98 BEEAKING UP OF ICE. Chap. VI. 



— 17°. Notwithstanding that heavy S.E. gales 

 have three times driven us backward, yet we 

 have advanced 100 miles further down Davis' 

 Straits. 



6ih April, — To-day we enjoy fine weather, 

 the more so since it comes after a tremendous 

 northerly gale of forty-eight hours' duration. 

 Two days ago the friendly old floe, so long our 

 billwark of defence, was cracked ; the lane of 

 water thus formed soon widened to 60 yards, 

 passed within 30 yards of the ' Fox,' and cut oif 

 three of our boats. Yesterday morning another 

 crack detached the remaining 30 yards from us, 

 arid as it widened the ship swung across the 

 opening; as quickly as we could effect it the 

 ship was again placed alongside the ice and 

 within a projecting point : had it closed only a 

 few feet whilst she lay across the lane, the con- 

 sequences must have been very serious. Even 

 to effect this slight change of position we were 

 fully occupied for four hours ; for the gale blew 

 furiously, and thermometer stood at 12° below 

 zero, and the cold was very much felt ; our 

 hawsers were frozen so stiff as to be quite un- 

 manageable, and we were obliged to use the 

 chain cables to warp the ship into safety. 



Throughout yesterday the wind continued ex- 

 tremely strong and keen, — fortunately the ice 



