28 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



ing to their own vessel by the fog. As the 

 wind was increasing, and the sky appeared 

 very unsettled, it was determined the Eddy- 

 stone should take the ship in tow, that the 

 undivided attention of the passengers and 

 crew might be directed to pumping, and 

 clearing the holes to examine whether there 

 was a possibility of stopping the leak. We 

 soon had reason to suppose the principal 

 injury had been received from a blow near 

 the stern-post, and, after cutting away part 

 of the ceiling, the carpenters endeavoured 

 to stop the rushing in of the water, by 

 forcing oakum between the timbers; but 

 this had not the desired effect, and the leak, 

 in spite of all our efforts at the pumps, in- 

 creased so much, that parties of the officers 

 and passengers were stationed to bail out 

 the water in buckets at different parts of the 

 hold. A heavy gale came on, blowing from 

 the land, as the night advanced ; the sails 

 were split, the ship was encompassed by 

 heavy ice, and, in forcing through a closely- 

 connected stream, the tow-rope broke, and 

 obliged us to take a portion of the seamen 



