126 SOUTH AGAIN : NEW ZEALAND AND THE CAPE 



twenty-four hours, till compelled by the approach of winter 

 to turn north and then east again, through the endless floes, 

 making for the Falkland Islands, which lie to the east of 

 Cape Horn. 



But this was not the last of their adventures. They had 

 recrossed the Antarctic Circle and hoped to have got clear of 

 ice, when at midday on March 12, 1842, in the midst of a fierce 

 storm, a great berg appeared ahead, and in trying to weather 

 it the Terror collided with the Erebus, carrying away her 

 bowsprit and foretop-mast. For nearly ten minutes the two 

 ships lay interlocked, drifting down upon the berg and the 

 breakers, each ship, as it rose on the great waves, threatening 

 to send the other to the bottom. Breaking at last from this 

 disastrous embrace, the Terror was seen to run before the wind 

 and disappear beyond the lee end of the berg.. The Erehus, 

 disabled by fallen spars, was drifted down on the berg. For 

 three-quarters of an hour she lay among the breakers, striking 

 her masts against the berg as she rolled, and lashed by the 

 spray falling back from the ice cliffs. But perfect discipline 

 was maintained. At last the hamper was cleared, the main- 

 sails were loosed, and the ship slowly crept from her perilous 

 position by the desperate expedient of a ' sternboard,' i.e. sail- 

 ing stern foremost down wind, her yardarms scraping along 

 the berg, from w^hich she was only held off by the strength 

 of the undertow. Clearing the berg, they found themselves 

 running upon another, the passage between being but thrice 

 the ship's breadth. It took all the Captain's skill and all 

 the crew's steadiness to get the ship's head round into the 

 channel. Once through, however, they were safe in smooth 

 Y>rater under the lee of the berg, and there, to the great relief 

 of all, found the Terror awaiting them in anxious suspense. 



Next morning, viewing the long line of bergs that showed 

 this sole passage of escape, Captain Boss was inclined to re- 

 gard the collision as a blessing of Providence, albeit somewhat 

 rudely administered. It had turned them sharply off their 

 original course, which would have spelt worse disaster, to the 

 only practicable place of escape. The sailors were indefatigable. 

 In three days, as they ran before the wind, repairs were effected. 



