LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
549 
dereliction of his duty: but, on the other hand, we cannot wholly 
exonerate Mr. Light in the business, for, instead of turning into 
his hammock, on receiving the obstinate refusal of Wall, would 
it have been a breach of discipline on his part, if, in a matter, 
on which, perhaps, the very success of the expedition depended, 
and also the existence itself of the whole of the crew, he had 
hastened to convey the information of what he had observed, to 
either of the commanding officers? We, however, confess, that 
we are perhaps arguing in the dark, not being fully cognizant 
of the relative situation, in which Light and Wall stood towards 
each other: and whether the former would not in reality have 
laid himself open to a severe reprimand, in interfering in a 
part of the duty of the ship, which did not in any way belong 
to him. The golden opportunity was, however, lost, for, before 
five o'clock, the ice came running into the bay at a rapid rate. 
The starboard bower anchor was let go, and all hands were 
turned out to secure the ship, which was accomplished, contrary 
to the expectations of the major part of the crew. 
On the 2d, the bay was full of ice. In the offing, the ice ap¬ 
peared, accordingly as the tide flowed or ebbed, north or south. 
By four o’clock p. m. the bay was clear of ice, the wind blowing 
fresh from the north to north-west. The carpenter was em¬ 
ployed in caulking the whale boat; the remainder of the crew 
in picking oakum. 
At 3 o’clock, in the morning of the 3rd, all hands were turned 
out to heave the ship over to the north, as where she then lay, 
her keel at times touched the ground. At six o’clock, Com¬ 
mander Ross went, with a boat’s crew, to examine the state of 
the ice in the passage; and, on his return in about two hours, 
reported, that it was pretty clear of ice, but the wind was dead 
foul against them. Towards evening, it blew a tremendous 
gale from the north, on which the yards were pointed to the 
wind. A heavy fall of snow ensued, which came driving with 
the wind, with such violence, that it was impossible for the 
men to stand up against it. The ice also, impelled by the wind, 
ran rapidly to the southward, accompanied with a roar, which. 
