PASSAGE THROUGH THE ICE 63 



shore, we went about in ten feet of water and then outwards 

 again, but, with the current setting down the coast, it was some- 

 times hard to get the ship in stays, and we took the ground 

 several times during the day, every time, however, getting her 

 off easily. Fortunately, there was hardly any loose ice in the 

 channel, which helped us considerably. About 10 A.M. we saw 

 the masts of the three steamers again, and as far as we could 

 make out they were at anchor, not a very promising sight 1 

 At 4.30 P.M. we anchored alongside the Thetis, and -I went on 

 board to learn the condition of the ice further ahead. Captain 

 Hamlet told me that he had followed a lane about twenty miles 

 further, but had then been stopped by impenetrable ice, after 

 which he had been obliged to return in order to find a better 

 anchorage. There is a change coming now, as the ice has begun 

 to drift northward, and the conditions may be better at any 

 time. However, all agree that this is an exceedingly bad year, 

 the worst that any one on the Thetis or the William Bailis 

 has known. From the crow's-nest of the Thetis we can see a 

 narrow streak of water along the shore, but out seaward and 

 northward it is ice, and nothing but ice, as far as we can see. 

 We will wait until to-morrow, and then endeavour to follow the 

 lead along shore if the conditions do not change further out 

 to sea. This is bad, very bad indeed, and we are all very 

 depressed and tired. I wonder whether the wind is ever going 

 to change. 



Thursday, August 9. We weighed anchor again about 5 A.M. 

 and started to beat up along the land, but as usual the con- 

 ditions were against us. Besides the head-wind the fog was 

 very dense so dense that we could only now and again see 

 the land, less than half a mile distant. Twice we anchored 

 when it was impossible to pick our way through the ice, and as 

 soon as the weather cleared up a little, up went the anchor, and 

 the work commenced afresh. We seemed to make fair head- 

 way, and at least the current was in our favour. About n A.M. 

 we had to tie up for good, as we had come into a little less than 

 two fathoms of water, and the ice barrier was only some few 

 hundred yards away. Also the fog hung persistently over the 

 land as well as over the ice, and we had no idea what kind of 

 a hole we might be in. We were all getting utterly disgusted 

 everything wet and heavy, the ropes so swollen that they 



