PERILS OF THE ANTARCTIC 125 



previous season. Turning south at long. 146° W., where 

 Httle ice had been met by previous navigators, they found 

 ihe hne followed by Cook in 1774 and entered the pack on 

 December 18. But the experience of one year is not that of 

 another. The pack ice extended 800 miles. For forty-six 

 days they struggled with the ice before getting clear of it. 

 The weather was much worse than on the former voyage. On 

 January 19 a terrific storm dashed them about in the ice for 

 twenty-eight hours. Huge waves hurled masses of ice against 

 the ships like battering-rams. The Erebus's rudder was 

 damaged. But so well were the ships strengthened against 

 the ice, so closely were their holds stowed, making the hulls 

 a solid mass from side to side, that to Ross's delight and sur- 

 prise they suffered no further damage. Repairs were difficult, 

 the workers being drenched for hours by the icy water ; but 

 within four days the crippled ships were repaired, Captain 

 Ross permitting this work of necessity to be performed on 

 the Sabbath day, as indeed he did again after the collision 

 in the following March. 



Escape from the pack was as perilous as remaining in it. 

 On the evening of February 1, clear sea came in sight, but the 

 long westerly swell raised ' a fearful line of foaming breakers ' 

 on the pack edge, menacing them through the gathering 

 darkness, an equal danger whether the wind fell or increased to 

 a storm as it threatened to do. The only course was to take 

 the immediate hazard. Two hours' battling with the waves, 

 shotted, as it were, with blocks of ice, brought them into 

 safety, with the loss of part of the Erebus s stem. It was 

 worse on board the Terror, for there fire had broken out, some 

 blocks of wood having been left too near the hot air stove, 

 and it was only extinguished by flooding the hold two feet 

 deep. 



After these dangers, the troubles arising from the looser 

 floating ice were of less account, until, more than a fortnight 

 later, the floes were dispersed by a couple of storms. Then 

 on February 23 the Great Barrier was reached, six miles 

 further south and ten further east than the previous year. 

 From this point it trended N.E. as they followed it for 



