ice continuing to "pack" between us and the
shore. The wind, however, now gradually drew round to the westward,
giving us hopes of a change, and we continued to ply about the margin of
the ice, in constant readiness for taking advantage of any opening that
might occur. It favoured us so much by streaming off in the course of
the day, that by seven P.M. we had nearly reached a channel of clear
water, which kept open for seven or eight miles from the land. Being
impatient to obtain a sight of the Fury, and the wind becoming light,
Captain Hoppner and myself left the Hecla in two boats, and reached the
ship at half past nine, or about three quarters of an hour before high
water, being the most favourable time of tide for arriving to examine
her condition.

We found her heeling so much outward, that her main channels were within
a foot of the water; and the large floe-piece, which was still alongside
of her, seemed alone to support her below water, and to prevent her
falling over still more considerably. The ship had been forced much
farther up the beach than before, and she had now in her bilge above
nine feet of water, which reached higher than the lower-deck beams. The
first hour's inspection of the Fury's condition too plainly assured me
that, exposed as she was, and forcibly pressed up upon an open and stony
beach, her holds full of water, and the damage of her hull to all
appearance and in all probability more considerable than before, without
any adequate means of hauling her off to seaward, or securing her from
the farther incursions of the ice, every endeavour of ours to get her
off, or _if_ got off, to float her to any known place of safety, would
be at once utterly hopeless in itself, and productive of extreme risk to
our remaining ship.

Mr. Pulfer, the carpenter of the Fury, considered that it would occupy
five days to clear the ship of water; that if she were got off, all the
pumps would not be sufficient to keep her free, in consequence of the
additional damage she seemed to have sustained; and that, if even hove
down, twenty days' work, with the means we possessed, would be required
for making her sea-worthy. Captain Hoppner and the other officers were
therefore of opinion, that an absolute necessity existed for abandoning
the Fury. My own opinion being thus confirmed as to the utter
hopelessness of saving her, and feeling more strongly than ever the
responsibility which attached to me of preserving the He