ands were encased in woollen mittens--so that I little cared
for the inclemency of the weather, provided I had not to face it. This
I had to do while at the helm; and I remembered Andrew's account of the
Moravian missionaries having their eyelids frozen together, and thought
mine would suffer in the same manner.

To say that the night was very dark would not give an idea of the inky
obscurity in which we appeared to be sailing. One could scarcely see
one's hand with one's arm held out at full length; and as for discerning
anything ahead, that appeared impossible. I say appeared, because there
is much difference having something to look at and nothing. In the
latter case you fancy, because you see nothing, that nothing could be
seen if it were there. I heard Mr Dunning, as he passed me,
apostrophising the night as dark as Erebus.

The quarter-master, who was conning the ship, was continually
exclaiming, "No higher," as I kept her luffing up into the wind, unable
to see the shaking of her canvas, which rose dark and towering above me,
till it seemed to be lost in the clouds. Indeed, as we sailed on, we
seemed literally to be sweeping the sky with our mast-heads. Thus we
ploughed our way, ignorant of what was ahead, through the boiling seas
during the whole time I had the wheel.

I had just been relieved, and was finding my way forward, knocking my
hands against my sides to warm them, when there was a loud cry from the
look-out men of "A ship ahead, standing right for us under all sail."

"Under all sail--impossible, in a night like this!" exclaimed the
officer of the watch, rousing himself from a reverie.

"Luff all you can luff, and we may weather her," cried the voice from
forward, in a tone which showed the emergency of the case; but the
lieutenant had seen what he thought was a sail, and exclaimed, "Keep her
away--hard up with the helm--hard up." The commands of the officer were
obeyed; the spokes of the wheel were turned a-weather; the ship, falling
off, felt the full force of the gale, and flew with redoubled speed
through the water.

Andrew Thompson, who was standing next to me, had been peering into the
gloom ahead. "A sail!" he exclaimed: "that's no sail, but an iceberg--I
see its light. We might have weathered it; but now we are on it--and
Heaven have mercy on our souls!"

As he spoke, a loud, fearful crash was heard--the stout ship shook and
trembled in every timber. I was thrown, as were all