killed by the
blow of the harpoon, without requiring the keener thrust of the lance.

At the end of the hour mentioned, the Sea Lion of the Vineyard rapidly
changed her course, hauling up by a sudden movement to the westward. The
passage before her was closed, and there remained but one visible outlet,
towards which the schooner slowly made her way, having got rather too
much to leeward of it, in consequence of not earlier seeing the necessity
for the change of course in that dim and deceptive light. Roswell, being
to windward, had less difficulty, but, notwithstanding, he kept his
station on his consort's quarter, declining to lead. The passage into
which Daggett barely succeeded in carrying his schooner was fearfully
narrow, and appeared to be fast closing; though it was much wider further
ahead, could the schooners but get through the first dangerous strait.
Roswell remonstrated ere the leading vessel entered, and pointed out to
Daggett the fact that the bergs were evidently closing, each instant
increasing their movement, most probably through the force of attraction.
It is known that ships are thus brought in contact in calms, and it is
thought a similar influence is exercised on the ice-bergs. At all events,
the wind, the current, or attraction, was fast closing the passage through
which the schooners had now to go.

Scarcely was Daggett within the channel, when an enormous mass fell from
the summit of one of the bergs, literally closing the passage in his wake,
while it compelled Gardiner to put his helm down, and to tack ship,
standing off from the tottering berg. The scene that followed was
frightful! The cries on board the leading craft denoted her peril, but it
was not possible for Roswell to penetrate to her with his vessel. All he
could do was to heave-to his own schooner, lower a boat, and pull back
towards the point of danger. This he did at once, manfully, but with an
anxious mind and throbbing heart. He actually urged his boat into the
chasm beneath an arch in the fallen fragment, and made his way to the very
side of Daggett's vessel. The last was nipped again, and that badly, but
was not absolutely lost. The falling fragment from the berg alone
prevented her and all in her from being ground into powder. This block, of
enormous size, kept the two bergs asunder; and now that they could not
absolutely come together, they began slowly to turn in the current,
gradually opening and separating, at the very p