THE FROZEN OCEAN. 267 



immense height, and closely wedged together, and a suc- 

 cession of snow-covered peaks appeared behind each other, 

 as far as the eye could reach, showing that the ocean was 

 completely blocked up in that quarter, and that it had 

 probably been so for a long period of time. Captain 

 Warrens did not feel altogether satisfied with his situation, 

 but there being no wind he could not move one way or the 

 other, and he therefore kept a strict watch, knowing that 

 he would be safe as long as the icebergs continued in their 

 respective places. About midnight the wind rose to a gale 

 accompanied by thick showers of snow, while a succession 

 of thundering, grinding, and crashing noises gave fearful 

 evidence that the ice was in motion. 



" The vessel received violent shocks every moment, for 

 the haziness of the atmosphere prevented those on board 

 from discovering in what direction the open water lay, or 

 if there actually was any at all on either side of them. 

 The night was spent in tacking, as often as any case of 

 danger happened to present itself, and in the morning the 

 storm abated, and Captain Warrens found to his great joy 

 that his ship had not sustained any serious injury. He 

 remarked with surprise that the accumulated icebergs, 

 which had the preceding evening formed an impenetrable 

 barrier, had been separated and disengaged by the wind, 

 and that in one place a canal of open sea wound its course 

 among them as far as the eye could discern. 



" It was two miles beyond the entrance of this canal that 



