We were now safe, and
standing to the northward; but, in a few minutes more, had it not been
for the sharp look-out of the watch, we should have been fairly upon
the ice, and left our ship's old bones adrift in the Southern ocean.
After standing to the northward a few hours, we wore ship, and the
wind having hauled, we stood to the southward and eastward. All
night long, a bright lookout was kept from every part of the deck; and
whenever ice was seen on the one bow or the other, the helm was
shifted and the yards braced, and by quick working of the ship she was
kept clear. The accustomed cry of "Ice ahead!"- "Ice on the lee
bow!"- "Another island!" in the same tones, and with the same orders
following them, seemed to bring us directly back to our old position
of the week before. During our watch on deck, which was from twelve to
four, the wind came out ahead, with a pelting storm of hail and sleet,
and we lay hove-to, under a close-reefed main topsail, the whole
watch. During the next watch it fell calm, with a drenching rain,
until daybreak, when the wind came out to the westward, and the
weather cleared up, and showed us the whole ocean, in the course which
we should have steered, had it not been for the head wind and calm,
completely blocked up with ice.
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