The anchors had held badly before, and the power of the ice-pressure on the ship was uncomfortably obvious.
"Since the ship had been moored the bay had frequently frozen over, and the ice had as frequently gone out on account of blizzards.

The ice does not always go out before the wind has passed its maximum.

It depends on the state of tides and currents; for the sea-ice has been seen more than once to go out bodily when a blizzard had almost completely calmed down.
"On the 6th May the ice was in and people passed freely between the shore and the ship.

At 11 p.m.the wind was south, backing to south- east, and blew at forty miles per hour.

The ship was still in her place.