had therefore
much reason to conclude that the damage would altogether prove very
serious. We also discovered that several feet of the Hecla's false keel
were torn away abreast of the forechains, in consequence of her
grounding forward so frequently.

Being favoured with fine weather, we continued our work very quickly, so
that on the 12th every cask was landed, and also the powder; and the
spare sails and clothing put on board the Hecla. The coals and preserved
meats were the principal things now remaining on board the Fury, and
these we continued landing by every method we could devise as the most
expeditious.

Early on the morning of the 14th, the ice slackening a little in our
neighbourhood, we took advantage of it, though the people were much
fagged, to tighten the cables, which had stretched and yielded
considerably by the late pressure. It was well that we did so; for in
the course of this day we were several times interrupted in our work by
the ice coming with a tremendous strain on the north cables, the wind
blowing strong from the N.N.W., and the whole "pack" outside of us
setting rapidly to the southward. Indeed, notwithstanding the recent
tightening and readjustment of the cables, the bight was pressed in so
much as to force the Fury against the berg astern of her twice in the
course of the day.

From this trial of the efficacy of our means of security, it was plain
that the Fury could not possibly be hove down under circumstances of
such frequent and imminent risk: I therefore directed a fourth anchor,
with two additional cables, to be carried out, with the hope of breaking
some of the force of the ice by its offering a more oblique resistance
than the other, and thus, by degrees, turning the direction of the
pressure from the ships. We had scarcely completed this new defence,
when the largest floe we had seen since leaving Port Bowen came sweeping
along the shore, having a motion to the southward of not less than a
mile and a half an hour; and a projecting point of it, just grazing our
outer berg, threatened to overturn it, and would certainly have
dislodged it from its situation but for the cable recently attached to
it.

The Fury being completely cleared at an early hour on the 16th, we were
all busily employed in "winding" the ship, and in preparing the
outriggers, shores, purchases, and additional rigging. Though we
purposely selected the time of high water for turning the ship round, we
had scar