164 A FRIEND IN NEED. 



destruction, by a small iceberg. On the 17th of 

 September he writes : 



" There were several heavy floes in the vicinity. 

 One, full six miles in length, passed at the rate of 

 two knots, crushing everything that impeded its 

 progress, and grazed our starboard-bow. For- 

 tunately there was but young ice upon the opposite 

 side, which yielded to the pressure ; had it other- 

 wise occurred, the vessel must inevitably have been 

 cut asunder. In the afternoon we secured to a 

 moderately-sized iceberg, drawing eight fathoms, 

 which appeared to offer a fair refuge, and from 

 which we never afterwards parted." 



To this lump of ice the ship clung with the 

 tenacity of a bosom friend, and followed it, literally, 

 through thick and thin ! There is something 

 almost ludicrous, as well as striking, in M'Clure's 

 account of-their connection with this bit of ice. It 

 conveyed them to their furthest north-east position, 

 and back round the Princess Royal Islands passed 

 the largest within five hundred yards returned 

 along the coast of Prince Albert's Land and finally 

 froze in at lat. 70 50' north, long. 117 55' west, 

 on the 30th September; during which circumnavi- 

 gation they received many severe " nips," and were 

 frequently driven close to the shore, from which 

 their dear friend the iceberg, small though he was, 

 kept them off. 



Icebergs assume almost every conceivable form, 

 and are seen of every size sometimes, also, in great 



