mss209-01-013r

May 26th

Cloudy with snow first part
clear and cold latter part. At 3:00 AM
finding ice pack drifting stripped Bearth to clear
Water to the SW. Land distant about
2 Miles. At 8 AM. At 9:30 got underway
commenced working our way through to
Estword through a very heavy ice pack.
The Ice drifting to SW^d with Wind
Anchord to flow again at 10.05 AM.
At 1.30 PM finding the ice closing
in around us had to take our ice
Ancheres and stood over E by S to a
large Ice berg and made fast to ice
on the West side. From the Crows nest
the top of the berg seemed at least
30 feet higher Took soundings along
side the berg and found no bottom
in 130 fathoms Isssued to each Officer
and man to be used only in aban-
doning Ship and to be keept snugly
packet in Knapsacks and the same
to be keept on. End of each Bunk
the following Articles 1. Knapsack
1 pair of yarn and 1 pair of Sealskin
Mitton 1 Comferter 1 pair heavy and
1 pair Navy Socks 1 pair of [Footnips]
1 pair of goggles/towel/ piece of soap 2 plugs
of tobacco 20 Rounds of Rifle Ammunition
and 20 Rounds of Shot gun ammunition
At 11:40 PM the Ice berg began to move
off causing the Ship to move so
suddenly and turning completely
round at her moorings before
the Engines could be backed that our
Cutwater and Figurehead was slightly
dammaged.