Very large floes of six- months-old ice lay close together.

Some of these floes presented a square mile of unbroken surface, and among them were patches of thin ice and several floes of heavy old ice.

Many bergs were in sight, and the course became devious.

The ship was blocked at one point by a wedge-shaped piece of floe, but we put the ice-anchor through it, towed it astern, and proceeded through the gap.

Steering under these conditions required muscle as well as nerve.