Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Volume Ii Part 6

A she-bear, killed in the open water on our first arrival at Port Bowen, afforded a striking instance of maternal affection in her anxiety to save her two cubs. She might herself easily have escaped the boat, but would not forsake her young, which she was actually "towing" off, by allowing them to rest on her back, when the boat came near them. A second similar instance occurred in the spring, when two cubs having got down into a large crack in the ice, their mother placed herself before them, so as to secure them from the attacks of our people, which she might easily have avoided herself.

One or two foxes (_Canis Lagopus_) were killed, and four caught in traps during the winter, weighing from four pounds and three quarters to three pounds and three quarters. The colour of one of these animals, which lived for some time on board the Fury, and became tolerably tame, was nearly pure white till the month of May, when he shed his winter coat, and became of a dirty chocolate colour, with two or three light brown spots. Only three hares (_Lepus Variabilis_) were killed from October to June, weighing from six to eight pounds and three quarters. Their fur was extremely thick, soft, and of the most beautiful whiteness imaginable. We saw no deer near Port Bowen at any season, neither were we visited by their enemies the wolves. A single ermine and a few mice (_Mus Hudsonius_) complete, I believe, our scanty list of quadrupeds at this desolate and unproductive place.

Towards the end of June, the dovekies (_Colymbus Grylle_) were extremely numerous in the cracks of the ice at the entrance of Port Bowen; and as these were the only fresh supply of any consequence that we were able to procure at this unproductive place, we were glad to permit the men to go out occasionally with guns, after the s.h.i.+ps were ready for sea, to obtain for their messes this wholesome change of diet; while such excursions also contributed essentially to their general health and cheerfulness. Many hundreds of these birds were thus obtained in the course of a few days. On the evening of the 6th of July, however, I was greatly shocked at being informed by Captain Hoppner that John Cotterell,[007] a seaman of the Fury, had been found drowned in one of the cracks of the ice by two other men belonging to the same party, who had been with him but a few minutes before. We could never ascertain precisely in what manner this accident happened, but it was supposed that he must have overreached himself in stooping for a bird that he had killed. His remains were committed to the earth on Sunday the 10th, with every solemnity which the occasion demanded, and our situation would allow; and a tomb of stones, with a suitable inscription, was afterward erected over the grave.

In order to obtain oil for another winter's consumption, before the s.h.i.+ps could be released from the ice, and our travelling parties having seen a number of black whales in the open water to the northward, two boats from each s.h.i.+p were, with considerable labour, transported four miles along sh.o.r.e in that direction, to be in readiness for killing a whale and boiling the oil on the beach, whenever the open water should approach sufficiently near. Notwithstanding these preparations, however, it was vexatious to find that on the 9th of July the water was still three miles distant from the boats, and at least seven from Port Bowen.

On the 12th, the ice in our neighbourhood began to detach itself, and the boats, under the command of Lieutenants Sherer and Ross, being launched on the following day, succeeded almost immediately in killing a small whale of "five feet bone," exactly answering our purpose. Almost at the same time, and, as it turned out, very opportunely, the ice at the mouth of our harbour detached itself at an old crack, and drifted off, leaving only about one mile and a quarter between us and the sea.

Half of this distance being occupied by the gravelled ca.n.a.l, which was dissolved quite through the ice in many parts, and had become very thin in all, every officer and man in both s.h.i.+ps were set to work without delay to commence a fresh ca.n.a.l from the open water to communicate with the other. This work proved heavier than we expected, the ice being generally from five to eight feet, and in many places from ten to eleven in thickness. It was continued, however, with the greatest cheerfulness and alacrity from seven in the morning till seven in the evening daily, the dinner being prepared on the ice, and eaten under the lee of a studding sail erected as a tent.

On the afternoon of the 19th, a very welcome stop was put to our operations by the separation of the floe entirely across the harbour, and about one third from the s.h.i.+ps to where we were at work. All hands being instantly recalled by signal, were, on their return, set to work to get the s.h.i.+ps into the gravelled ca.n.a.l, and to saw away what still remained in it to prevent our warping to sea. This work, with only half an hour's intermission for the men's supper, was continued till half past six the following morning, when we succeeded in getting clear. The weather being calm, two hours were occupied in towing the s.h.i.+ps to sea, and thus the officers and men were employed at a very laborious work for twenty-six hours, during which time there were, on one occasion, fifteen of them overboard at once; and, indeed, several individuals met with the same accident three times. It was impossible, however, to regret the necessity of these comparatively trifling exertions, especially as it was now evident that to saw our way out without any ca.n.a.l would have required at least a fortnight of heavy and fatiguing labour.

CHAPTER V.

Sail over towards the Western Coast of Prince Regent's Inlet.--Stopped by the Ice.--Reach the Sh.o.r.e about Cape Seppings.--Favourable Progress along the Land.--Fresh and repeated Obstructions from Ice.--Both s.h.i.+ps driven on Sh.o.r.e.--Fury seriously damaged.--Unsuccessful Search for a Harbour for heaving her down to repair.

_July_ 20.--On standing out to sea, we sailed, with a light southerly wind, towards the western sh.o.r.e of Prince Regent's Inlet, which it was my first wish to gain, on account of the evident advantage to be derived from coasting the southern part of that portion of land called in the chart "North Somerset," as far as it might lead to the westward; which, from our former knowledge, we had reason to suppose it would do as far at least as the longitude of 95, in the parallel of about 72-3/4.

After sailing about eight miles, we were stopped by a body of close ice lying between us and a s.p.a.ce of open water beyond. We were shortly after enveloped in one of the thick fogs which had, for several weeks past, been observed almost daily hanging over some part of the sea in the offing, though we had scarcely experienced any in Port Bowen until the water became open at the mouth of the harbour.

On the clearing up of the fog on the 21st, we could perceive no opening of the ice leading towards the western land, nor any appearance of the smallest channel to the southward along the eastern sh.o.r.e. I was determined, therefore, to try at once a little farther to the northward, the present state of the ice appearing completely to accord with that observed in 1819, its breadth increasing as we advanced from Prince Leopold's Islands to the southward.

Light winds detained us very much, but, being at length favoured by a breeze, we carried all sail to the northwest, the ice very gradually leading us towards the Leopold Isles. Having arrived off the northernmost on the morning of the 22nd, it was vexatious, however curious, to observe the exact coincidence of the present position of the ice with that which it occupied a little later in the year 1819. The whole body of it seemed to cling to the western sh.o.r.e, as if held there by some strong attraction, forbidding, for the present, any access to it. After running all night, with light and variable winds, through loose and scattered ice, we suddenly found ourselves, on the clearing up of a thick fog through which we had been sailing on the morning of the 24th, within one third of a mile of Cape Seppings, the land just appearing above the fog in time to save us from danger, the soundings being thirty-eight fathoms, on a rocky bottom. The Fury being apprized by guns of our situation, both s.h.i.+ps were hauled off the land, and the fog soon after dispersing, we had the satisfaction to perceive that the late gale had blown the ice off the land, leaving us a fine navigable channel from one to two miles wide, as far as we could see from the masthead along the sh.o.r.e. We were able to avail ourselves of this but slowly, however, in consequence of a light southerly breeze still blowing against us.

The land here, when closely viewed, a.s.sumes a very striking, and magnificent character; the strata of limestone, which are numerous and quite horizontally disposed, being much more regular than on the eastern sh.o.r.e of Prince Regent's Inlet, and retaining nearly their whole perpendicular height of six or seven hundred feet close to the sea. I may here remark, that the whole of Barrow's Strait, as far as we could see to the N.N.E. of the islands, was entirely free from ice; and, from whatever circ.u.mstance it may proceed, I do not think that this part of the Polar Sea is at any season very much enc.u.mbered with it.

It was the general feeling at this period among us, that the voyage had but now commenced. The labours of a bad summer, and the tedium of a long winter, were forgotten in a moment when we found ourselves upon ground not hitherto explored, and with every apparent prospect before us of making as rapid a progress as the nature of this navigation will permit, towards the final accomplishment of our object.

A breeze enabling us again to make some progress, and an open channel still favouring us, of nearly the same breadth as before, we pa.s.sed, during the night of the 25th, a second bay, about the same size as the other, and also appearing open to the sea; it lies in lat.i.tude (by account from the preceding and following noon) 73 19' 30", and its width is one mile and a half. We now perceived that the ice closed completely in with the land a short distance beyond us; and, having made all the way we could, were obliged to stand off and on during the day in a channel not three quarters of a mile wide.

A light southerly breeze on the morning of the 28th gradually cleared the sh.o.r.e, and a fresh wind from the N.W. then immediately succeeded. We instantly took advantage of this circ.u.mstance, and, casting off at six A.M., ran eight or nine miles without obstruction, when we were stopped by the ice, which, in a closely packed and impenetrable body, stretched close into the sh.o.r.e as far as the eye could reach from the crow's nest.

Being anxious to gain every foot of distance that we could, and perceiving some grounded ice which appeared favourable for making fast to, just at a point where the clear water terminated, the s.h.i.+ps were run to the utmost extent of it, and a boat prepared from each to examine the water at the intended anchoring place. Just as I was about to leave the Hecla for that purpose, the ice was observed, to be in rapid motion towards the sh.o.r.e. The Fury was immediately hauled in by some grounded ma.s.ses, and placed to the best advantage; but the Hecla, being more advanced, was immediately beset in spite of every exertion, and, after breaking two of the largest ice-anchors in endeavouring to heave in to the sh.o.r.e, was obliged to drift with the ice, several ma.s.ses of which had fortunately interposed themselves between us and the land. The ice slackening around us a little in the evening, we were enabled, with considerable labour, to get to some grounded ma.s.ses, where we lay much exposed, as the Fury also did. In this situation, our lat.i.tude being 72 51' 51", we saw a comparatively low point of land three or four leagues to the southward, which proved to be near that which terminated our view of this coast in 1819.

The ice opening for a mile and a half alongsh.o.r.e on the 30th, we s.h.i.+fted the Hecla's berth about that distance to the southward, chiefly to be enabled to see more distinctly round a point which before obstructed our view, though our situation as regarded the security of the s.h.i.+p was much altered for the worse. In the afternoon it blew a hard gale, with constant rain, from the northward, the clouds indicating an easterly wind in other parts. This wind, which was always the troublesome one to us, soon brought the ice closer and closer, till it pressed with very considerable violence on both s.h.i.+ps, though the most upon the Fury, which lay in a very exposed situation. Early on the morning of the 31st, as soon as a communication could be effected, Captain Hoppner sent to inform me that the Fury had been forced on the ground, where she still lay; but that she would probably be hove off without much difficulty at high water, provided the external ice did not prevent it. A large party of hands from the Hecla being sent round to the Fury towards high water, she came off the ground with very little strain, so that, upon the whole, considering the situation in which the s.h.i.+ps were lying, we thought ourselves fortunate in having incurred no very serious injury. A s.h.i.+ft of wind to the southward in the afternoon at length began gradually to slacken it, but it was not till six A.M. on the 1st of August that there appeared a prospect of making any progress. The signal to that effect was immediately made; but, while the sails were setting, the ice, which had at first been three quarters of a mile distant from us, was observed to be closing the sh.o.r.e The s.h.i.+ps were cast with all expedition, in hopes of gaining the broader channel before the ice had time to shut us up. So rapid, however, was the latter in this its sudden movement, that we had but just got the s.h.i.+ps' heads the right way when the ice came boldly in upon us, being doubtless set in motion by a very sudden freshening of the wind almost to a gale in the course of a few minutes. The s.h.i.+ps were now almost instantly beset, and in such a manner as to be literally helpless and unmanageable.

The sails were, however, kept set; and, as the body of ice was setting to the southward withal, we went with it some little distance in that direction. The Hecla, after thus driving, and now and then forcing her way through the ice, in all about three quarters of a mile, quite close to the sh.o.r.e, at length struck the ground forcibly several times in the s.p.a.ce of a hundred yards, and being then brought up by it, remained immoveable, the depth of water under her keel abaft being sixteen feet, or about a foot less than she drew. The Fury, continuing to drive, was now irresistibly carried past us, and we escaped, only by a few feet, the damage invariably occasioned by s.h.i.+ps coming in contact under such circ.u.mstances. She had, however, scarcely pa.s.sed us a hundred yards, when it was evident, by the ice pressing her in, as well as along the sh.o.r.e, that she must soon be stopped like the Hecla; and having gone about two hundred yards farther, she was observed to receive a severe pressure from a large floe-piece forcing her directly against a grounded ma.s.s of ice upon the beach. After setting to the southward for an hour or two longer, the ice became stationary, no open water being anywhere visible from the masthead, and the pressure on the s.h.i.+ps remaining undiminished during the day. Just as I had ascertained the utter impossibility of moving the Hecla a single foot, and that she must lie aground fore and aft as soon as the tide fell, I received a note from Captain Hoppner, informing me that the Fury had been so severely "nipped" and strained as to leak a good deal, apparently about four inches an hour; that she was still heavily pressed both upon the ground and against the large ma.s.s of ice within her; that the rudder was at present very awkwardly situated; and that one boat had been much damaged. However, about high water, the ice very opportunely slacking, the Hecla was hove off with great ease, and warped to a floe in the offing, to which we made fast at midnight. The Fury was not long after us in coming off the ground, when I was in hopes of finding that any twist or strain by which her leaks might have been occasioned, would, in some measure, close when she was relieved from pressure and once more fairly afloat. My disappointment and mortification, therefore, may in some measure be imagined, at being informed by telegraph, about two A.M.

on the 2d, that the water was gaining on two pumps, and that a part of the doubling had floated up. Presently after, perceiving from the masthead something like a small harbour nearly abreast of us, every effort was made to get once more towards the sh.o.r.e. In this the ice happily favoured us; and, after making sail, and one or two tacks, we got in with the land, when I left the s.h.i.+p in a boat to sound the place and search for shelter. The whole sh.o.r.e was more or less lined with grounded ma.s.ses of ice; but, after examining the soundings within more than twenty of them, in the s.p.a.ce of about a mile, I could only find two that would allow the s.h.i.+ps to float at low water, and that by some care in placing and keeping them there. Having fixed a flag on each berg, the usual signal for the s.h.i.+ps taking their stations, I rowed on board the Fury, and found four pumps constantly going to keep the s.h.i.+p free, and Captain Hoppner, his officers and men, almost exhausted with the incessant labour of the last eight-and-forty hours. The instant the s.h.i.+ps were made fast, Captain Hoppner and myself set out in a boat to survey the sh.o.r.e still farther south, there being a narrow lane of water about a mile in that direction; for it had now become too evident that the Fury could proceed no farther without repairs, and that the nature of those repairs would in all probability involve the disagreeable, I may say the ruinous, necessity of heaving the s.h.i.+p down. After rowing about three quarters of a mile, we considered ourselves fortunate in arriving at a bolder part of the beach, where three grounded ma.s.ses of ice, having from three to four fathoms water at low tide within them, were so disposed as to afford, with the a.s.sistance of art, something like shelter. Returning to the s.h.i.+ps, we were setting the sails in order to run to the appointed place, when the ice closed in and prevented our moving, and in a short time there was once more no open water to be seen. We were therefore under the necessity of remaining in our present berths, where the smallest external pressure must inevitably force us ash.o.r.e, neither s.h.i.+p having more than two feet of water to spare. One watch of the Hecla's crew were sent round to a.s.sist at the Fury's pumps, which required one third of her s.h.i.+p's company to be constantly employed at them.

The more leisure we obtained to consider the state of the Fury, the more apparent became the absolute, however unfortunate, necessity of heaving her down. Four pumps were required to be at work without intermission to keep her free, and this in perfectly smooth water, showing that she was, in fact, so materially injured as to be very far from seaworthy. One third of her working men were constantly employed, as before remarked, in this laborious operation, and some of their hands had become so sore from the constant friction of the ropes, that they could hardly handle them any longer without the use of mittens, a.s.sisted by the unlaying of the ropes to make them soft. As, therefore, not a moment could be lost, we took advantage of a small lane of water, deep enough for boats, which kept open within the grounded ma.s.ses along the sh.o.r.e, to convey to the Hecla some of the Fury's dry provisions, and to land a quant.i.ty of heavy iron work, and other stores not perishable; for the moment this measure was determined on, I was anxious, almost at any risk, to commence the lightening of the s.h.i.+p as far as our present insecurity and our distance from the sh.o.r.e would permit.

At two A.M. on the 5th, the ice began to slacken near the s.h.i.+ps, and, as soon as a boat could be rowed alongsh.o.r.e to the southward, I set out, accompanied by a second from the Fury, for the purpose of examining the state of our intended harbour since the recent pressure, and to endeavour to prepare for the reception of the s.h.i.+ps by clearing out the loose ice. The Fury was detained some time by a quant.i.ty of loose ice, which had wedged itself in in such a manner as to leave her no room to move outward; but she arrived about seven o'clock, when both s.h.i.+ps were made fast in the best berths we could find, but they were excluded from their intended place by the quant.i.ty of ice which had fixed itself there. Within twenty minutes after our arrival, the whole body of ice again came in, entirely closing up the sh.o.r.e, so that our moving proved most opportune.

CHAPTER VI.

Formation of a Basin for heaving the Fury down.--Landing of the Fury's Stores, and other Preparations.--The s.h.i.+ps secured within the Basin.--Impediments from the Pressure of the Ice.--Fury hove down.--Securities of the Basin destroyed by a Gale of Wind.--Preparations to tow the Fury out.--Hecla Re-equipped, and obliged to put to Sea.--Fury again driven on Sh.o.r.e.--Rejoin the Fury; and find it necessary finally to abandon her.

As there was now no longer room for floating the ice out of the proposed basin, all hands were immediately employed in preparing the intended securities against the incursions of the ice. These consisted of anchors carried to the beach, having bower-cables attached to them, pa.s.sing quite round the grounded ma.s.ses, and thus enclosing a small s.p.a.ce of just sufficient size to admit both s.h.i.+ps. The cables we proposed floating by means of the two hand-masts and some empty casks lashed to them as buoys, with the intention of thus making them receive the pressure of the ice a foot or two below the surface of the water. By uncommon exertions on the part of the officers and men, this laborious work was completed before night as far as was practicable until the loose ice should set out; and all the tents were set up on the beach for the reception of the Fury's stores.

The ice remaining quite close on the 6th, every individual in both s.h.i.+ps, with the exception of those at the pumps, was employed in landing provisions from the Fury, together with the spars, boats, and everything from off her upper deck. On the following day, the ice remaining as before, the work was continued without intermission, and a great quant.i.ty of things landed. The armorer was also set to work on the beach in forging bolts for the martingales of the outriggers. In short, every living creature among us was somehow or other employed, not even excepting our dogs, which were set to drag up the stores on the beach; so that our little dock-yard soon exhibited the most animated scene imaginable. The Fury was thus so much lightened in the course of the day, that two pumps were now nearly sufficient to keep her free, and this number continued requisite until she was hove down.

At night, just as the people were going to rest, the ice began to move to the southward, and soon after came in towards the sh.o.r.e, pressing the Fury over on her side to so alarming a degree, as to warn us that it would not be safe to lighten her much more in her present insecure situation. One of our bergs also s.h.i.+fted its position by this pressure, so as to weaken our confidence in the pier-heads of our intended basin; and a long "tongue" of one of them forcing itself under the Hecla's forefoot, while the drifting ice was also pressing her forcibly from astern, she once more sewed three or four feet forward at low water, and continued to do so, notwithstanding repeated endeavours to haul her off, for four successive tides, the ice remaining so close and so much doubled under the s.h.i.+p, as to render it impossible to move her a single inch. Notwithstanding the state of the ice, however, we did not remain idle on the 8th, all hands being employed in unrigging the Fury, and landing all her spars, sails, booms, boats, and other top weight.

The ice still continuing very close on the 9th, all hands were employed in attempting, by saws and axes, to clear the Hecla, which still grounded on the tongue of ice every tide. After four hours' labour, they succeeded in making four or five feet of room astern, when the s.h.i.+p suddenly slid down off the tongue with considerable force, and became once more afloat. As it very opportunely happened, the external ice slackened to the distance of about a hundred yards outside of us on the morning of the 10th, enabling us, by a most tedious and laborious operation, to clear the ice out of our basin piece by piece. Our next business was to tighten the cables sufficiently by means of purchases, and to finish the floating of them in the manner and for the purpose before described. After this had been completed, the s.h.i.+ps had only a few feet in length, and nothing in breadth to spare, but we had now great hopes of going on with our work with increased confidence and security. The Fury, which was placed inside, had something less than eighteen feet at low water; the Hecla lay in four fathoms, the bottom being strewed with large and small fragments of limestone.

While thus employed in securing the s.h.i.+ps, the smoothness of the water enabled us to see, in some degree, the nature of the Fury's damage; and it may be conceived how much pain it occasioned us plainly to discover that both the sternpost and forefoot were broken and turned up on one side with the pressure. We also could perceive, as far as we were able to see along the main keel, that it was much torn, and we 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 princ.i.p.al 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 f.a.gged, 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 circ.u.mstances 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 s.h.i.+ps. We had scarcely completed this new defence, when the largest floe we had seen since leaving Port Bowen came sweeping along the sh.o.r.e, 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 s.h.i.+p, and in preparing the outriggers, sh.o.r.es, purchases, and additional rigging. Though we purposely selected the time of high water for turning the s.h.i.+p round, we had scarcely a foot of s.p.a.ce to spare for doing it; and indeed, as it was, her forefoot touched the ground, and loosened the broken part of the wood so much as to enable us to pull it up with ropes, when we found the fragments to consist of the whole of the "gripe" and most of the "cut.w.a.ter." In the evening we received the Fury's crew on board the Hecla, every arrangement and regulation having been previously made for their personal comfort, and for the preservation of cleanliness, ventilation, and dry warmth throughout the s.h.i.+p. The officers of the Fury, by their own choice, pitched a tent on sh.o.r.e for messing and sleeping in, as our accommodation for two sets of officers was necessarily confined. Every preparation being made, at three A.M. on the 18th we began to heave her down on the larboard side; but when the purchases were nearly ablock, we found that the strops under the Hecla's bottom, as well as some of the Fury's sh.o.r.e-fasts, had stretched or yielded so much that they could not bring the keel out of water within three or four feet. We immediately eased her up again, and readjusted everything as requisite, hauling her farther in-sh.o.r.e than before by keeping a considerable heel upon her, so as to make less depth of water necessary; and we were then in the act of once more heaving her down, when a snowstorm came on and blew with such violence off the land as to raise a considerable sea. The s.h.i.+ps had now so much motion as to strain the gear very much, and even to make the lower masts of the Fury bend in spite of the sh.o.r.es; we were, therefore, most unwillingly compelled to desist until the sea should go down, keeping everything ready to recommence the instant we could possibly do so with safety. The officers and men were now literally so hara.s.sed and fatigued as to be scarcely capable of farther exertion without some rest; and on this and one or two other occasions, I noticed more than a single instance of stupor, amounting to a certain degree of failure in intellect, rendering the individual so affected quite unable at first to comprehend the meaning of an order, though still as willing as ever to obey it. It was therefore, perhaps, a fortunate necessity that produced the intermission of labour which the strength of every individual seemed to require.

The gale rather increasing than otherwise during the whole day and night of the 18th, had, on the following morning, when the wind and sea still continued unabated, so destroyed the bergs on which our sole dependance was placed, that they no longer remained aground at low water; the cables had again become slack about them, and the basin we had taken so much pains in forming had now lost all its defences, at least during a portion of every tide. After a night of most anxious consideration and consultation with Captain Hoppner, who was now my messmate in the Hecla, it appeared but too plain that, should the ice again come in, neither s.h.i.+p could any longer be secured from driving on sh.o.r.e. It was therefore determined instantly to prepare the Hecla for sea, making her thoroughly effective in every respect; so that we might at least push _her_ out into comparative safety among the ice when it closed again, taking every person on board her, securing the Fury in the best manner we could, and returning to her the instant we were able to do so, to endeavour to get her out, and to carry her to some place of security for heaving down.

If, after the Hecla was ready, time should still be allowed us, it was proposed immediately to put into the Fury all that was requisite, or, at least, as much as she could safely carry, and, towing her out into the ice, to try the effect of "foddering" the leaks by sails under those parts of her keel which we knew to be damaged, until some more effectual means could be resorted to.

Having communicated to the a.s.sembled officers and s.h.i.+ps' companies my views and intentions, we commenced our work; and such was the hearty good-will and indefatigable energy with which it was carried on, that by midnight the whole was accomplished.

On the 20th, therefore, the reloading of the Fury commenced with recruited strength and spirits, such articles being in the first place selected for putting on board as were essentially requisite for her reequipment; for it was my full determination, could we succeed in completing this, not to wait even for rigging a topmast, or getting a lower yard up, in the event of the ice coming in, but to tow her out among the ice, and there put everything sufficiently to rights for carrying her to some place of security. A few hands were also spared, consisting chiefly of two or three convalescents, and some of the officers, to thrum a sail for putting under the Fury's keel; for we were very anxious to relieve the men at the pumps, which constantly required the labour of eight to twelve hands to keep her free. By a long and hard day's labour, the people not going to rest till two o'clock on the morning of the 21st, we got about fifty tons' weight of coals and provisions on board the Fury, which, in case of necessity, we considered sufficient to give her stability. Having hauled the s.h.i.+ps out a little from the sh.o.r.e, and prepared the Hecla for casting by a spring at a moment's notice, all the people except those at the pumps were sent to rest, which, however, they had not enjoyed for two hours, when, at four A.M. on the 21st, another heavy ma.s.s coming violently in contact with the bergs and cables, threatened to sweep away every remaining security.

More hawsers were run out, however, and enabled us still to hold on; and, after six hours of disturbed rest, all hands were again set to work to get the Fury's anchors, cables, rudder, and spars on board, these being absolutely necessary for her equipment, should we be able to get her out. At two P.M. the crews were called on board to dinner, which they had not finished when several not very large ma.s.ses of ice drove along the sh.o.r.e near us at a quick rate, and two or three successively coming in violent contact either with the Hecla or the bergs to which she was attached, convinced me that very little additional pressure would tear everything away, and drive both s.h.i.+ps on sh.o.r.e. I saw that the moment had arrived when the Hecla could no longer be kept in her present situation with the smallest chance of safety, and therefore immediately got under sail, despatching Captain Hoppner with every individual, except a few for working the s.h.i.+p, to continue getting the things on board the Fury, while the Hecla stood off and on. Captain Hoppner had scarcely been an hour on board the Fury, and was busily engaged in getting the anchors and cables on board, when we observed some large pieces of not very heavy ice closing in with the land near her; and at twenty minutes past four P.M., being an hour and five minutes after the Hecla had cast off, I was informed by signal that the Fury was on sh.o.r.e. As the navigating of the Hecla, with only ten men on board, required constant attention and care, I could not at this time, with propriety, leave the s.h.i.+p to go on board the Fury. I therefore directed Captain Hoppner by telegraph, "if he thought nothing could be done at present, to return on board with all hands until the wind changed;" for this alone, as far as I could see the state of the Fury, seemed to offer the smallest chance of clearing the sh.o.r.e, so as to enable us to proceed with our work, or to attempt hauling the s.h.i.+p off the ground. About seven P.M. Captain Hoppner returned to the Hecla, accompanied by all hands, except an officer with a party at the pumps, reporting to me, that the Fury had been forced aground by the ice pressing on the ma.s.ses lying near her, and bringing home, if not breaking, the seaward anchor, so that the s.h.i.+p was soon found to have sewed from two to three feet fore and aft.

Finding, soon after Captain Hoppner's return, that the current swept the Hecla a long way to the southward while hoisting up the boats, and that more ice was drifting in towards the sh.o.r.e, I was under the painful necessity of recalling the party at the pumps, rather than incur the risk, now an inevitable one, of parting company with them altogether.

Accordingly, Mr. Bird, with the last of the people, came on board at eight o'clock in the evening, having left eighteen inches water in the well, and four pumps being requisite to keep her free. In three hours after Mr. Bird's return, more than half a mile of closely packed ice intervened between the Fury and the open water in which we were beating, and before the morning this barrier had increased to four or five miles in breadth.

We carried a press of canva.s.s all night, with a fresh breeze from the north, to enable us to keep abreast of the Fury, which, on account of the strong southerly current, we could only do by beating at some distance from the land. The breadth of the ice in-sh.o.r.e continued increasing during the day, but we could see no end to the water in which we were beating, either to the southward or eastward. It fell quite calm in the evening, when the breadth of the ice in-sh.o.r.e had increased to six or seven miles. We did not, during the day, perceive any current setting to the southward, but in the course of the night we were drifted four or five leagues to the southwestward.

A southerly breeze enabling us to regain our northing, we ran along the margin of the ice, but were led so much to the eastward by it, that we could approach the s.h.i.+p no nearer than before during the whole day. She appeared to us at this distance to have a much greater heel than when the people left her, which made us still more anxious to get near her.

The lat.i.tude at noon was 72 34' 57", making our distance from the Fury twelve miles, which, by the morning of the 25th, had increased to at least five leagues, the ice continuing to "pack" between us and the sh.o.r.e. 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 a.s.sured 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 s.h.i.+p.