Sept. 1857. THE COMING STORM. 45 



steam power, nor impetus to force the floes 

 asunder. I am convinced that a steamer of 

 moderate size and power, with a crew of forty 

 or fifty men, would have got through a hundred 

 miles of such ice in less time than we have been 

 beset. 



The temperature fell to 25° last night, and 

 the pools are strongly frozen over. I now look 

 matters steadily and calmly in the face ; whilst 

 reasonable ground for hope remained I was 

 anxious in the extreme. The dismal prospect of 

 a " winter in the pack " has scarcely begun to 

 dawn upon the crew ; however, I do not think 

 they will be much upset by it. They had some 

 exciting foot-races on the ice yesterday evening. 



1st Sept. — The indications of an approaching 

 S.E. gale are at all times sufficiently apparent 

 here, and fortunately so, as it is the dangerous 

 wind in Melville Bay. It was on the morning 

 of the 30th, before church-time, that they at- 

 tracted our attention : the wind was very light, 

 but barometer low and falling ; very threatening 

 appearances in the S.E. quarter, dark-blue sky, 

 and grey detached clouds slowly rising ; when 

 the wind commenced the barometer began to 

 rise. This gale lasted forty-eight hours, and 

 closed up every little space of water ; at first all 

 the ice drifted before the wind, but latterly 



