ximity, but
safely, until the gale as suddenly abated, and we found ourselves some
six miles north of the "Intrepid," and off the Sound, which, for want
of a name, we will call "Hat Sound." Steaming and sailing up a head of
water back towards our consort, we soon saw that she was all right and
afloat again, though beset in the pack. We therefore took advantage of
an opening in the ice to run to the northward alone. About midnight,
the Whale Sound of Baffin being then open to our view, but filled with
broken ice, and our farther progress impeded by the pack, we again made
fast at this, the farthest northern latitude reached by any of our
squadron, viz., 77 deg. north latitude.

* * * * *

_Friday, August 29th._--Finding progress in this direction hopeless, we
rejoined the "Intrepid" as close as the ice would allow us, and learnt
that she had injured her rudder and screw-framing. It was now decided
to rejoin the "Resolute" and "Assistance" at their rendezvous off Cape
Dudley Digges; and as the winter snow was fast covering the land, and
pancake-ice forming on the sea, there was little time to be lost in
doing so.

The 30th and 31st, the "Pioneer" made fruitless attempts to reach the
"Intrepid." The leads of water were evidently separating us more and
more: she was working in for Wolstenholme Sound, whilst we were obliged
to edge to the westward.

September 1st, 1851, came in on us. From the crow's nest one
interminable barrier of ice spread itself around; and as the
imprisonment of our vessels would have entailed starvation upon us, it
was necessary to make a push, and endeavour, by one of us at any rate
reaching supplies, to secure the means of rescue to both.

[Headnote: _FORCING THROUGH THE PACK._]

A lucky slackening of the ice encouraged us to enter the pack, and we
entered it. It was a long and tough struggle, sometimes for an hour not
making a ship's length of headway, then bursting into a crack of water,
which seemed an ocean by comparison. Screwing and heaving, my gallant
crew working like Britons, now over the stern, booming off pieces from
the screw as she went astern for a fresh rush at some obstinate bar;
now over the bows, coaxing her sharp stem into the crack which had to
be wedged open until the hull could pass; now leaping from piece to
piece of the broken ice, clearing the lines, resetting the anchors,
then rushing for the ladders, as the vessel cleared the