The reader will probably remember that, on her first arrival at the group, the Sea Lion had entered the Great Bay from the southward; while, in her subsequent effort to get north, she had gone out by the opposite passage.  Now, it occurred to Roswell that he might escape by the former of these routes more readily than by the latter, and for the following reasons:—­No field-ice had ever blocked up the southern passage, which was now quite clear, though the approach to it just then was choked by the manner in which the north-east gale that was still blowing, pressed home against the rocks the field that so nearly filled the bay.  A shift of wind, however, must soon come; and when that change occurred, it was certain that this field would move in an opposite direction, leaving the margin of open water, that has already been mentioned, all along the rocks.  The distance was considerable, it is true—­not less than fifteen miles—­and the whole of it was to be made quite close to sharp angular rocks that would penetrate the schooner’s sides almost as readily as an axe, in the event of a nip; but this danger might be avoided by foresight, and a timely attention to the necessities of the case.  Seeing no more available plan to get the vessel out of her present duresse, the mates came readily into this scheme, and preparations were made to carry it out.  As the cove was so near the north-east end of Sealer’s Land, it may be well to explain that the reason this same mode of proceeding could not be carried out in a northern direction, was the breadth of the field seaward, and the danger of following the north shore when the solid ice did leave it, on account of the quantities of broken fragments that were tossing and churning in its front, far as the eye could reach from the cliffs themselves.

The third day after the commencement of the thaw, the wind came round again from the south-west, blowing heavily.  As was expected, this soon began to set the field in motion, driving it over towards the volcano, and at the same time northerly.  About six in the morning, Hazard brought a report to Roswell that a margin of open water was beginning to form all along under the cliffs, while there was great danger that the channel which had been cut from the schooner to the nearest point beneath the rocks, in readiness for this very contingency, might be closed by the pressure of the ice without, on that within the cove.  No time was to be lost, therefore, if it was intended to move the craft on this shift of wind.  The distance that had been sawed through to make the channel just named, did not exceed a hundred yards.  The passage was not much wider than the schooner’s breadth:  and it will be easily understood that it was to the last degree important to carry her through this strait as soon as possible.  Although many useful articles were scattered about on the ice, and several remained to be brought over the rocks from the house, the order was given to get out lines, and