and of the Wear were despatched to assist
in towing her clear of them. At ten, a momentary clearness presented the
land distinctly at the distance of two miles; the ship was quite
unmanageable, and under the sole governance of the currents, which ran
in strong eddies between the masses of ice. Our consorts were also seen,
the Wear being within hail, and the Eddystone at a short distance from
us. Two attempts were ineffectually made to gain soundings, and the
extreme density of the fog precluded us from any other means of
ascertaining the direction in which we were driving until half past
twelve, when we had the alarming view of a barren rugged shore within a
few yards, towering over the mast heads. Almost instantly afterwards the
ship struck violently on a point of rocks, projecting from the island;
and the ship's side was brought so near to the shore, that poles were
prepared to push her off. This blow displaced the rudder, and raised it
several inches, but it fortunately had been previously confined by
tackles. A gentle swell freed the ship from this perilous situation, but
the current hurried us along in contact with the rocky shore, and the
prospect was most alarming. On the outward bow was perceived a rugged
and precipitous cliff, whose summit was hid in the fog, and the Vessel's
head was pointed towards the bottom of a small bay, into which we were
rapidly driving. There now seemed to be no probability of escaping
shipwreck, being without wind, and having the rudder in its present
useless state; the only assistance was that of a boat employed in
towing, which had been placed in the water between the ship and the
shore, at the imminent risk of its being crushed. The ship again struck
in passing over a ledge of rocks, and happily the blow replaced the
rudder, which enabled us to take advantage of a light breeze, and to
direct the ship's head without the projecting cliff. But the breeze was
only momentary, and the ship was a third time driven on shore on the
rocky termination of the cliff. Here we remained stationary for some
seconds, and with little prospect of being removed from this perilous
situation; but we were once more extricated by the swell from this ledge
also, and carried still farther along the shore. The coast became now
more rugged, and our view of it was terminated by another high
projecting point on the starboard bow. Happily, before we had reached
it, a light breeze enabled us to turn the ship's head