301 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
appeared to me that the nearer the ship was kept to 
these, so long as they were fairly clear, the greater 
would be our safety. But an unfortunate revo¬ 
lution among the ice disappointed these expecta¬ 
tions, and overcame all our precautions. The first 
shock of the floes was'sustaiued, as we hadexpected, 
by the mass of ice that was expressly placed near 
the ship for the purpose, and for some time after¬ 
wards, all things seemed quiet and safe. Sudden¬ 
ly, however, the pressure was renewed, in conse¬ 
quence, it was presumed, of some new stoppage to 
the drift of the floes, with tenfold violence. Our 
barrier was squeezed deeply into the floe, and pro¬ 
digious blocks of ice were broken off, and reared 
up by the pressure. While we contemplated these 
mighty effects with much anxiety, the berg a- 
licad of the ship began a revolving and a retro¬ 
grade motion, so quick, as to overtake us before we 
could get the ropes off to slack astern, and sudden¬ 
ly nipped the ship on the larboard beam and bow, 
against the floe by which we rode. The force was 
irresistible. It thrust the ship completely up¬ 
on a broad tongue, or shelf under water, of the floe, 
until she was fairly grounded, and continued to 
squeeze her rapidly up the inclined plane formed 
by the tongue, until the ice came in contact be¬ 
neath the keel. This was the work of a few mo¬ 
ments, and in ten minutes all was again at rest.- 
