Page:Polar Exploration - Bruce - 1911.djvu/51

Rh for these poor wretches, even if a few managed to scramble wet, cold, and benumbed into a ship's boats. No hand to help, no one to hear their last cry of agony. If this is the power of a "growler," what chance has a helpless sailing-ship driving before a gale with a monster berg on its lee? Her end must be a battering to death against its solid ice cliffs.

Even with ships specially constructed for ice-navigation, the greatest care has to be exercised. I have seen a relatively small piece weighing hundreds of tons falling off one of these great bergs; a smaller more weather-beaten berg splitting in two; and, on another occasion, a berg turning turtle. In each case a great wave was generated, and had our ship been in too close proximity it would certainly have resulted in serious damage and probable loss of life, if not total destruction. Several Antarctic ships have had narrow escapes when navigating, under force of circumstances, during dark nights in the vicinity of these great bergs; the serious collision of Ross's ships among a chain of bergs during a hard gale on a dark night, was an instance as notable as their miraculous escape. On this terrible night the Erebus was trying to weather a berg when it was observed that the Terror was running down upon her. It was impossible for the Terror to clear both the Erebus