a deep, crashing sound, that made
every timber in her frame vibrate, so great was the shock. A gleam of
grey light now began to spread over the fearful scene. It was daylight,
that friend which so often comes to the mariner's relief. The ship had
struck broad on, and the berg seemed to have grasped her in its arms of
death and refused to let her go. Each succeeding sea lifted the helpless
ship, and then tossed her with increasing violence against the jagged
ice-cliff. And as her yards raked the boulders, huge blocks fell with
crushing force on her deck. Stanchions were started, the bulwarks
crushed away from the knight-heads to the quarter-deck, on the port
side, and the deck stove in several places. It seemed as if there was
but a minute between those on board and death. Still the staunch old
ship forged ahead, lifting and surging with every sea, and seeming to
struggle to free herself from the grasp of the berg. All hope of saving
the ship seemed gone now. Both officers and men waited in suspense,
expecting, every lurch the ship made, to see her go to pieces.

It was one of those moments when presence of mind and seamanship seem of
no avail to save a ship. On sounding the pumps it was found that the
ship's hull was still tight, and that she had made but little water.
Still she forged ahead, and great blocks of ice continued to fall on her
deck.

When all eyes were turned towards the captain, and each waited with
breathless anxiety, in the hope that he would give some order that would
at least be a relief to their feelings, even though it were folly to
execute it, Tite mounted the fore-rigging to the top-mast trees, the
surging ship threatening to dash him against the ice wall every minute.
In that fearful position he remained for several minutes, scanning over
the scene ahead, and hoping for some gleam of hope.

There was still a hope of saving the ship. He waved a signal of
encouragement to those below, and quickly descended to the deck. About
half or three-quarters of a mile ahead there was a point indicating the
termination of the berg. If the ship could be kept forging ahead she
might possibly round the point and clear the berg in safety.

Tite communicated to the captain what he had seen, and his belief that
the ship could be saved. All hands now went to work cheerfully, clearing
the deck forward of the ice that had accumulated there. Then the
fore-top-sail was clewed up, the spanker set, the yards braced up