Then, recalled to obedience, they began to brace the yards and slack the sheets, and the schooner increased her speed.
When the operation was over, I went up to Hurliguerly, and drawing him aside, I said,-- "Thank you, boatswain." "Ah, Mr.Jeorling," he replied, shaking his head, "it is all very fine for this time, but you must not do it again! Everyone would turn against me, even Endicott, perhaps." "I have urged nothing which is not at least probable," I answered sharply.
"I don't deny that fact, Mr.Jeorling." "Yes, Hurliguerly, yes--I believe what I have said, and I have no doubt but that we shall really see the land beyond the icebergs." "Just possible, Mr.Jeoding, quite possible.

But it must appear before two days, or, on the word of a boatswain, nothing can prevent us from putting about!" During the next twenty-four hours the _Halbrane_ took a south-south-westerlycourse.

Nevertheless, her direction must have been frequently changed and her speed decreased in avoiding the ice.
The navigation became very difficult so soon as the schooner headed towards the line of the bergs, which it had to cut obliquely.
However, there were none of the packs which blocked up all access to the iceberg on the 67th parallel.

The enormous heaps were melting away with majestic slowness.

The ice-blocks appeared "quite new" (to employ a perfectly accurate expression), and perhaps they had only been formed some days.