Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/188

164 ice, there not being sufficient wind to navigate amongst it without their assistance. In the evening the wind increased, and veering to the N. E., rendered this laborious work no longer necessary, and we steered towards the dark water sky, which we hoped was to lead us through this tedious pack, in which we had now been involved four weeks of the precious period of the brief summer of these regions. The strong gales of last year were of more advantage to us than the light easterly breezes and comparatively fine weather we had enjoyed this season; it was therefore not unfrequent to hear the unusual wish expressed for a gale of wind to arise, by which alone could we expect the dense pack to be dispersed and our liberation effected.

Boring our way through the pack under all sail during the night, we found at noon that we had gained nearly twenty miles of southing: but at this time we were again stopped by the ice becoming too close for us; we accordingly availed ourselves of a small clear space, in which to keep the ships free, so as to be ready to make the best of the first opening that appeared. To break through an intervening belt of ice required some hours hard labour with poles and warps, and was no sooner accomplished than the wind freshened suddenly from the eastward, and greatly increased the size of the hole, so that we could dodge about in it under easy sail, and watch the effects of the breeze upon the pack which surrounded us.