130 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
the flesh would have afforded a good supply of food for the dogs. 
The fog clearing away, the ship got under weigh with a 
favourable wind, sailing amongst very heavy ice, which some¬ 
times came down upon the ship with such force, that all hands 
were frequently turned up to bear the vessel off, but she having 
such way on, she would come against the pieces with such 
thumps, as threatened to knock her bows in, and the greatest 
apprehension was now felt that she would soon be beset in the 
ice. It was evident that the strain on the vessel was almost 
more than she could bear, but it was only by carrying a press of 
sail that the ship could force her passage through the ice, and 
therefore it w T as at best a choice of evils, the only question being 
w hether if were better to run the risk of carrying away some 
of the masts and rigging of the vessel, than by diminishing the 
propelling force, incur the chance of being beset in the ice, with 
the season closing fast upon them, and the danger presenting 
itself of the vesselsharing the fate of the Fury, by being so nipped 
by the ice, as to render her wholly unseaworthy. It was re¬ 
marked by some of the crew, that the ice which was in immediate 
contact with the vessel had assumed a reddish hue, and it was 
supposed at first to have been caused by the blood of the whale 
which had been struck by Curtis, but it was subsequently ascer¬ 
tained that the ice had taken off all the red ocre from the bows 
and sides of the vessel, which where as rough as if they had been 
indented with a hatchet. 
The land was still in sight, and they now stood on for it, as 
well as the ice would permit them, taking regular soundings 
which varied from 10 to 12 fathoms. The water was however 
found to decrease in depth on which the boat was sent away to 
sound but she found the bottom very irregular, which excited some 
degree of alarm, as it was impossible from the pressure of the 
ice to keep the boat a-head, for at one time the depth was only 
II feet, and consequently the most imminent danger existed of 
the vessel getting aground. Finding the water so shallow, the 
boat was got on board, and the ship stood off from the land 
amongst cross ice. A favourable omen however now presented 
itself, which was the increasing darkness of the sky, from which 
