OF THE POLAR SEA. 



21 



all parts where ships are exposed to the 

 dangerous concussion of sailing icebergs, as 

 a principal means of security. 



The following day our ship came near 

 another stream of ice, and the approach to 

 it was indicated by a decrease of the tem- 

 perature of the water at the surface from 

 44° to 42°. A small pine tree w r as picked 

 up much shattered by the ice. In the after- 

 noon of the 30th, a very dense fog came on; 

 and about six P.M., when sailing before a 

 fresh breeze, we were suddenly involved in 

 a heavy stream of ice. Considerable diffi- 

 culty was experienced in steering through 

 the narrow channels between the different 

 masses in this foggy weather, and the ship 

 received several severe blows. 



The water, as usual in the centre of the 

 stream, was quite smooth, but we heard the 

 waves beating violently against the outer 

 edge of the ice. There was some earthy 

 matter on several of the pieces, and the 

 whole body bore the appearance of recent 

 separation from the land. In the space of 

 two hours we again got into the open sea, 



