FIGHTING THE ICE 
was built for this kind of work, and her worth 
and abihty had been proven on the voyage of 
1905. The constant jolting, bumping, and 
jarring against the ice-packs, forwards and 
backwards, the sudden stops and starts and 
the frequent storms made work and comfort 
aboard ship all but impossible. 
Had it been possible to be ashore at some 
point of vantage, to witness the struggles of 
our little ship against her giant adversaries 
would have been an impressive sight. 
I will not dwell on the trying hours and 
days of her successful battle, the six days of 
watching and waiting for a chance to get out 
of our dangerous predicament in Lincoln Bay, 
the rounding of the different capes en route, 
or the horrible jams in Lady Franklin Bay. 
The good ship kept at the fight and won by 
sheer bulldogged tenacity and pluck. Life 
aboard her during those twenty-one days was 
not one sweet song, but we did not suffer un- 
usually, and a great deal of necessary work 
was done on our equipments. The Esquimo 
women sewed diligently on the fur clothing we 
were to wear during the coming winter and 
I worked on the sledges that were to be used. 
33 
