SIR JAMES ROSS 77 



of the wave, threatening to bury her beneath us, 

 whilst the crashing of the breaking upperworks 

 and boats increased the horror of the scene. Pro- 

 videntially they gradually forged past each other, 

 and separated before we drifted down amongst 

 the foaming breakers, and we had the gratifica- 

 tion of seeing her clear the end of the berg, and 

 of feeling that she was safe. But she left us com- 

 pletely disabled ; the wreck of the spars so en- 

 cumbered the lower yards, that we were unable 

 to make sail, so as to get headway on the ship ; 

 nor had we room to wear round, being by this 

 time so close to the berg that the waves, when 

 they struck against it, threw back their sprays 

 into the ship. The only way left us to extricate 

 ourselves from this awful and appalling situation 

 was by resorting to the hazardous expedient of a 

 stern-board, which nothing could justify during 

 such a gale and with so high a sea running, but 

 to avert the danger which every moment threat- 

 ened us of being dashed to pieces. The heavy 

 rolling of the vessel, and the probability of the 

 masts giving way each time the lower yard-arms 

 struck against the cliffs, which were towering high 

 above our mastheads, rendered it a service of ex- 

 treme danger to loose the mainsail ; Inil no sooner 

 was the order given, than the (hiring sjjirit of the 

 British seaman manifested itself— the men ran up 

 the rigging with as much alacrity as on any 



