PASSAGE THROUGH THE ICE 61 



could see fairly open water far ahead. It was strenuous work, 

 and it blew so hard that we were obliged to have a reef in the 

 mainsail. All hands were on deck. Mr. Leffingwell and Dr. 

 Howe were at the mainsheet, one man was at the wheel, 

 another was at the foresail, while I myself was in the crow's- 

 nest, being shaken about in great style whenever the ship hit a 

 piece of ice. 



All went well, and though we often bumped so hard against 

 the ice that I thought we had stove in the ship, we got through 

 it, and at I P.M. lay out westward over a rather large 

 expanse of water. Between 5 and 7 P.M. we had some more 

 hard work among heavy ice, but then we were through, and 

 shortly afterwards we again saw the tops of the Thetis and 

 the William Bailis, which now had been joined by the 

 Harold Dollar. The wind slackened a bit, we could set full 

 sail, and all in all we made fine headway. 



Monday, August 6. We anchored at 4 A.M. a short 

 distance to leeward of the three vessels. As it was impossible 

 to tell our whereabouts from the appearance of the coast, Mr. 

 Storkersen went over to the Revenue Cutter and brought back 

 the news that we were about fourteen miles south of Wainwright 

 Inlet. We had done even better than I thought yesterday, and 

 had made almost fifty miles in twenty-two hours. Mr. Storkersen 

 also brought the news that there was great trouble on board 

 the William Bailis. The crew had complained of their 

 treatment by the captain, who had been arrested. He was 

 taken on board the Thetis, and the command of the vessel 

 was turned over to the mate. The charges brought against the 

 captain were assault and manslaughter. The Thetis had 

 two days ago been up as far as Wainwright Inlet, but had 

 found the ice close inland and had returned to await better 

 conditions. 



They left about noon, but we hoped that the ice would clear 

 out a little yet, as the wind was still against us. We were all very 

 much depressed with the continuous north-easterly winds and 

 the heavy ice. Also the summer was drawing near its close, 

 .and the nights, though light at present, would soon get rather 

 dark, too dark at least for navigation in the ice. 



Tuesday, August 7. We weighed anchor at 7 A.M. and had a 

 light E.S.E. wind. We hoped that it would last, but before 



