244

CRITICAL POSITION OF SHIP.

[CHAP.

of the glacier, when we heard a report as if of a cannon, and, turning to the quarter whence it proceeded, we perceived an immense piece of the front of the berg sliding down from a height of two hundred feet at least into the sea, and dispersing the water in every direction, accompanied by a loud grinding noise, and followed by a quantity of water, which, being previously lodged in the fissures, now made its escape in numberless small cataracts over the front of the glacier.'

The effect of the sudden launching of this enormous mass of ice into the sea was such as to cause so great an agitation in the water, that the Dorothea, which was being careened at the time, had to be quickly righted in order to prevent any serious catastrophe.

Lieutenant Beechey resumes-"The piece that had been disengaged at first wholly disappeared under water, and nothing was seen but a violent boiling of the sea, and a shooting up of clouds of spray, like that which occurs at the foot of a great cataract. After a short time it reappeared, raising its head full a hundred feet

XII.]

PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF GAME.

245

above the surface, with water pouring down from all parts of it; and then, labouring as if doubtful which way it should fall, it rolled over, and, after rocking about some minutes, at length became settled."

On approaching, when it had assumed a quiescent state, they found it to be nearly a quarter of a mile in circumference, whilst it measured sixty feet above the surface of the

water.

Having ascertained its dimensions, and knowing its specific gravity, they estimated its weight at 421,660 tons!

Whilst in Magdalena Bay they succeeded in obtaining a large quantity of fresh meat, no less than forty reindeer having been shot by the sportsmen, besides an immense number of ducks ; these latter were found in great profusion on a small adjacent island, from which they were also able to collect sufficient eggs to last them for a long time.

They put to sea again on the 7th of June, but were greatly hampered by loose brashy ice

246

DISAGREEABLE NEWS.

[CHAP.

which, as they proceeded northwards, impeded them still more, as it assumed a heavier character. Steering to the westward they met, and communicated with, several whale ships; from these they received the disagreeable

intelligence that the pack to the westward was perfectly impenetrable, and that fifteen ships were already helplessly imprisoned in it.

After many days ceaseless, but unsuccessful, battling with the ice, during which time both ships were beset for a lengthened period, they

XII.]

AN IMPRUDENT EXCURSION.

247

sought an anchorage in Fairhaven,1 in order to give the officers and crew a brief rest, after the unremitting fatigues of the past days.

Whilst the ships had been beset, one of the officers, accompanied by a few men, started to walk over the ice to the shore, a distance of not more than three or four miles. Quitting the ship in the afternoon they stepped out at a good pace in spite of soft snow and hummocky ice. They had barely accomplished half the distance, before they were overtaken by a thick fog, which completely wrapped their surroundings in mist and obscurity.

Having no compass, or indeed anything with them but their guns, and having lost the direction of the ships, they attempted, as a last resource, to find their way back by retracing their own foot-prints in the snow. This, however, was soon found to be impracticable in consequence of the motion of the pack, some of the floes having drifted with greater rapidity than others, and also from the occurrence of

1 In Spitzbergen. See note, page 146.

248

IN MANY DANGERS.

[CHAP.

the tracks of bears and seals, which at first

they had mistaken for their own.

circumstances they wandered

Under these

about in a

circuitous course, in their vain endeavours to reach their ship, fully alive to the magnitude of their danger. Some of them fell into the

water and were with difficulty saved from drowning by their companions; whilst others, afraid to jump from one floe to the other, were left drifting about upon pieces of ice at the mercy of wind and tide. In the meantime they did not fail to discharge their muskets at intervals, in the hope that the reports would be heard on board the ships.

These discharges were heard by their shipmates and were answered by volleys of musketry, and even cannon, but strange to say not one report was heard by the unfortunate people on the ice. They continued travelling, as they supposed, in the direction of their vessels, until the wind freshened and set the ice in rapid motion.

Overcome with wet, cold, and sixteen hours