116 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. AUGUST 



of a large floe which prevented our advance. Ex- 

 pecting an opportunity would occur to glide past the 

 obstruction, I got under weigh, but was disappointed, 

 the pack closing in tighter than ever ; before I could 

 return to our small haven it had become filled with 

 ice. There was, therefore, nothing for it but to retrace 

 our steps towards the north, looking for some other 

 indentation in the ice-wall ; but none was to be found. 

 The main body of the pack having moreover closed in 

 near Black Cape to the northward and cut off" our 

 retreat in that direction, I was obliged to secure the 

 ship between two of the stranded floebergs, but as they 

 scarcely projected farther from the land ice than the 

 breadth of the ship, they could hardly be expected to 

 afford us much protection. 



In the evening, dark clouds collecting above Cape 

 Lupton on the east shore of the channel, with a falling 

 barometer, foretold a recurrence of the southerly wind. 



During the height of the ebb-tide the main pack 

 drifted fast towards the north, but fortunately left, in 

 our immediate neighbourhood, a clear water-space about 

 two hundred yards broad. 



On the 1st the large ' crossing floe,' which afforded 

 so good a sledge road during the spring, after being 

 driven completely out of Eobeson Channel towards the 

 north during the southerly wind of the previous day, 

 had returned and occupied a position close abreast of 

 the ship. At 2 A.M., the commencement -of the flood- 

 tide, the nip towards the south eased a little, and I 

 could have advanced a mile ; but there being no pro- 

 tection available I decided to remain where we were. 

 At three the officer of the watch informed me that the 



