This part of the operation,
however, was by far the most troublesome, principally on account
of the quantity of young ice which formed in the canal, and
especially about the entrance, where, before sunset, it had become
so thick that a passage could no longer be found for the detached
pieces without considerable trouble in breaking it. At half past
seven P.M. we weighed our anchors and began to warp up the canal,
but the northerly wind blew so fresh, and the people were so much
fatigued, having been almost constantly at work for nineteen
hours, that it was midnight before we reached the termination of
our first day's labour.
All hands were again set to work on the morning of the 25th, when
it was proposed to sink the pieces of ice, as they were cut, under
the floe, instead of floating them out, the latter mode having now
become impracticable on account of the lower part of the canal,
through which the ships had passed, being, hard frozen during the
night. To effect this, it was necessary for a certain number of
men to stand upon one end of the piece of ice which it was
intended to sink, while other parties, hauling at the same time
upon ropes attached to the opposite end, dragged the block under
that part of the floe on which the people stood.
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