218 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



had dwindled to a little ship in the far distance 

 when at last we saw her break out the American 

 colors at her mizzen peak. Every man aboard 

 the brig gave a cheer. Cheers from the other 

 ships came across the water. It meant that the 

 Sea Breeze was clear. 



She had found a lead that suddenly had 

 opened through the eastern ice strip, as leads 

 will open in drifting floes. The lead was not 

 entirely clear. A narrow strip of ice lay across 

 it. The Sea Breeze butted through this strip 

 and sailed on to freedom. The other vessels fol- 

 lowed. Our brig was the tenth ship to pass 

 through. As we negotiated the narrow passage, 

 the ice was so close on both sides we could have 

 leaped upon it from the bulwarks. It was with 

 a joyous sense of escape that we cleared the pack 

 and swung once more on the open sea. Soon 

 after the last ship of the fleet had bumped her 

 way to safety the ice closed solidly behind. 



