I’M 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. BOSS. 
enormous masses coming in contact with her, might have proved 
her destruction. 
On the 27 th, the second bullock was killed, as it was daily 
decreasing in size and goodness, partly from a paucity of fodder, 
and partly from the necessity of supplying it with water obtained 
from melted ice, which evidently affected the animal, and would 
perhaps have ultimately proved its death. The prospect now 
became gloomy and portentous of the difficulties to which they 
were approaching ; in every direction the ragged iceberg reared 
its gigantic mass, and in the evening of the day forty-nine bergs 
were in sight, seeming like so many giants disposed to dispute 
all further progress to the inhospitable regions which they 
guarded. Towards midnight, the wind freshening, the larboard 
tow rope of the launch broke, and ail hands were called to 
secure the launch, with a strong breeze blowing, and a nasty 
jobble of a sea running. Whilst John Wood one of the men, 
-was getting into the boat, he had the misfortune to break his leg, 
on which the ship was hove to, in order to get him on board, in 
doing w r hich the fore top mast was carried away; Wood was 
however brought on board, and his leg was set; but here one 
of the differences manifested itself, between the fitting out of the 
Victory and that of the Hecla in which Capt. Parry sailed. In 
the latter there was a regular birth for the sick, with every con¬ 
venience for their comfort and recovery, but in the Victory no 
such preparations had been made, for Wood was taken down 
into the birth where the crew messed, and laid upon the deck 
on his bedding, amongst a parcel of casks of flour, sugar, and 
a hogshead of tobacco, and not one of them even lashed, at the 
same time that the vessel was then in an open sea, and if there 
had been any sea running, the casks and hogshead would have 
been all sent rolling about, and have crushed the poor fellow to 
death before any assistance could have been obtained. It must 
however be mentioned, that no proof is given of any complaint 
having been made by Wood to Capt. Ross, of the danger of his 
situation, and therefore it would be both unjust and illiberal 
to attach blame, where perhaps none is due. 
The launch was again made secure, and part of the crew 
