82 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



anchorage at 10 A.M. and undo all the work of yesterday. 

 The ice had closed in considerably, and we had to run along 

 in two fathoms of water or less. We were aground three times, 

 although the lead was hove as fast as possible. As the ice 

 grounds in this shoal water and gets exposed to pressure, it 

 raises small gravel ridges, and when the ice later on either 

 melts or is eaten away by the current, it leaves a gravel bar, 

 which is a serious obstacle to ships running along close in shore, 

 and the more so as the lead does not give any indication that 

 we are near a bar. However, we got the ship off easily. Twice 

 we sailed and rolled her off, only once we had to use the winch. 

 To be safe against the incoming ice we jumped the bar outside 

 Elson Bay. It was half a foot too shoal, but a brisk wind was 

 blowing, and we easily got over it. We had to anchor right 

 inside, as the current made the ship perfectly unmanageable. 

 Two of the whalers have found a lead through the ice several 

 miles northward, but the rest are still in sight to the east, and 

 the Thetis is trying hard to reach them. 



This is certainly a bad ice year, and I think we had almost 

 better go into winter quarters at once, as the young ice is forming 

 fast. 



Wednesday, August 29. As the ice was crowding us and the 

 season was getting late, we made up our minds that we might 

 as well run into Elson Bay, for in case an opportunity offered 

 of going east, we should be as ready in there as out here. 

 The current was strong, but still I thought that we could sail 

 in. We tried, but failed, as we got swept on the beach, and 

 pretty hard at that. We worked all day to refloat the vessel, 

 but the ship baffled all attempts to get her off, and we com- 

 menced to take coals and other heavy articles ashore. Still 

 she did not float, and at 10 P.M. we hauled everything tight and 

 left her on the beach. Of course we expect to get her off 

 to-morrow. The dogs are excited to be so near land; they 

 would like a run ashore. 



Thursday, August 30. The wind had risen during the night 

 and the sea was heavy, so the Duchess of Bedford was banging 

 on the ground until 5 A.M., when the noise all of a sudden 

 ceased, and the watchmen informed us that she had slid off. 

 This saved us a lot of work, and we got the kedge anchor out 

 at once and worked her into Elson Bay, where we anchored in 



