430 NEW LAND. 



On Wednesday, July 30, the wind freshened, the ice drifted 

 quickly out, and we with it. It was now a case of getting up 

 steam, for we were likely to have a tussle before we cut our way 

 clear of the point to the south of us, where all the way along the 

 shore there was a barrier of large grounded blocks of ice. I saw 

 that we should be forced against these, but hoped there would be 

 enough water to enable us to brush past southward. But suddenly 

 we were seized by a large floe, which swung us round with 

 irresistible force, and for a while we had the pleasure of drifting 



' HOLD YOUR JAWS, DOGS ! ' 



backwards. Then suddenly the stern touched the bottom ; the ice- 

 blocks whirled out with impetuous speed ; and we were pressed 

 higher and higher aground. 



So there we were. The tide had just begun to fall. There 

 was no question of our being able to push off; in fact, the masses 

 of ice were in such drift that we could not even put out a warp. 

 We set to work at once to move a number of things, so that the 

 ship should have a list towards land ; and for safety's sake put 

 a couple of good stout hawsers round the mainmast- and foremast- 

 heads, and hauled them taut with the help of a tackle and the 



