GREBLY KBLIEP EXPEDITION. 53 



■we succeeded in working our way back into open water to the east- 

 ward of Cape York, near the Bushnan Islands. The Thetis during 

 the fog brought up solidly at 10 p. m. against the land ice in a bight, 

 and ran half her length on to the ice. 



As no advantage was to be gained by searching for favorable leads 

 in such wieather, both ships were secured to the land ice to await the 

 clearing up. Surgeon Green reported to me that Elison's mental 

 condition was unfavorable and gave him serious apprehensions. 



During the night the wind hauled to the eastward, though very 

 light. The weather cleared sufficiently by 9 a. m. , June 28, to en- 

 able us to see open water to the southward of our position in the 

 vicinity of the grounded McOlintock bergs, which lie some 30 miles 

 southeast of Cape York. Both ships got under way and steamed to 

 the southward, but changing tide and freshening wind from south- 

 ward obliged me to secure both ships, at 1 p. m., to the land ice be- 

 tween two enormous icebergs to await a favorable opening in the 

 ice. We were detained at this point until 7 a. m. , of June 39, before 

 the wind had died away sufficiently to allow the ice to slack. Both 

 ships then got under way and were driven eastward under full speed, 

 in order to gain every inch, for it was evident that unless the utmost 

 vigilance was maintained, to take advantage of every favorable 

 condition, we should have to encounter the same difficulties, the same 

 anxieties, and the same perils in recrossing Melville Bay that had 

 been encountered in working north. At a number of points where 

 it was important to break through into the open water along the land 

 ice the ships were driven at high speed, and in every instance suc- 

 ceeded, though it demanded much caution to avoid serious injury, 

 At 11 p. m, we had gained about 80 miles to the eastward, and, find* 

 ing all leads to the southward closed, both ships were secured to the 

 land ice in a narrow canal of open water, which the closing floes had 

 left as a docTs. Before securing them for the night it was attempted 

 with the Thetis to ram a way out at full speed, but the ship came 

 up solidly as against a wall of granite and knocked down every one 

 about decks. I was nearly thrown from the "crow's nest" by the 

 shock, The ship rebounded some twenty feet. The barrier was 

 found to be impassable. 



The wind being light from the westward and hauling to the east- 

 ward, at .3.30 a. m., June 30, both ships got under way again and 

 steamed through an open lead for a distance of five or six miles, 

 passing scores of enormous icebergs. Some heavier ice was fallen 

 in with and both ships were obliged, at intervals, to ram their way 

 from lead to lead. Working thus until about 10 a. m., amid heavy 

 floe ice and pieces of broken icebergs, the Thetis was beset near a 

 cluster of icebergs. Attempting to free her by backing to gain more 

 room to charge the floes ahead, her injured rudder-head was twisted 



