mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i5-040

- 200 - appearance, that even the crew, which longed for fresh food, refused to eat it. Extracting as a souvenir the bullet that had penetrated the brain, and cutting away all the fat, which was rendered for use in night lamps instead of oil, we threw the rest overboard. The wind blew lightly from the N and the NE. The ice remained in the same position until August 3rd, when we also remained in the same position in the hope that it, through some way or other, would clear for us our further way. The current, according to the sounding lead, was 2 3/4 knots from the NE, the depth near the ice was 23 sazhens, the bottom, silt. On that day, the wind started to increase from the NNE. We then had 1 1/2 degrees according to the thermometer. To- ward midday, the wind increased, shifted to the NNW, and started to break the edges of the ice. Toward evening it in- creased. The noise of the breaking ice was deafening. Trem- endous blocks pressing on the firm ice rose out of the water and fell with a crash. We immediately hastened to get out into the open sea followed by enormous masses of ice. Another clearing was formed directly to the SE. We entered it, and raising all possible sail, hurried forward while the ice, breaking up, pressed on us, and finally squeezed so that there was no place for us to go. Our situation was getting critical. After midnight, the wind started to abate, and finally calmed down completely. The ice carried by the current from the NNE pressed us more and more so that it neared our side from which we lowered, as a precaution against rubbing the sheathing,