Bibliography. 155 
- It soon began to snow violently and their hope of deliverance grew 
more faint, especially as the ship was now forced back into the ice to 
leeward and towards the massive walls of the berg; but by great exer- 
tions her head was again pointed seaward, when they were soon wedged 
between two large masses of ice. ‘The sea rose—the wind increased 
and threatened a gale, and they strove by every means to push the 
ship forward; but the ice floes were now of large dimensions, and the 
increased sea rendered it doubly dangerous, while the heavy shocks made 
them fear that the ship’s bows would be forced in, and the continual 
grinding and thumping on the ship were most painful. ‘ The hope of 
extricating her lessened every moment, for the quantity of ice between 
them and the sea was increasing, and the ship evidently moved with it 
to leeward.”” This most trying emergency was met by Captain Hud- 
son with such coolness, perseverance, and presence of mind, as com- 
manded the admiration and confidence of all, and sustained hope when 
it was almost sinking in despair. 
On the afternoon of January 25th, the sea increased, the ship fre- 
quently struck, and they were fast grinding away her bows; but the 
only chance was to drive her out, and all the canvass was set to force 
her through. By 40’clock they had passed the thick and solid ice and 
were in clear water, without a rudder, the gripe gone, and, as was 
afterwards ascertained, the stem ground down to within an inch and 
a half of the weod ends. 
In the meantime the carpenters had repaired the rudder—Mr. Dibble 
having left his sick bed for that purpose, and he and his crew worked 
twenty four hours without intermission. The rudder was again shipped 
and being hung by the only two braces that remained, they escaped 
from a bay about thirty miles in extent by the only remaining opening, 
which was not more than a quarter of a mile wide: this they passed at 
2 P. M. in a snow storm, “and felt grateful to God for their providen- 
tial escape.” 
The ship was so thoroughly crippled as to be unseaworthy, espe- 
cially in such a dangerous service, and it was very wisely resolved to 
return to the north and find at Sydney, in Australasia, both a refuge and 
the means of making repairs. 
Even this condensed abstract will fully justify the concluding remarks 
of Capt. Wilkes :—* Such were the dangers and difficulties from which 
the Peacock, by ihe admirable conduct of her officers and crew, directed 
by the consummate seamanship of her commander, was enabled, at 
this time, to escape. There still remained, however, thousands of 
miles of a stormy ocean to be encountered, with a ship so crippled as 
to be hardly capable of working, and injured to such an extent in her 
hull as to be kept afloat with difficulty.” 
