EXTRICATED. 
*225 
from the northward and eastward; and if it would hut 
shift a few points, in all probability the ice would loosen 
as rapidly as it had collected. In the mean time, the 
only thing to do was to keep a sharp look out, sail the 
vessel carefully, and take advantage of every chance of 
getting to the eastward. 
It now grew colder than ever,—the distant land was 
almost hid with fog, — tattered dingy clouds came 
crowding over the heavens,—while Wilson moved 
uneasily about the deck, with the air of Cassandra 
at the conflagration of Troy. It was Sunday, the 
14th of July, and I had a momentary fancy that 
I could hear the sweet church bells in England peal¬ 
ing across the cold white flats which surrounded us. 
At last, about five o’clock P. M., the wind shifted 
a point or two, then flew round into the south-east. Not 
long after, just as I had expected, the ice evidently 
began to loosen,—a promising opening was reported 
from the mast-head a mile or so away on the port-bow, 
and by nine o’clock we were spanking along, at the rate 
of eight knots an hour under a double-reefed mainsail 
and staysail—down a continually widening channel, 
between two wave-lashed ridges of drift ice. Before 
Q 
