SOUTH 
is Coulman Island. Franklin Island is eighty miles south- 
east by south, and the pack is in motion. This is the emperor's 
hatching season, and here we meet them out in the cheerless 
desert of ice. . . . 10.45 p.m.— Heavy pressure around ship. 
Lanes opened and ship worked astern about twenty feet. 
The wires in the ice took the strain (lashings at mizen chains 
carried away) and carried away fair-lead bollard on port side 
of forecastle head. 
July 21, 1 a.m. — Lanes opened to about 40 ft. wide. Ship 
in open pool about 100 ft. wide. Heavy pressure in vicinity 
of ship. Called all hands and cut wires at the forecastle head. 
[These wires had remained frozen in the ice after the ship broke 
away from her moorings, and they had served a useful purpose 
at some times by checking ice-movements close to the ship.] 
2 a.m.— Ship swung athwart lane as the ice opened, and the 
floes on the port side pressed her stern round. 11.30 a.m. — 
Pack of killer whales came up in the lane around the ship. 
Some broke soft ice (about one inch thick) and pushed their heads 
through, rising to five or six feet perpendicularly out of the water. 
They were apparently having a look round. It is strange to 
see killers in this immense field of ice ; open water must be 
near, I think. 5.15 p.m. — New ice of lanes cracked and opened. 
Floes on port side pushed stern on to ice (of floe) ; floes then 
closed in and nipped the ship fore and aft. The rudder was 
bent over to starboard and smashed. The solid oak and iron 
went like matchwood. 8 p.m. — Moderate south-south- west 
gale with drift. Much straining of timbers with pressure. 
10 p.m. — Extra hard nip fore and aft ; ship visibly hogged. 
Heavy pressure. 
" July 22."~Ship in bad position in newly frozen lane, with 
bow and stern jammed against heavy floes ; heavy strain with 
much crealdng and groaning. 8 a.m. — Called all hands to 
stations for sledges, and made final preparations for abandoning 
ship. Allotted special duties to several hands to facilitate 
quickness in getting clear should ship be crushed. Am afraid 
the ship's back will be broken if the pressure continues, but 
cannot relieve her. 2 p.m. — Ship lying easier. Pom'ed sul- 
phuric acid on the ice astern in hopes of rotting crack and 
318 
