262 cook's second voyage dec. 



ice islands increased so fast upon us, that this day at 

 noon we could see near 100 round us, besides an 

 immense number of small pieces. Perceiving that 

 it was likely to be calm, I got the ship into as clear 

 a birth as I could, where she drifted along with the 

 ice ; and by taking the advantage of every light air 

 of wind, was kept from falling aboard any of these 

 floating isles. Here it was we spent Christmas-day, 

 much in the same manner as we did the preceding 

 one. We were fortunate in having continual day- 

 light and clear weather ; for had it been as foggy 

 as on some of the preceding days, nothing less than 

 a miracle could have saved us from being dashed to 

 pieces. 



In the morning of the 26th, the whole sea was in 

 a manner covered with ice, 200 large islands and 

 upwards being seen within the compass of four or 

 five miles, which was the limits of our horizon, be- 

 sides smaller pieces innumerable. Our latitude at 

 noon was 66 15', longitude 134 22'. By observ- 

 ation we found that the ship had drifted, or gone about 

 20 miles to the north-east or east-north-east, whereas 

 by the ice islands it appeared that she had gone little 

 or nothing ; from which we concluded that the ice 

 drifted nearly in the same direction, and at the same 

 rate. At four o'clock a breeze sprung up at west- 

 south-west, and enabled us to steer north, the most 

 probable course to extricate ourselves from these 

 dangers. 



We continued our course to the north with a gentle 

 breeze at west, attended with clear weather, till four 

 o'clock the next morning, when, meeting with a 

 quantity of loose ice, we brought to, and took on 

 board as much as filled all our empty casks, and for 

 several days present expence. This done, we made 

 sail, and steered north-west, with a gentle breeze at 

 north-east, clear frosty weather. Our latitude at this 

 time was 65 53' S., longitude 133 42' W. ; islands 

 of ice not half so numerous as before. 



