Apb. 1858. CLEAR OF THE PACK. 107 



high ; the swell forced it crashing through the 

 pack, leaving a small water-space in its wake, 

 but sufficient to allow the seas to break against 

 its cliffs, and throw the spray in heavy showers 

 quite over its summit. 



The day wore on without change, except that 

 the snow and mists cleared off. G-radually the 

 swell increased, and rolled along more swiftly, 

 becoming in fact a very heavy regular sea, 

 rather than a swell. The ice often lay so closely 

 packed that we could hardly force ahead, al- 

 though the fair wind had again freshened up. 

 Much heavy hummocky ice and large berg- 

 pieces lay dispersed through the pack ; a single 

 thump from any of them would have been in- 

 stant destruction. By five o'clock the ice became 

 more loose, and clear spaces of water could be 

 seen ahead. We went faster, received fewer 

 though still more severe shocks, until at length 

 we had room to steer clear of the heaviest 

 pieces ; and at eight o'clock we emerged from 

 the villanous " pack," and were running fast 

 through straggling pieces into a clear sea. The 

 engines were stopped, and Mr. Brand permitted 

 to rest after eighteen hours' duty, for we now 

 have no one else capable of driving the 

 engines. 



