APPENDIX. .„, 
ward of an island, and drifted down in its wake ; when finding a 
passage clear, would again fall back on our own resources, flat sails 
and a pilot-boat's bottom. 
The weather grew thicker and intensely cold, though the thermo- 
meter did not fall below 30° ; I attributed these changes to the ice to 
windward, and, believing we were getting into a clear sea, I stepped 
below to stick my toes in the stove ; I had not been below certainly 
five minutes, when the look-out called to me that the fo°- had lifted 
and that we were surrounded. I jumped on deck, and such was too 
truly the case : narrow fields of ice, with narrow passages of water 
between, and extending longitudinally in a direction perpendicular to 
the wind, formed a complete circle round us, stretching in all direc- 
tions as far as the eye could reach, and beyond, icebergs, packed 
and floating ice. I did not know at first how I should proceed ; but, 
after a careful look round, I ran over to the weather shore of the pond, 
and stood along it in search of a passage, that I could not find ; but, 
observing at intervals "sutures" in the ice, where it did not appear 
firmly formed, I resolved to take advantage of this, and if possible, 
force a passage, feeling it necessary, at all hazards, to extricate our- 
selves as soon as possible. Having the wind free, I gave her the main- 
sheet, and manned it well, and having got about six knots way on 
her, kept close to the ice, and when at the proper distance, put the 
helm down, hauled the main-sheet forcibly to windward, and let fly 
the head-sheets; this brought her round suddenly, before she had 
passed through sufficient water to deaden her w^ay ; the ice cracked, 
we slipped over, or brushed through, and before eight o'clock 
I had got into a tolerably clear sea. The weather again growing 
thick, the wind freshening, and sea getting up, fatigued with labour 
and anxiety, we hove-to, under the foresail with the bonnet off; 
and I believe all must have returned thanks to Heaven for their 
deliverance. 
From eight to meridian, fresh gales and weather very thick, with 
innumerable ice-islands, which we frequently passed at a dangerous 
proximity, owing to their number, and our limited vision, — the sea 
breaking on them with the roar of thunder, and to the height of 
eighty to one hundred feet ; I do not believe a ship could have passed 
these dangers; frequently we felt cramped in stays or in waring. 
At ten, the sea tolerably clear, again stood to the southward and west- 
ward. At meridian, obliged to haul to the westward, many icebergs, 
and floating ice in large masses around us. At 4 p. m., weather 
