320 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



stays, bowsprit shrouds ; even the anchors were lifted, coming down 

 with a surge that carried away the eyebolts and lashings, and left 

 them to hang by the stoppers. The cut-water also was injured, and 

 every timber seemed to groan. 



Similar dangers attended those in the boats. Passed Midshipman 

 Eld was sent to plant the ice-anchors ; there was no room for the use 

 of oars ; the grinding and grating of the ice as it rose and fell with 

 the swell, rendered great precaution necessary to prevent the boat 

 from being swamped or crushed ; and when it is stated that two 

 hours of hard exertion were required to plant the ice-anchors, some 

 idea of the difficulty attending this service will be had. But this was 

 not all ; the difficulty of returning was equally great, and no possible 

 way of effecting it seemed to suggest itself; the sides of the ice- 

 bergs could not be ascended, and to approach the berg on the side 

 next the ship was certain destruction to the boat and crew, for the 

 ice and water were foaming like a caldron ; and to abandon the 

 former was equally out of the question. At last a chance offered, 

 (although almost a hopeless one,) by passing between two of these 

 bergs, that appeared on the other side of a small clear space. The 

 boat was upon a small piece of ice, from which, by great exertions, 

 she was launched; a few pulls at the oars brought them to the 

 passage ; the bergs were closing fast, and agitated by the swell ; no 

 time, therefore, was to be lost ; the danger was already great, and in a 

 few seconds it would be impossible to pass. They entered ; their 

 oars caught, and they got but half-way through when the icebergs 

 closed in upon them, and pressed the gunwales together, so as almost 

 to crush the boat ; the water entered her, and she was near sinking ; 

 when the berg stopped, retreated, and by another hard shove they 

 went through, and were soon alongside the ship. 



Every exertion was now made to work the ship and avoid heavy 

 thumps from the ice. The mode resorted to, to get the ship about, 

 was a novel one, namely, by urging her lee bow against a piece of 

 ice, which had the same effect as giving her a lee helm ; but this was 

 found rather too expensive a mode of effecting the object, and on the 

 pumps showing an increase of water, it was discontinued. The ice 

 had been rapidly accumulating around the ship, contracting still 

 more narrowly the space or area in which they were, and rendering 

 their situation more hazardous. 



At 4 p. m., they clewed up the topsails, the ship being fast in the 

 ice, with the wind directly in from the seaward. The ice-anchors 



