It has been the
least pleasant and most anxious part of our voyage hitherto. This
morning the fog cleared away, and we could see how good the Lord had
been to us, for the icebergs were still surrounding us, but had never
been permitted to come nigh our vessel. (Not till later did we know
how well He had not only protected but piloted us. Drift ice beset the
whole coast, but during those three days it cleared away southward.
Nor could we have reached Hopedale by the usual southerly route, past
the Gull Island, even on August 3rd. The course by which we were
taken, _nolens volens_, was the only one open).
As morning wore on our swift progress brought us to the outer islands,
bare bleak rocks, at whose base the sea was breaking terrifically. The
first was Ukalek (the hare), about equal distance from Nain, Zoar, and
Hopedale. We turned southward, our good ship speeding along before a
favourable breeze and rolling heavily. Many icebergs of all shapes and
sizes were visible around our now widened horizon. Tremendous waves
were beating against their gleaming white sides, and sending the spray
high towards their towering pinnacles, in one case clean over a huge
berg perhaps 150 feet high.
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