Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/27

 beheld for the first time the grand spectacle of the midnight sun. Shortly after the ships had crossed the circle, a terrible gale arose. The weather was bitterly cold, the snow came down fast, blinding the eyes of the sailors, and ice covered the brigs from bow to stern. Every time the bows came up out of the water a fresh layer of ice was formed upon them, and the vessels became so heavy that the sailors were obliged to chop the ice away with axes. The ropes also were frozen over, and in order to keep them ready for instant use, the sailors had continually to beat off the ice with sticks. The ice pack extended on all sides as far as the eye could reach, and little by little it closed around the ships.

Notwithstanding this, they managed to enter a bay on the coast of Spitzbergen, where Captain Buchan decided to remain until the pack should break up. Neither officers nor men were idle while at anchor in this bay. Some sur