Page:Polar Exploration - Bruce - 1911.djvu/70

66 power of which is needed when he is forced to work his way through tight ice and heavy ice, through which a novice would never dream a ship could pass. A good ice-master will nose his ship through ice that would seem to one without experience navigating amongst it absolutely impenetrable, and he will go through narrow lanes that are not as broad as the beam of his ship, first getting the starboard bow of the ship against an obstinate heavy piece and working it away in among its fellows and then pushing another piece similarly aside with the port bow. Then the ship is brought to a standstill with the engines going full speed, till bit by bit one sees a heavy floe beginning to rotate, and finally, by its motion and momentum, clearing a way, through which the good ship steams ahead. Now possibly comes a difficult place: two heavy floes have met at two points and there is open water beyond; screwing the ship is of no avail, the engines are stopped and reversed when the order of "go astern" is given. Then she charges full speed at the "neck of ice," and when the shock comes trembles from stem to stern, the mast and yards shake violently and the crew are almost thrown off their feet, but there is no visible effect on the ice. This operation is repeated a second and a third time, and the narrow