182 IN DANGER. 



scarcely squeeze between them, and they were 

 obliged to search for other passages ; in doing 

 which, the variation of their compass confused 

 them. At other times, " a tolerably wide passage 

 would appear between two bergs, which they 

 would gladly follow ; then a narrower one ; then 

 no opening in front, but one to the side. Follow- 

 ing that a little distance, a blank ice-cliff would 

 close the way altogether, and they were forced to 

 retrace their steps and begin again." 



Thus they puzzled their way through, " like a 

 blind man in the streets of a strange city ;" but 

 more difficulties awaited them beyond. After ad- 

 vancing many miles they were arrested by broad 

 rents in the ice, and were obliged to diverge fre- 

 quently far out of their course, or to bridge the 

 chasms over by cutting down the ice hummocks 

 and filling them up with loose ice, until the dogs 

 were able to haul the provision-sledge over. 



Advancing thus for several days, and encamping 

 on the snow at night, they at last came to a spot 

 where the ice was dangerous. " It was weak 

 and rotten, and the dogs began to tremble." Pro- 

 ceeding at a brisk rate, they had got upon unsafe 

 ice before they were aware of it. Their course 

 was at the time nearly up the middle of the chan- 

 nel ; but as soon as possible they turned, and by 

 a backward circuit reached the shore. The dogs, 

 as their fashion is, at first lay down and refused to 

 proceed, trembling violently. The only way to 



