the Anne brig of Hull, remained 

 sheltered by a point, whilst the Commerce, of Peterhead, 

 was about two miles in the offing, jammed between two 

 loose floes. A furious gale with heavy rain and sleet came 

 upon us. 



When the weather cleared, we saw the Commerce a total 

 wreck, and the Anne was badly stove. When the gale 

 abated, every precaution was taken for the safety of the 

 vessels, such as sawing, etc., getting the boats further from 

 the ships and provisioning them, as there were signs of more 

 bad weather coming. The storm came on again and raged 

 with greater fury, and in a short time the Anne also became 

 a total wreck. Momentarily we all expected to share the 

 same fate. Providentially we stood the test, although we 

 had heavy pressures upon us. The Hudson had her stern 

 post started, but the others did not suffer materially. The 

 crews belonging to the two wrecked ships stayed amongst 

 us for a couple of days, then left and made for the Danish 

 settlements with their boats, in hopes of getting home 

 sooner that way, as our condition was so uncertain. 



The weather became more settled, but the last gale had 

 broken up the land floe into fragments. We waited for an 

 opening to the northward ; instead of that, it appeared in the 

 opposite direction. The south water could be seen from 

 the mast head, so we concluded that to be the best course to 

 take, as the winds seemed inclined to prevail from the S.W. 



