THE "THAMES" IN DIFFICULTIES 327 



quite attained its full breeding plumage. There were 

 still many white feathers on the throat. These birds 

 belonged to the Indian form of the white wagtail. 1 

 also saw a very handsome male brambling, but did not 

 get a shot at him. 



We turned into our berths at half-past nine, having 

 first instituted an anchor watch, in case any further 

 movement of the ice should take place. We had but 

 just fallen asleep when we were suddenly roused by 

 the report that the river was rising rapidly and the 

 ice beginning to break up. We immediately dressed 

 and went on deck. The position of affairs was at once 

 obvious. The melting of the snow down south was 

 evidently going on rapidly, and the river was rising at 

 such speed that it was beginning to flow up all its 

 northern tributaries. This was a contingency for which 

 we were utterly unprepared. We were anchored opposite 

 the entrance to a little creek, into which it was the 

 captain's intention to take his ship when the water 

 rose sufficiently high to admit of his doing so. In 

 this little creek he hoped to wait in safety the passing 

 away of the ice. In a moment his plans were utterly 

 frustrated. The entrance to the creek was perfectly 

 high and dry. A strong current was setting up the 

 Kureika. Small floes were detaching themselves from 

 the main mass and were running up the open water. In 

 a short time the whole body of the Kureika ice broke 

 up and began to move up-stream. As far as the Yenesei 

 the tributary stream was soon a mass of pack-ice and 

 floes marching up the river at the rate of three miles 

 an hour. Some of these struck the ship some very ugly 

 blows on the stern, doing considerable damage to the 

 rudder, but open water was beyond, and we were soon out 

 of the press of ice with, we hoped, no irretrievable damage. 



