The likelihood that it might be necessary to sacrifice the ships had been foreseen.

The boats accordingly were adapted, both in number and size, to transport, in case of emergency, the whole crew; and there were Dutch whalers upon the coast, in which they could all be conveyed to Europe.

As for wintering where they were, that dreadful experiment had been already tried too often.

No time was to be lost; the ships had driven into shoal water, having but fourteen fathoms.

Should they, or the ice to which they were fast, take the ground, they must inevitably be lost; and at this time they were driving fast toward some rocks on the N.E.Captain Phipps sent for the officers of both ships, and told them his intention of preparing the boats for going away.