mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i5-040

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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,