648 LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
pected that darkness would close in upon them, before they had 
got her clear, by which considerable risk was run, of ever being 
able to extricate her, as> by the following morning, she might 
be so frozen in, as to render it impossible to move her. Under 
this dilemma, the expedient was adopted, of putting a boat’s 
mast under her bows: and the seamen having declared, that it 
was life or death with her, (a cant phrase, which they used on 
all occasions of a desperate nature, in mockery of their com¬ 
mander,) they applied their whole strength, and with a sudden 
jerk brought her upon the ice. They had not proceeded far, 
when the boat again broke in, but, by adopting the previous 
plan, she was got out: and the ice becoming stronger as they 
approached the shore, they at last succeeded in landing her, and 
placed her about 30 feet above-high water mark. They then 
returned for the other two boats, experiencing the same diffi¬ 
culties and accidents in their transportation to the beach ; but, 
as the safety of the boats was now secured, the dangers, which 
they had undergone were forgotten. The crews of Commander 
Ross and Mr. Thom, slept that night in the boats: but Capt. 
Ross, not relishing so cold a berth, had his tent pitched on the 
beach, where, with a fire in his stove, he enjoyed the comfort of 
a sound repose. 
On the following morning, all was bustle to fetch away the 
things, which were still remaining on the ice : and loud were 
the murmurs of the crew, on seeing the rubbish, with which 
Capt. Ross’ boat was laden, a great part of which, had it been 
burned on Yakkee Hill, or thrown as playthings for the whales, 
instead of subjecting the men to drag them from place to place, 
would have been only commensurate with their intrinsic value, 
and have impressed upon the minds of the men, some slight 
conviction, that all sense of feeling for their situation, was not 
obliterated from his breast. 
There being no prospect of conveying the things, by means of 
the boats, to Fury Beach, Capt. Ross issued his orders to Tho¬ 
mas, the carpenter, to break up three of the bread casks, and 
make from them some sledges, as the vehicles for the transport¬ 
ation of the stores, provisions, &c. to Fury Beach. During the 
