i82 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK, 



were of various sizes, were really the most dangerous, since they could not 

 be seen so quickly. It was bright moonlight, however, which was much in 

 our favor, and by taking in the foresail we reduced the speed of the vessel,, 

 so that we passed safely by hundreds of isolated ice cakes, any one of 

 which would have knocked in our vessel's bow had she struck it. With the 

 wind blowing a northeast gale and sweeping down from such a vast body of 

 pack ice as lay to windward, the air was keen and biting, as may easily be 

 surmised, and when at last we had cleared the last of the lolly-ice* which 

 strung out to the leeward of the main fioe, and the increasing motion 

 of the vessel gave evidence of open water to windward, I crawled down out 

 of the rigging, but was so thoroughly chilled through that I could scarcely 

 stand. 



As there was possible danger of meeting more ice, and the wind had in- 

 creased somewhat, I concluded not to set the foresail before daylight. 

 When we cleared the ice we were nearly a hundred miles south of the 

 latitude of Sable Island, and were therefore obliged to steer W. N. W., 

 which brought us almost in the trough of the sea. Having warmed myself, 

 and ordered the watch to " call me if there were any indications of ice, or 

 increase in wind," I turned in. The sea increased very much towards 

 morning, and a little after daybreak we were tripped and knocked down ; 

 the mainboom went under nearly to the mast, parting the boom-tackle ; one 

 man in the forecastle was thrown from a weather into a lee bunk, and 

 another who was lying in a berth on the lee side was scalded by the con- 

 tents of the coffee pot which came tumbling on top of him from the stove 

 on the opposite side. Altogether there was quite a mixing up of things, 

 but almost before we had a chance to realize the situation, the vessel was 

 back on her bottom and tearing along on her course again. Not caring, 

 however, to repeat the performance, if we could avoid it, we set a double- 

 reefed foresail, took in the mainsail, and bent the riding sail in its stead. 

 Under this canvas we kept along on our course, though, such was the 

 danger of being sprawled out again, that I staid on deck all day directing 

 the man at the wheel how to steer to escape the ugly cross seas that quite 

 frequently came along. It was anything but pleasant, to be sure, to run a 

 vessel under such circumstances, but nevertheless we kept her going, 

 swinging off almost before it sometimes, and hauling to on our course again 

 when a chance offered. In this way we went along safely until about sun- 

 down, when, being very hungr}'^, I went below for a lunch, first giving the 

 man at the wheel the order to " Watch her sharp ; swing her off quick if 



*Lolly-ice is the name given to the fine ice which generally extends to a greater or less dis- 

 tance to leeward of field ice. It is foraied by the grinding together of the larger pieces, and 

 being of small size, and, of course, comparatively little under water, usually drifts to lee- 

 ward faster than heavy ice. 



