182 
A GALE. 
"At three the Rescue parted her cable's hold, and 
was carried out to sea, leaving two men, her boat, and 
her anchors behind. We snapped our stern-cable, lost 
our anchor, swung out, but fortunately held by the 
forward line. All the English vessels were in similar 
peril, the Pioneer being at one time actually free ; and 
Commodore Austin, who in the Resolute occupied the 
head of the line, was in momentary fear of coming 
down upon us. Altogether I have seldom seen a night 
of greater trial. The wind roared over the snow floes, 
and every thing about the vessel froze into heavy ice 
stalactites. Had the main floe parted, we had been 
carried down with the liberated ice. Fortunately, ev- 
ery thing held ; and here we are, safe and sound. The 
Rescue was last seen beating to windward against the 
gale, probably seeking a lee under Griffith's Island. 
This morning the snow continues in the form of a fine 
cutting drift, the water freezes wherever it touches, 
and the thermometer has been at no time above 17°. 
''^September 12, 10 P.M. Just from deck. How very 
dismal every thing seems ! The snow is driven like 
sand upon a level reach, lifted up in long curve lines, 
and then obscuring the atmosphere with a white dark- 
ness. The wind, too, is' howling in a shrill minor, 
singing across the hummock ridges. The eight ves- 
sels are no longer here. The Rescue is driven out to 
sea, and poor Penny is probably to the southward. 
Five black masses, however, their cordage defined by 
rime and snow, are seen with their snouts shoved into 
the shore of ice : cables, chains, and anchors are cov- 
ered feet below the drift, and the ships adhere mys- 
teriously, their tackle completely invisible. Should 
any of us break away, the gale would carry us into 
streams of heavy floating ice ; and our running rig- 
