1827. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 259 



its edge, we found it in a compact body, extending chap. 

 from W. to N.E. and trending N. 68° E. true. As the v^^^' 

 weather was unsettled, I stood off until four o'clock, Aug. 

 and then tacked, and at eight again saw the ice a few 

 miles to the south-eastward of our position the day 

 before. We ran along its edge, and at noon observed 

 the latitude in 70 ' 06'. N. 



Occasional thick weather and snow showers obliored 

 us to keep at a greater distance from the pack, and we 

 lost sight of it for several hours ; but finding by the 

 increase of the temperature of the water that our 

 course led us too much from it, at nine o'clock I 

 steered N.N.E. true, and at midnight was again close 

 upon it. The ice was compact as before, except near 

 the edge, and extended from W.S.W. to N.N.E. mag. 

 trending N. 56' E. true. We now followed its course 

 closely to the eastward, and found it gradually turning 

 to the southward. At three o'clock the wind veered 

 to south-west, with snow-showers and thick weather ; 

 and as this brought us upon a lee shore, I immediately 

 hauled off the ice, and carried a press of sail to endea- 

 vour to weather Icy Cape. The edge of the packed 

 ice at this time was in latitude 70" 47' N. trending 

 south-eastward, and gradually approaching the land 

 to the eastward of Icy Cape. By the information of 

 Lieutenant Belcher, who was off the Cape at this 

 time, though not within sight of the ship, it closed 

 the land about twenty-seven miles east of Icy Cape. 

 The passage that was left between it and the beach was 

 extremely narrow ; and judging from the effect of the 

 westerly winds off Refuge Inlet the precedins^ year, it 

 must soon have been closed up, as those winds blew 

 with great strength about the time we hauled off. 

 From this it appears that the hne of packed ice, in 



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