298 GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
stances somewhat similar, to imagine the extent 
of their delight, when, in the night of the 13th, 
they discovered the Fame standing towards the 
land, and boldly penetrating the dangerous body 
of ice that intervened, for their rescue. Some 
of the people were already ill; one man declared 
that he could not have survived half an hour; 
and others were in the lowest state of desponden¬ 
cy and weakness. Their junction with the Fame 
at this critical period, w r as a deliverance, of the 
providential nature of which, it was hoped, that 
some of them were not insensible. Unfortunately 
it fell calm when the ship was in this situation, 
and, before they could accomplish their retreat, 
the ice collapsed around, and closed them in. 
On the 21st of August, the weather was almost 
constantly foggy. We renewed the operation of 
making-off, as soon as our coopers had prepared a 
sufficient number of casks. For the convenience of 
stowage, many of our casks had been taken down, 
and formed into “ packs.” The rebuilding, or 
setting up, of these occupies a great deal of time, 
and renders the closing operations of a successful 
fishery extremely slow and tiresome. 
The following day, this tedious business was 
completed, and the ship once more put into or¬ 
der. This was a circumstance of great import¬ 
ance to me, as the greasiness of the decks, and 
