PASSAGE THROUGH THE ICE 65 



us wind, current, fog, and ice obstacles which are almost 

 insurmountable. If we could only get as far as Cape Bathurst 

 we could do something ; but suppose we should be caught here 

 in the ice and frozen up, what then ? 



But what is the use of worrying ? Fortune may once more 

 favour us, and all may be well. 



At 1.30 P.M. the fog lifted, and Mr. Lemngwell and I went 

 aloft to see what things looked like. It was a very pleasing 

 sight which presented itself to us a wide lane running parallel 

 with the coast as far as we could see. But of course it is not 

 right to go into a lane in the pack ice, with ice between our- 

 selves and land. It may close up on us, and even if the ship 

 is not crushed we may get caught so that we. cannot get out 

 again, and drift away into the unknown. But the season is 

 very late and we are so far from our goal that we are justified 

 in taking our chance, so here goes ! 



" Deck ahoy ! hoist that mainsail and foresail, back up stay- 

 sail to port, up anchor then, boys lively now ! That's right ! 

 we can see far ahead, open water, lively now to get under way ! " 

 The clearing lasted but for a little while, and we made for the 

 entrance in the lead. To the south we could see the steamers 

 lying in the same place, and they did not yet show any sign of 

 moving, so apparently we were more fortunate than they. 



Again the fog came down, thick and wet, but we were in the 

 lead, had seen its course, and could follow it. But not more 

 than an hour after starting we had to tie up to a floe, as we 

 were again getting into a tight place. The floe was rather 

 small and drifted southward against the heavier ice, and after 

 several narrow escapes of getting nipped we started again 

 and stood shoreward on the other tack, in order to anchor 

 in water so shallow that the drifting ice would not be able to 

 hurt us. 



We had five fathoms of water at the time we started, and 

 that decreased shortly to four and a half, remained so for a 

 while, then again increased to eight fathoms while we were 

 running towards the shore. We had a fine run, a fresh breeze, 

 not much ice ; only now and again did a piece loom through 

 the fog. Luck had been with us ; we had just managed to pass 

 the Seahorse Islands and were running into Pearl Bay. At 

 9 P.M. the ice got very heavy ahead, and we dared not continue, 



A.I. F 



