260 cook's second voyage dec. 



gale at north, blowing in squalls, one of which took 

 hold of the mizzen top-sail, tore it all to rags, and 

 rendered it for ever after useless. At six o'clock in 

 the morning, the wind veering toward the west, our 

 course was east-northerly. At this time we were in 

 the latitude of 67 31', the highest we had yet been 

 in, longitude 142 54' west. 



We continued our course to the east by north till 

 noon the 23d, when, being in the latitude of 67 12', 

 longitude 138 0", we steered south-east, having then 

 twenty-three ice islands in sight from off the deck, 

 and twice that number from the mast-head, and vet 

 we could not see above two or three miles round us. 

 At four o'clock in the afternoon, in the latitude of 

 67 20', longitude 137 12', we fell in with such a 

 quantity of field or loose ice, as covered the sea in 

 the whole extent from south to east, and was so thick 

 and close as wholly to obstruct our passage. At this 

 time, the wind being pretty moderate, and the sea 

 smooth, we brought to at the outer edge of the ice, 

 hoisted out two boats, and sent them to take some 

 up. In the mean time, we laid hold of several large 

 pieces alongside, and got them on board with our 

 tackle. The taking up ice proved such cold work, 

 that it was eight o'clock by the time the boats had 

 made two trips; when we hoisted them in, and made 

 sail to the west, under double-reefed top-sails and 

 courses, with a strong gale at north, attended with 

 snow and sleet, which froze to the rigging as it fell, 

 making the ropes like wires, and the sails like boards 

 or plates of metal. The sheaves also were frozen so 

 fast in the blocks, that it required our utmost efforts 

 to get a top-sail down and up ; the cold so intense as 

 hardly to be endured ; the whole sea, in a manner, 

 covered with ice ; a hard gale, and a thick fog. 



Under all these unfavourable circumstances, it was 

 natural for me to think of returning more to the north, 

 seeing no probability of finding any land here, nor a 

 possibility of getting farther south ; and to have pro- 



