ly vegetable origin. Clawbonny wanted
to consider this phenomenon nearer, but the ice prevented them
approaching the coast; although the temperature had a tendency to
rise, it was easy enough to see that the icebergs and ice-streams
were accumulating to the north of Baffin's Sea. The land offered a
very different aspect from that of Uppernawik; immense glaciers were
outlined on the horizon against a greyish sky. On the 10th the
_Forward_ left Hingston Bay on the right, near to the seventy-fourth
degree of latitude. Several hundred miles westward the Lancaster
Channel opened out into the sea.

But afterwards that immense extent of water disappeared under
enormous fields of ice, upon which hummocks rose up as regularly as
a crystallisation of the same substance. Shandon had the steam put
on, and up to the 11th of May the _Forward_ wound amongst the sinuous
rocks, leaving the print of a track on the sky, caused by the black
smoke from her funnels. But new obstacles were soon encountered; the
paths were getting closed up in consequence of the incessant
displacement of the floating masses; at every minute a failure of
water in front of the _Forward's_ prow became imminent, and if she
had been nipped it would have been difficult to extricate her. They
all knew it, and thought about it.

On board this vessel, without aim or known destination, foolishly
seeking to advance towards the north, some symptoms of hesitation
were manifested amongst those men, accustomed to an existence of
danger; many, forgetting the advantages offered, regretted having
ventured so far, and already a certain demoralisation prevailed in
their minds, still more increased by Clifton's fears, and the idle
talk of two or three of the leaders, such as Pen, Gripper, Warren,
and Wolston.

To the uneasiness of the crew were joined overwhelming fatigues, for
on the 12th of May the brig was closed in on every side; her steam
was powerless, and it was necessary to force a road through the
ice-fields. The working of the saws was very difficult in the floes,
which measured from six to seven feet in thickness. When two parallel
grooves divided the ice for the length of a hundred feet, they had
to break the interior part with hatchets or handspikes; then took
place the elongation of the anchors, fixed in a hole by means of a
thick auger; afterwards the working of the capstan began, and in this
way the vessel was hauled over. The greatest difficulty consisted
in