4
ice; it instantly ran over 30 tons of casks and one of the whale-beats, lines, &c. The few hands that remained on board assisted in loosing the headsails, and as soon as there was room for the ship to cant between the flaws of ice and the berg, she did so, and escaped uninjured. Our escape was really miraculous, for often at dead of night have we been alarmed by the awful sound of the ice-bergs, as they came rushing with the noise of thunder, towards us, tearing up whole fields of ice in their way. With a view to obviate the danger, we were in the habit of going across the ice with lanterns, and minutely inspecting it in every possible direction. We did not see the sun for full 75 days, during which time there was about four hours twilight; the frost was intense; the crew could not even walk the deck for five minutes without being frost-bitten. In short, we would all have perished, had we not luckily got some broken spars and staves from the Dutch wreck, with which we cooked our victuals.
The following heart-rending particulars respecting the poor Dutchmen are from the Montrose Review:—The crew of the Dundee, as may well be supposed, suffered severe privations from want of provisions; they killed immense numbers of seals and bears, which formed a great portion of their food; but, what was to them a double calamity, they were burdened for a considerable time with the whole of their Dutch neighbours, who, from sheer want, obtruded themselves as guests, on Capt. Duncan. It
