There could scarcely be a more dreary prospect for the eye to rest upon.
As I lay in my bunk last night I seemed to note a measured crush on the brash ice, and to-day first it was reported that the floes had become smaller, and then we seemed to note a sort of measured send alongside the ship.

There may be a long low swell, but it is not helping us apparently; to-night the floes around are indisputably as large as ever and I see little sign of their breaking or becoming less tightly locked.
It is a very, very trying time.
We have managed to make 2 or 3 miles in a S.W.

( ?) direction under sail by alternately throwing her aback, then filling sail and pressing through the narrow leads; probably this will scarcely make up for our drift.

It's all very disheartening.

The bright side is that everyone is prepared to exert himself to the utmost--however poor the result of our labours may show.
Rennick got a sounding again to-day, 1843 fathoms.
One is much struck by our inability to find a cause for the periodic opening and closing of the floes.