CHARLES WILKES 
231 
light the clouds in its immediate neighbourhood.” The 
continent was however more distant than the observers 
thought, for subsequent voyages show that no land larger 
than a small island can occupy the position assigned. 
The course along the ice-barrier lay amongst huge 
flat-topped perpendicular ice-islands, rising from 150 to 
250 feet above the sea, and other bergs caverned, split 
and carved in fantastic forms, the whole resembling a 
huge city of ruined alabaster palaces with streets of water. 
On the 22nd, while within sight of land, the Peacock got 
soundings in 320 fathoms, a confirmation of the vicinity 
of land, which was much appreciated. Two days later, 
while attempting to work off the pack, the Peacock went 
astern and drove backwards into the ice, damaging her 
rudder so seriously that the ship became unmanageable, 
all sail had to be furled and after much trouble she was 
made fast to a berg with ice-anchors. For a time these 
held, but the wind freshening, they were torn from their 
hold and her port quarter was driven against an ice- 
island with a tremendous crash. The rotten state of the 
upper works of the ship prepared Hudson for the result : 
“ The first effect of this blow was to carry away the 
spanker-boom, the larboard stern-davit, and to crush the 
stern-boat. The starboard stern-davit was the next to 
receive the shock, and as this is connected with the spar- 
deck bulwarks, the whole of them were started; the 
knee, a rotten one, which bound the davit to the taffrail, 
and with it all the stanchions to the plank-sheer as far as 
the gangway. 
“ Severe as was this shock it happened fortunately 
that it was followed by as great a rebound. This gave 
the vessel a cant to starboard, and by the timely aid of 
the jib and other sails, carried her clear of the ice-island, 
