300 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



from its position, as to carry away the starboard wheei-rope, and to 

 wrench the neck of the rudder itself in such a manner as to render it 

 unserviceable, or even worse than useless. In hopes of lessening the 

 difficulty, relieving-tackles were applied to the tiller, but without effect, 

 for it was discovered that the rudder had been so far twisted as to 

 make a considerable angle with the keel, and every exertion to move 

 it proved ineffectual. 



All hands were now called, and every officer and man was speedily 

 at his station. The ship was found to be rapidly entering the ice, and 

 every effort to direct her course by the management of the sails proved 

 fruitless. In this helpless condition scarcely a moment passed without 

 a new shock in some quarter or other from the ice, and every blow 

 threatened instant destruction. The hope was not yet abandoned, that 

 some temporary expedient might be found to bring the rudder again 

 into use, until they should be extricated from this perilous situation. 

 A stage was, therefore, rigged over the stern, for the purpose of 

 examining into its state, but it was found to be so much injured that it 

 was impossible to remedy its defects while in its place, and prepara- 

 tions were forthwith made for unshipping it. In the mean time the 

 position of the vessel was every instant growing worse, surrounded as 

 she was by masses of floe-ice, and driving further and further into it, 

 towards an immense wall-sided iceberg. All attempts to get the vesse 1 

 on the other tack failed, in consequence of her being so closely encom- 

 passed, and it was therefore thought expedient to attempt to bring her 

 head round, by hanging her to an iceberg by the ice-anchors, and thus 

 complete what had been partially effected by the sails. The anchor 

 was attached, but just at the moment the hawser was passed on board, 

 the ship took a start so suddenly astern, that the rope was literally 

 dragged out of the men's hands before they could get a turn around 

 the bits. 



The ship now drove stern foremost into the midst of the huge masses 

 of ice, striking the rudder a second time. This blow gave it the 

 finishing stroke, by nearly wringing off the head, breaking two of the 

 pintles, and the upper and lower brace. 



The wind now began to freshen, and the floe-ice to set upon the 

 ship. The sails were furled, and spars rigged up and down the ship's 

 sides as fenders. Attempts were again made to plant the ice-anchors, 

 for which purpose the boats were lowered ; but the confined space, 

 and the force with which the pieces of ice ground against each other 

 was so great, that the boats proved nearly as unmanageable as the 

 ship. After much exertion, however, the ice-anchors were planted, and 

 the hawser hauled taut. Here they for a time enjoyed comparative 



