Sketched by R. Al'Corimck, li.N. 
" Forlorn Hope," running under the lee of Two Icebergs, aground in the Wellington Channel, in 
a gale of Wind, 23d August 1852. 
long rollers, through which it would have been utterly hopeless for any boat to 
have attempted reaching the land in safety. The coast from Cape Osborn 
trending round to the N.E. brought the wind more aft, enabling us to make sail, 
and for some time we made considerable progress, dashing through the heavj'' cross 
sea that was running at the rate of five or six knots an hour. Having the breeze 
with us now, the only chance left us was to run the gauntlet for Baring Bay, 
in the hope of finding there some haven of shelter after rounding Point Eden, 
which still appeared at a fearful distance ahead of us ; and the long line of 
foaming crests sweeping over the broad expanse of troubled waters which lie 
between, threatening to ingulf our small frail bark ere we reached it. When 
we had got about midway between Cape Osborn and this point our situation 
became a truly perilous one ; the boat was taking in water faster than we . could 
bale it out, and she was settling down so much as not to leave a streak free ; 
labouring and rising heavily and sluggishly to each successive sea, so that all 
expected everymoment that shew^ould fill and go down the first sea that struck her, 
from which only the most careful and watchful attention to the helm preserved 
her. Fortunately for us, at this critical moment, too small bergs aground 
providentially appeared on the port-bow, and I immediately ran for them, in 
the hope of finding the water smooth enough under their lee to enable us, by 
lowering the sail and lying on our oars, to thoroughly bale out all the water 
from the boat, which was now nearly full ; in this we happily succeeded whilst 
lying only a few feet from the bergs in comparatively quiet water, protected by 
their blue hard washed sides from the seas which broke over them to windward, 
rebounding upwards in foaming columns of surf and spray, which dashed high 
above their summits from forty to fifty feet in height, presenting a wild scene, at 
once grand, subh'me, and awful. 
On again making sail our small over-laden skiff, no longer water-logged, 
bounded onwards over every sea more freely and buoyantly than before ; but 
as we opened Baring Bay, the great body of water which was setting into it 
from the broad expanse of the Queen's Channel, with the wind and current both 
from the N.W., caused such heavy rolling seas to tumble in upon the shore, 
