THE NARRATIVE OF CHARLES WILKhs. 389 
two ship’s-lengths ahead. The cold was severe, and every spray that 
touched the ship was immediately converted into ice. At 9 p.m., the 
barometer still falling and the gale increasing, we reduced sail to close- 
reefed fore and main-topsails, reefed foresail, and trysails, under which 
we passed numerous icebergs, some to windward and some to leeward 
of us. At 10.30 we found ourselves thickly beset with them, and had 
many narrow escapes; the excitement became intense; it required a 
constant change of helm to avoid those close aboard; and we were com- 
pelled to press the ship with canvass in order to escape them, by keeping 
her to windward. We thus passed close along their weather sides, and 
distinctly heard the roar of the surf dashing against them. We had, 
‘ VINCENNES’ AMONGST ICEBERGS. 
from time to time, glimpses of their obscure outline, appearing as 
though immediately above us. After many escapes, I found the ship 
so covered with ice and the watch so powerless in managing her, that 
a little after midnight on the 29th I had all hands called. Scarcely 
had they been reported on deck, when it was made known to me that 
the gunner Mr. Williamson had fallen, broken his ribs, and otherwise 
injured himself, on the icy deck. 
The gale at this moment was awful: we found we were passing large 
masses of drift-ice, and ice-islands became more numerous. At a little 
after one o’clock it was terrific, and the sea was now so heavy that I 
was obliged to reduce sail still further; the fore and main-topsails 
