CHAPTER II. 



PASSAGE THROUGH THE ICE. 



Leave Point Hope Enter the Ice Arrive at Icy Cape Heavy ice Beat- 

 ing up along the coast Pass the steamers Arrive at Point Barrow 

 Delayed by ice The Eskimos Arrival of the steamers from the East 

 Seek shelter in Elson Bay Captain Cottle offers to tow the vessel 

 through heavy ice Leave Point Barrow Decide to go into winter 

 quarters Arrive at Flaxman Island. 



Wednesday, August I. The month of August commenced 

 with fine weather, but we saw very heavy pack ice a couple of 

 miles away. We had to go about and stand eastward, and at 

 3 A.M. we came into a large expanse of open water. 



We quickly imagined that our troubles were a thing of the 

 past. No such luck ! We ran out of the open water and had 

 to enter into heavy ice, where long crooked narrow lanes 

 separated the floes. The whole day was spent in working 

 through it. It was a hard struggle, and with the hauling and 

 slacking of sheets, with running the headsails down or up, with 

 now and again taking out a line ahead and heaving the ship 

 through a narrow channel, all hands were needed, and Mr. 

 Leffingwell and Dr. Howe helped as usual. With care and 

 hard work we managed to manoeuvre the vessel better than 

 I ever thought a sailing vessel could be manoeuvred, and we 

 felt very cheerful. 



The weather was hazy, at ,times so foggy that we could not 

 see a mile ahead of us, and several times we were obliged to tie 

 up and wait for the fog to clear. 



In the morning we commenced to work southward, more or 

 less, for a fair wind ; we had come too close to the heavy main 

 pack, where the ice was too dense for us to manoeuvre in. We 

 tried to get into the coast water, as that would be more open, 

 but toward night the wind failed entirely, and from 8 P.M. we 

 had calm but clear weather. When the sun was almost under 

 the horizon we were all on deck to admire the beautiful sight. 



