72 
FAST. 
ice; "but, by cutting and boring, succeeded in penetrat- 
ing it, and sailed on through loose streams until noon. 
" We now entered fairly the so-thought open water, 
keeping the shore on our starboard beam, and steering 
for the northeast and north, at a rate of six knots, 
through an apparently unobstructed sea. But the 
sanguine anticipations of our commander were soon 
to be moderated. By four in the afternoon, after plac- 
ing at least fifty miles between us and the coast, the 
leads began to close around us. Fearing a separation 
from the Rescue, we took her in tow and continued 
our efforts ; but from 5 P.M. until the termination of 
the day, our progress was absolutely nothing. The 
morning of the 8th opened upon us fast in summer ice. 
"July 8. Fast ! Around us a circle of snow-covered 
ice, streaked with puddles of dark water, and varied 
(alas for the variety !) by the very distant looming of 
some icebergs. In the centre of this dreariness are 
the two vessels — 'Advance' and ' Rescue.' 
"Our commander, loth to relinquish his hopes, de- 
termined to ' bore.' This operation, which consists in 
forcing a passage through the ice, continued through- 
out the night — 'all hands' jumping upon the floes, 
and working away with crow-bar, boat-hook, ice-an- 
chor, and warping-lines. The result of all this labor 
was, that the two vessels made about three quarters 
of a mile into deeper entanglement; and now, at 11 
P.M., we are fast in the apparent centre of a solid sea. 
"All the men are asleep except Dunning, our watch- 
man ; and but for his tramp on the deck overhead, 
and the scraping of my pen over the paper, the silence 
is complete. My mess-mates, thoroughly tired out, 
are breathing heavily from their bunks. 
^^July 9. Although we commenced bright and early 
