thout delay, others were for towing the fish towards the ship,
and several were for remaining by till the ship should return, though
the majority were for going back in the boats alone.

A more mighty Power than ours decided what was to be done; for, while we
were still speaking, a sudden gust of wind came blowing along the edge
of the ice from the northward, and throwing up the sea in so
extraordinary a manner, that, had the boats been exposed to it, they
could scarcely have lived. Then the wind as suddenly fell, and again
all was calm as before.

"Now's your time, lads; we must get on board as quick as we can,"
shouted old David. While, accordingly, we were with additional care
securing the whale to the floe, the sky, which was already overclouded,
began to send down dense showers of snow, which so obscured the
atmosphere, that the sharpest eye amongst us could no longer distinguish
the ship. To attempt to get on board under these circumstances, would
be more dangerous than remaining where we were; so, putting on our
Flushing jackets, we got into the boats, and drew a sail over our
shoulders, to shelter ourselves as much as possible from the storm.

The snow, which had begun to fall in flakes, now changed to a powder, so
dense that it appeared as if night had already come on.

"It's very dark, Andrew," I remarked; "what can be going to happen?"

"Why, I'll tell you, Peter," answered David, who heard my question.
"There's going to be a harder gale of wind than we've had since you came
on board; and if the old ship don't stand up to her canvas, and fetch us
before night, there are few who would wish to change places with us,
that's all."

I did not by any means like this announcement, for I felt that this time
old David was not joking with me. However, our only course was to
remain where we were. If the gale did come on, we were safer on the ice
than on the sea; and if it passed off, the ship would not fail to come
and take us on board.

In the meantime, we were continually putting our heads from under our
shelter, to cast anxious glances towards where we supposed the ship to
be, and in every other direction, to discover if there was any opening
in the thick cloud of snow which dropped around us. I say dropped, for
I never before saw snow fall so perpendicularly, and in such minute
powdery particles. The peculiar and oppressive gloominess which filled
the air, made one feel that something unusual was appro