three miles, it
became a matter of importance to try whether any labour we could bestow
upon it would liberate the ship from her present imbedded state, so as
to be at least ready to take advantage of slack water, should any occur,
to keep her off the shore. All hands were therefore set to work with
handspikes, capstan-bars, and axes, it being necessary to detach every
separate mass, however small, before the larger ones could be moved. The
harassing and laborious nature of this operation is such as nothing but
experience can possibly give an idea of, especially when, as in this
case, we had only a small pool of clear water near the margin in which
the detached pieces could be floated out. However, we continued at work,
with only the necessary intermissions for rest and meals, during this
and the two following days, and on the evening of the 3d had
accomplished all that the closeness of the ice would permit; but the
ship was still by no means free, numberless masses of ice being doubled
under her, even below her keel, which could not be moved without more
space for working.

Painful as was this protracted delay in setting out upon the principal
object of the expedition, the absolute necessity of it will scarcely, I
think, be doubted by any person conversant in such matters. So long as
the ship continued undisturbed by the ice, nearly stationary, and in
deep water, for several days together, I had, in my anxiety to lose not
a moment's time, ventured to flatter myself with the hope that, in a
case of such unlooked-for emergency, when every moment of our short and
uncertain season was of importance, I might be justified in quitting my
ship at sea; and in this opinion the zeal of my officers, both those who
were to accompany me and those who were to remain on board, induced them
unanimously to concur. But the case was now materially altered; for it
had become plain to every seaman in the ship, first, that the safety of
the Hecla, if thus left with less than half her working hands, could not
be reckoned upon for an hour; and, secondly, that no human foresight
could enable us to conjecture, should we set out while she was thus
situated, when or where we should find her on our return. In fact, it
appeared to us at this time, as indeed it was, a very providential
circumstance, that the impracticable nature of the ice for travelling
had offered no encouragement to persevere in my original intention of
setting out a week before