Heavy Snow Showers. 69 



employed in shovelling and clearing the snow away, 

 it was frequently lying a foot deep on the upper 

 deck, and the masts, yards, rigging, and ropes were 

 completely covered. 



The general set of the ice, and consequently of the 

 ship, has been to the southward. During the last 

 forty-eight hours it has been very strong, at least 

 seventy miles for the two days. To-day we are 

 struggling against a strong northerly wind ; however, 

 tc out of evil comes good/' and although we are now 

 labouring under the disadvantage of a head wind 

 and an adverse current, still we hope to derive some 

 benefit from it on our arrival in Melville Bay, as 

 it will cause the ice there to be loosened, thereby 

 affording us a safer and quicker passage through ; 

 but we must not anticipate, as a strong southerly 

 wind will again pack it tight and close. 



We are making short tacks under reefed topsails 

 and foresail, working along the edge of the pack, 

 by which, in a great measure, we keep compara- 

 tively smooth water. The loose floes and bergs are 

 all drifting rapidly to the southward and westward 

 towards the main pack, and we congratulate our- 

 selves in having so easily escaped the danger of 

 being beset in a frozen prison. 



We have quite given up the idea of capturing 

 any more fish in this neighbourhood, the whales 

 having all left for the north, where we are now 

 doing our best to follow them. When the wind 



