Chapter 19 - Page 2

near to
each other, having smooth water, and still something of a moderated gale,
in consequence of the proximity and weatherly position of the island. The
course was towards a spot to leeward, where the largest opening appeared
in the ice, and where it was hoped a passage to the northward would be
found. The further the two vessels got from the land, the more they felt
the power of the wind, and the greater was their rate of running. Daggett
soon found that he could spare his consort a good deal of canvass, a
consequence of his not being full, and he took in his topsail, though,
running nearly before the wind, his spar would have stood even a more
severe strain.

As the oldest mariner, it had been agreed between the two masters that
Daggett should lead the way. This he did for an hour, when both vessels
were fairly out of the great bay, clear of the group altogether, and
running off north-easterly, at a rate of nearly ten knots in the hour. The
sea got up as they receded from the land, and everything indicated a gale,
though one of no great violence. Night was approaching, and an Alpine-like
range of icebergs was glowing, to the northward, under the oblique rays
of the setting sun. For a considerable space around the vessels, the water
was clear, not even a cake of any sort being to be seen; and the question
arose in Daggett's mind, whether he ought to stand on, or to heave-to and
pass the night well to windward of the bergs. Time was precious, the wind
was fair, the heavens clear, and the moon would make its appearance about
nine, and might be expected to remain above the horizon until the return
of day. This was one side of the picture. The other presented less
agreeable points. The climate was so fickle, that the clearness of the
skies was not to be depended on, especially with a strong south-west
wind--a little gale, in fact; and a change in this particular might be
produced at any moment. Then it was certain that floes, and fragments of
bergs, would be found near, if not absolutely among the sublime
mountain-like piles that were floating about, in a species of grand fleet,
some twenty miles to leeward. Both of our masters, indeed all on board of
each schooner, very well understood that the magnificent array of icy
islands which lay before them was owing to the currents, for which it is
not always easy to account. The clear space was to be attributed to the
same cause, though there was little doubt that the wind, which had now
been to the southward fully eight-and-forty hours, had contributed to
drive the icy fleet to the northward. As a consequence of these facts, the
field-ice must be in the vicinity of the bergs, and the embarrassment from
that source was known always to be very great.

It