,
they were soon driven out to sea, where the swell being very
heavy, the ice began to break again all round them, leaving
them at last on a solid clump, from forty to fifty feet in
circumference, that was of great thickness and kept entire.
They were now out of sight of land, driven before a gale of
wind and a heavy sea, and their icy vessel rolled so dreadfully
that they had much difficulty to keep themselves on its
surface. However, being furnished with ostals, (poles pointed
with iron,) they made holes and planted them firmly in the ice;
and then tied themselves, their dogs, and sankas, fast to them.
Without this precaution, the Toyune said they would all have
been thrown into the sea. They were sea-sick and disheartened;
but nevertheless, said Spiridon, (the Toyune,) 'I had hopes,
and I told my comrades I thought we should be thrown on some
coast.' It was now two days they had been at sea, and towards
evening the wind abated a little, the weather cleared off, and
they saw land not far off, which one of them, who had been
formerly at the Kurile islands, knew to be Poromochin, and
they now fully expected to be drifted on its shores. However,
as the night approached, the wind changed to the very opposite
direction, and blew even more violently than before. The clump
of ice was tossed about in a most uneasy manner, and several
times the ostals and the thongs were in danger of being broken
by the violent concussion of the waves against the ice.

"All that night and all the next day the storm continued with
unceasing violence. On the morning of the fourth day, before
daylight, they found that their clump had been driven amongst
other cakes of ice, and was closely surrounded on all sides.
When the day broke, how great was their joy and astonishment to
perceive themselves near the land, and within about twenty
versts of the place whence they had been driven! They had
suffered much from thirst, as they found the ice salt as well
as the water. Not having either eaten or drunk during all the
time, they found themselves so weak that they had the greatest
difficulty in preparing their sledges, and in getting from the
ice to the land. The moment they landed, they offered up their
prayers and thanks to God. Spiridon charged his companions not