PERILS OF THE ANTARCTIC 125 
previous season. Turning south at long. 146° W., where 
httle ice had been met by previous navigators, they found 
the hne followed by Cook in 1774 and entered the pack on 
December 18. But the experience of one year is not that of 
another. The pack ice extended 800 miles. For forty-six 
days they struggled with the ice before getting clear of it. 
The weather was much worse than on the former voyage. On 
January 19 a terrific storm dashed them about in the ice for 
twenty-eight hours. Huge waves hurled masses of ice against 
the ships like battering-rams. The Erehus's rudder was 
damaged. But so well were the ships strengthened against 
the ice, so closely were their holds stowed, making the hulls 
a solid mass from side to side, that to Ross's delight and sur- 
prise they suffered no further damage. Repairs were difficult, 
the workers being drenched for hours by the icy water ; but 
within four days the crippled ships were repaired. Captain 
Ross permitting this work of necessity to be performed on 
the Sabbath day, as indeed he did again after the collision 
in the following March. 
• Escape from the pack was as perilous as remaining in it. 
On the evening of February 1, clear sea came in sight, but the 
long westerly swell raised ' a fearful line of foaming breakers ' 
on the pack edge, menacing them through the gathering 
darkness, an equal danger whether the wind fell or increased to 
a storm as it threatened to do. The only course was to take 
the immediate hazard. Two hours' battling with the waves, 
shotted, as it were, with blocks of ice, brought them into 
safety, with the loss of part of the Erebus s stem. It was 
worse on board the T error , for there fire had broken out, some 
blocks of wood having been left too near the hot air stove, 
and it was only extinguished by flooding the hold two feet 
deep. 
After these dangers, the troubles arising from the looser 
floating ice were of less account, until, more than a fortnight 
later, the floes were dispersed by a couple of storms. Then 
on February 23 the Great Barrier was reached, six miles 
further south and ten further east than the previous year. 
From this point it trended N.E. as they followed it for 
