To each of them was bent one of our two-and-a-half-inch hawsers.

The anchors themselves were, as will probably be remembered, simply large, strong grapnels.
Dragging them along to the holes, they were hooked into the ice, and the hawsers drawn in tight from deck.

Planks, secured to the rail by lines, were then run down to bear the chafe.

This was our process of anchoring to ice.

Sometimes three or four grapnels were used when the tendency to swing off was greater.