Arp. VI.] OF THE SHIP TRAFALGAR. 
459 
large mass of ice, which laid her almost upon her beam- 
ends alongside of the floe. For a quarter of an hour she 
was unmanageable. The blows she received were prodi¬ 
gious. Cries of “ water in hold,” and “ the ship’s sinking,” 
now called forth ejaculations bearing the form of pray¬ 
ers, from the most hardened,—and “ excited thoughts 
which are not to be conceived but by one who has been in 
a similar situation.” The ship, however, did not fill, and 
we succeeded in getting clear of the floe; but were once 
more at the mercy of the ice and waves. Both pumps 
were now required to keep the hold free of water. From 
this time, for three or four hours, we were plying to wind¬ 
ward, under a brisk sail; but encountering great and con¬ 
tinued difficulties from the sea and ice, and the severity 
of the weather. At 9 r. at. we made another attempt to 
moor the ship to a floe. Five active men were sent to fix 
some anchors, and two warps were fastened to them. Two 
of the men in the boat returned for another anchor, and 
just as they got hold of the ship, both the warps broke that 
were fast to the ice; and the ship turning quickly round, 
received a dreadful shock on her quarter against the floe. 
This compelled us to stand out amongst the loose ice again; 
about an hour afterwards we returned, and sent a boat to 
endeavour to bring on board those unfortunately left upon 
the ice. But the sea was so heavy that the men refused to 
risk themselves in the boat, and it returned without them. 
We now were obliged to reach off to the eastward, among 
the loose ice, to the distance of nearly twenty miles from 
the. poor men on the floe. Here we had room to beat to 
windward. At midnight the wind veered to the eastward, 
and began to abate. 
Saturday, Mth .—Towards morning the weather cleared 
up, and the wind abated, on which we commenced a care- 
