1773. CONSTANTINE JOHN PHIPPS. 30^ 



that formed it, but every where surrounded with 

 ice as far as we could see, with some streams of 

 water; not a breath of air; the water perfectly 

 smooth ; the ice covered with sno^v, low and even, 

 except a few broken pieces near the edges ; the 

 pools of water in the middle of the pieces were 

 frozen over with young ice."^ 



The ships were now beset in the ice ; and the 

 pilots, being much farther than they had ever 

 been, and the season advancing, seemed to be 

 alarmed at their situation. On the 1st August the 

 ice began to press in fast ; there was not the 

 smallest opening. The ice, which had hitherto 

 been flat and almost level with the water's edo-e 

 was now in many places forced higher than the 

 main yard by the pieces squeezing together. The 

 latitude was 80° 37', longitude 19° 0' 15" E. On 

 the 3d the men began to cut a passage through 

 the ice, and work through the small openings to 

 the w estward ; the ice w^as deep, having sawed 

 sometimes through pieces twelve feet thick ; they 

 laboured a whole day without any success. The 

 ships drove with the ice and came into fourteen 

 fathom. After some deliberation, Captain Phipps 

 proposed to leave the ships and betake themselves 

 to the boats, which were hoisted out. This mea- 

 sure he conceived it necessary to take without 

 further delay, as the stay of the Dutch ships to 



* A Voyage towaids the North Pole, p. 6o. 



X 3 / 



