though the
men used their ice-poles actively, and worked with a will, they could
not shove the pieces past them. The _Hope_ was driven bow on to the
berg. Then there was a strain, a terrible creaking and groaning of the
timbers, as if the good little vessel were complaining of the pressure.
All at once there was a loud crack, the bow of the brig lifted a little,
and she was forced violently up the sloping side of the berg. Twice
this happened, and then she remained stationary--high and dry out of the
water!

CHAPTER FIVE.

A GALE--NARROW ESCAPES--SIGNS OF WINTER--SET FAST.

During the rest of that day and the whole of that night did the brig
remain fixed on the berg. Early next morning the ice began to move. It
eased off, and the vessel slid gently down the slope on which she had
been forced, and was re-launched safely into the water.

The satisfaction of the crew, on being thus delivered from a position of
much danger, was very great; but they had no sooner escaped from one
peril than they were overtaken by another. A sharp breeze sprang up
from the eastward, and drove them out into the pack, which began to
heave about in a terrible manner under the influence of the wind. Soon
this increased to a gale, and the ice was driven along at great speed by
a strong northerly current.

While this was going on, land was discovered bearing to the northeast.
Here was new danger, for although it was not a lee-shore, still there
was some risk of the vessel being caught among grounded ice-bergs--of
which a few were seen.

The gale increased to such a degree before night that Captain Harvey
began to think of taking shelter under the lee of one of these bergs.
He therefore stood toward one, but before reaching it the vessel
received one or two severe shocks from passing floes. A large berg lay
within half a mile of them. They reached it in safety, and getting
under its lee, lowered a boat and fixed their ice-anchors. Just after
they were fixed, a mass of ice, the size of a ship's long-boat and many
tons in weight, came suddenly up out of the sea with great violence, the
top of it rising above the bulwarks. One corner of it struck the hull
just behind the mainmast, and nearly stove in the bottom of the brig.

This lump was what Arctic voyagers term a "calf." When masses of ice
break off from the bergs far below the surface of the water, they rise
with extreme violence, and ships run great risk of being destroyed