426 'cook's voyage to aug. 



see it. And if so, there is a two-fold point, with a 

 bay between them. This point, which is steep and 

 rocky, was named Cape North. Its situation is nearly 

 in the latitude of 68 56', and in the longitude of 

 180 51/. The coast beyond it must take a very west- 

 erly direction ; for we could see no land to the north- 

 ward of it, though the horizon was there pretty clear. 

 Being desirous of seeing more of the coast to the 

 westward, we tacked again, at two o'clock in the af- 

 ternoon, thinking we could weather Cape North. But 

 finding we could not, the wind freshening, a thick 

 fog coming on, with much snow, and being fearful 

 of the ice coming down upon us, I gave up the design 

 I had formed of plying to the westward, and stood 

 offshore again. 



The season was now so far advanced, and the time 

 when the frost is expected to set in so near at hand, 

 that I did not think it consistent with prudence, to 

 make any farther attempts to find a passage into the 

 Atlantic this year, in any direction ; so little was the 

 prospect of succeeding. My attention was now di- 

 rected toward finding out some place where we might 

 supply ourselves with wood and water ; and the ob- 

 ject uppermost in my thoughts was, how I should 

 spend the winter, so as to make some improvements 

 in geography and navigation, and, at the same time, 

 be in a condition to return to the north, in farther 

 search of a passage, the ensuing summer. 



