Fighting Field Ice. 99 



the slope, just over the Neptune's stern, were the four small build- 

 ings of the station, with Mount Bennett, an elevation named by 

 our commander, just in the back-ground. On three sides of us were 

 high rocks, decorated here and there with spots of frozen snow, 

 while away to the south the long ranges of the main shore were 

 covered with newly fallen snow. To seaward, as far as the eye 

 could discern anything, was a vast stretch of field ice. 



Weighing anchor, the Neptune headed towards the latter, the 

 men and crew on board cheering Mr. Stupart and his assistants as 

 they rowed away to the shore. In a quarter of an hour we were in 

 the midst of the ice, battering awa}^ at it in right good earnest. At 

 first the pans were scattered and we got along without much diffi- 

 culty, but they became thicker and more compact, until the good 

 ship was compelled to stop. Reversing her fan, she backed away, 

 and again advanced in a more promising direction. By this 

 method she made some little headway, but the progress was very 

 tedious. At ten o'clock in the evening we were about ten miles 

 from land, but still in the ice, which was so compact as almost to 

 defy advance. 



The tearing, and crashing, and smashing sounds were by no 

 means pleasant, added to which, the lurching, and rolling, and 

 raising, and pulling of the ship made all on board feel uncomfortable. 

 The captain longed to be " outside " in the centre of the Strait, 

 where, of course, the water was free from obstruction; but darkness 

 intervened, and we were doomed to keep company with the relent- 

 less ice. The Neptune laid to, and all was quiet again, until the 

 returning light of Saturday morning warranted a renewal of opera- 

 tions. 



The propeller was put in motion at daylight on Saturday morn- 

 ing, and by half-past six o'clock we were through the ice into open 

 water. Capt. Sopp estimated that we had made our way through 

 over twenty miles of field ice, all more or less compact, between 

 Stupart's Bay and the open water, which was reached just before 

 breakfast hour on Saturday morning. It began to snow and blow 

 at an early hour, and continued until noon. The afternoon was a 

 mixture of snow and rain, with moderate winds and spells of partly 



