Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - III. Through the ice northward along Yamal
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THROUGH THE ICE NORTHWARD
43
about 9 fathoms ; then it decreased somewhat,
especially when we had to turn in a little towards the
land.
To landward of us we saw several hummocks of ice
lying aground. Suddenly we caught sight of a small
block ahead which also looked as if it was stuck fast,
as we could clearly see the race of the current around
it. The lead gave 6 fathoms, then o\, 5, 4j, 4|- again,
then 4j, 4. Then it kept about that, soon went down to
3|, and back to 4. As the Correct drew 17 feet (nearly
3 fathoms), there was not much water under her keel ;
but as it was a sandy bottom here and not rock, and
as the bottom was well scoured and levelled by the
ice, no abrupt change of depth was to be looked for.
All the same, it was advisable to slacken speed and
keep outside the block of ice, which could not be lying
in deep water, as it was not a large piece. There was
a strong current round it. When we were past it, the
depth increased again to about 5 fathoms, and was
then fairly regular.
There was a good deal of open water and we were
able to go at full steam for some time and keep our
course northward along the land, often through fog,
but with pretty clear weather between whiles.
Later in the forenoon we could make no further
headway and made fast to a large piece of ground-ice.
This hummock was fairly high, over 20 feet, or about
the height of the Correct"s bows, and its sides were
mostly perpendicular, so that by laying a ladder across
from the forecastle, we were able to crawl on to the
block of ice. The depth had increased to 11 f fathoms,
strangely enough.
A tunnel ran right through the hummock, through
which we were able to row with the boat, and we after
wards found that it divided the hummock into two separate
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
