ented our
moving, and in a short time there was once more no open water to be
seen. We were therefore under the necessity of remaining in our present
berths, where the smallest external pressure must inevitably force us
ashore, neither ship having more than two feet of water to spare. One
watch of the Hecla's crew were sent round to assist at the Fury's
pumps, which required one third of her ship's company to be constantly
employed at them.

The more leisure we obtained to consider the state of the Fury, the more
apparent became the absolute, however unfortunate, necessity of heaving
her down. Four pumps were required to be at work without intermission to
keep her free, and this in perfectly smooth water, showing that she was,
in fact, so materially injured as to be very far from seaworthy. One
third of her working men were constantly employed, as before remarked,
in this laborious operation, and some of their hands had become so sore
from the constant friction of the ropes, that they could hardly handle
them any longer without the use of mittens, assisted by the unlaying of
the ropes to make them soft. As, therefore, not a moment could be lost,
we took advantage of a small lane of water, deep enough for boats, which
kept open within the grounded masses along the shore, to convey to the
Hecla some of the Fury's dry provisions, and to land a quantity of heavy
iron work, and other stores not perishable; for the moment this measure
was determined on, I was anxious, almost at any risk, to commence the
lightening of the ship as far as our present insecurity and our distance
from the shore would permit.

At two A.M. on the 5th, the ice began to slacken near the ships, and, as
soon as a boat could be rowed alongshore to the southward, I set out,
accompanied by a second from the Fury, for the purpose of examining the
state of our intended harbour since the recent pressure, and to
endeavour to prepare for the reception of the ships by clearing out the
loose ice. The Fury was detained some time by a quantity of loose ice,
which had wedged itself in in such a manner as to leave her no room to
move outward; but she arrived about seven o'clock, when both ships were
made fast in the best berths we could find, but they were excluded from
their intended place by the quantity of ice which had fixed itself
there. Within twenty minutes after our arrival, the whole body of ice
again came in, entirely closing up the shore, so that our movi