, it succeeded; both sledges gained
the shore, and were drawn up the beach, though with much difficulty.

The travellers had hardly time to reflect with gratitude to God for
their safety, when that part of the ice from which they had just now
made good their landing, burst asunder, and the water forcing itself
from below, covered and precipitated it into the sea. In an instant,
the whole mass of ice, extending for several miles from the coast, and
as far as the eye could reach, burst, and was overwhelmed by the rolling
waves. The sight was tremendous and awfully grand; the large fields of
ice raising themselves out of the water, striking against each other,
and plunging into the deep, with a violence not to be described, and a
noise like the discharge of innumerable batteries of heavy guns. The
darkness of the night; the roaring of the wind and the sea, and the
dashing of the waves and ice against the rocks, filled the travellers
with sensations of awe and horror, so as almost to deprive them of the
power of utterance. They stood overwhelmed with astonishment at their
miraculous escape, and even the heathen Esquimaux expressed gratitude
to God for their deliverance.

The Esquimaux now began to build a hut with snow, about thirty paces
from the beach, but before they had finished their work, the waves
reached the place where the sledges were secured, and they were with
difficulty saved from being washed into the sea. About nine o'clock
all of them crept into the snow-house, thanking God for this place
of refuge; for the wind was piercingly cold, and so violent, that it
required great strength to stand against it.

Before they entered this habitation, they could not help once more
turning their eyes to the sea, which was now free from ice. They beheld
with horror, mingled with gratitude for their safety, the enormous waves
driving furiously before the wind and approaching the shore, where with
dreadful noise they dashed against the rocks, foaming and filling the
air with spray. The whole company now got their supper, and having sung
an evening hymn in the Esquimaux language, lay down to rest about ten
o'clock. The Esquimaux were soon fast asleep, but brother Liebisch
could not get any rest, partly on account of the dreadful roaring of
the wind, and partly owing to a sore throat, which gave him much pain.
His wakefulness proved the deliverance of the whole party from sudden
destruction. About two o'clock in the morning,