t, the lives of us all
might be brought to an end, or to amuse himself by watching its effect
on me.

For a week we threaded our way among the open floes, when a solid field
seemed to stop our further progress. This had been seen hours before,
from the unbroken ice-blink playing over it. Our captain was in the
crow's-nest, looking out for a lane through which the ship might pass
till clear water was gained. After waiting, and sailing along the edge
of the field for some time, some clear water was discovered at the
distance of three or four miles, and to it our captain determined that
we should cut our way. The ice-saws were accordingly ordered, to be got
ready, with a party to work them, on the ice. I was one of them; and,
while we cut the canal, the ship was warped up, ready to enter the space
we formed.

The ice-saw is a very long iron saw, and has a weight attached to the
lower end. A triangle of spars is formed, with a block in the centre,
through which a rope, attached to the upper part of the saw, is rove.
The slack end of the rope is held by a party of men. When they run away
from the triangle, the saw rises, and when they slack the rope, the
weight draws it down, as the sawyer in a sawpit would do. As the saw
performs its work, the triangles are moved from the edge of the ice. As
the pieces were cut, they were towed away, and shoved along to the mouth
of the canal.

All the time we were at work, some of the men with good voices led a
song, in the chorus of which we all joined; and I must say we worked
away with a will. It was harder work when we had to haul out the bits
of ice, the ship being towed into the canal. With a cheerful shout we
completed our canal, and got the ships into a natural lane; and the rest
following close upon our track, we worked our way along for many miles,
by what is called tracking.

This operation is very similar to the way a canal-boat is dragged along
a canal through the green fields of England, only that men have, in the
case I am describing, to do the work of horses. A tow-rope was made
fast to the fore-mast, and about a third of each ship's company were
ordered to drag their respective ship ahead. Away we went, as usual,
with song and laughter, tramping along the ice for miles together, and
towing our homes, like snails, after us.

For several days we continued the same work; and afterwards, when we got
out of the lanes, and the ice was found broken, or so irreg