ortnight. As a measure
of precaution, the ship, by means of blasting, sawing, and warping, was
with great labour got into deeper water, where one night's frost set
her fast with a sheet of ice three inches thick round her. In a few
weeks this ice became several feet thick; and the snow drifted up her
hull so much that it seemed as if she were resting on the land, and had
taken final leave of her native element. Strong hawsers were then
secured to Store Island, in order to guard against the possibility of
her being carried away by any sudden disruption of the ice. The
disposition of the masts, yards, and sails was next determined on. The
top-gallant-masts were struck, the lower yards got down to the housings.
The top-sail-yards, gaff, and jib-boom, however, were left in their
places. The topsails and courses were kept bent to the yards, the sheets
being unrove and the clews tucked in. The rest of the binding-sails were
stowed on deck to prevent their thawing during winter; and the spare
spars were lashed over the ship's sides, to leave a clear space for
taking exercise in bad weather.

The stores, in order to relieve the strain on the ship, were removed to
Store Island, and snugly housed under the tent erected there, and then a
thick bank of snow was heaped up round it. After this was accomplished,
all the boats were hauled up beside the tent, and covered with snow,
except the two quarter-boats, which were left hanging at the davits all
winter. When the thermometer fell below zero, it was found that the
vapours below, and the breath of the men, condensed on the beams of the
lower deck and in the cabin near the hatchway. It was therefore resolved
to convert some sheet-iron, which they fortunately possessed, into
pipes, which, being conducted from the cooking-stove through the length
of the ship, served in some degree to raise the temperature and
ventilate the cabins. A regular daily allowance of coal was served out,
and four steady men appointed to attend to the fire in regular watches,
for the double purpose of seeing that none of the fuel should be wasted
and of guarding against fire. They had likewise charge of the fire-pumps
and buckets, and two tanks of water, all of which were kept in the
hatchway in constant readiness in case of accidents. In addition to
this, a fire-brigade was formed, with Joseph West, a steady, quiet,
active young seaman, as its captain, and their stations in the event of
fire were fixed beforeh