The ice thus pressed together was
now about ten feet in thickness in some places, and on an average not
less than four or five, so that, while thus forced in upon a ship,
although soft in itself, it caused her to tremble exceedingly; a
sensation, indeed, commonly experienced in forcing through young ice of
considerable thickness. We were now once more obliged to be quiet
spectators of what was going on around us, having, with extreme
difficulty, succeeded in saving most of our tools that were lying on the
ice when the squeezing suddenly began.
A sudden motion of the ice, on the morning of the 22d, occasioned by a
change of the wind to the S.E., threatened to carry us directly off the
land. It was now, more than ever, desirable to hold on, as this breeze
was likely to clear the shore, and, at the same time, to give us a run
to the westward. Hawsers were therefore run out to the land-ice,
composed of some heavy masses, almost on the beach. With the Hecla this
succeeded, but the Fury being much farther from the shore, soon began to
move out with the whole body of ice, which, carrying her close to the
large berg off the point, swept her round the latter, where, after great
exertion, Captain Hoppner succeeded in getting clear, and then made sail
to beat back to us.
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