and the whale-line was gone. Only
one rope now held them to the land, and prevented them being swept into
the turmoil of ice, and wind, and water, from which the rocky ledge
protected them. The hawser was a good one--a new ten-inch rope. It
sung like the deep tones of an organ, loud above the rattle of the
rigging and the shrouds, but that was its death-song. It gave way with
the noise of a cannon, and in the smoke that followed its recoil, they
were dragged out by the wild ice and driven hither and hither at its
mercy.

With some difficulty the ship was warped into a place of comparative
security in the rushing drift, but it was soon thrown loose again, and
severely squeezed by the rolling masses. Then an attempt was made to
set the sails and beat up for the land, but the rudder was almost
unmanageable owing to the ice, and nothing could be made of it, so they
were compelled to go right before the wind under close-reefed top-sails,
in order to keep some command of the ship. All hands were on deck
watching in silence the ice ahead of them, which presented a most
formidable aspect.

Away to the north the strait could be seen growing narrower, with heavy
ice-tables grinding up and clogging it from cliff to cliff on either
side. About seven in the evening they were close upon the piling
masses, to enter into which seemed certain destruction.

"Stand by to let go the anchor," cried the captain, in the desperate
hope of being able to wind the ship.

"What's that ahead of us?" exclaimed the first mate suddenly.

"Ship on the starboard bow, right inshore!" roared the look-out.

The attention of the crew was for a moment called from their own
critical situation towards the strange vessel which now came into view,
having been previously concealed from them by a large grounded berg.

"Can you make her out, Mr Bolton?"

"Yes, sir, I think she's a large brig, but she seems much chafed, and
there's no name left on the stern, if ever there was one."

As he spoke, the driving snow and fog cleared up partially, and the brig
was seen not three hundred yards from them, drifting slowly into the
loose ice. There was evidently no one on board, and although one or two
of the sails were loose, they hung in shreds from the yards. Scarcely
had this been noted when the _Dolphin_ struck against a large mass of
ice, and quivered under the violence of the shock.

"Let go!" shouted the captain.

Down went the heaviest anchor t