1773. CONSTANTINE JOHN PHIPPS. 311 



stood out to sea ; but as the season was now so far 

 advanced, and as fogs and gales of wind might 

 constantly be expected, Captain Phipps determined 

 to bear up for England, and on the 25th September 

 arrived at the Nore. Captain Phipps seems to 

 think that *' the summer was uncommonly favour- 

 able for his purpose," because it *' afforded him 

 the fullest opportunity of ascertaining repeatedly 

 the situation of that wall of ice, extendino- for 

 more than twenty degrees between the latitudes 

 of eighty and eighty-one, without the smallest 

 appearance of any opening." There is reason to 

 believe, however, that few years occur in which 

 there are not many openings in the wall of ice 

 which usually stretches between the eastern coast 

 of Greenland and the northern-most parts of 

 Spitzbergen, and consequently the summer in 

 which Captain Phipps made the attempt to get to 

 the northward was peculiarly unfavourable. 



JAMES COOK AND CHARLES CLERKE. 



177() to 1779. 



The hopes of opening a navigable communica- 

 tion between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, by 

 a northerly course, were not abandoned by the 

 failure of Lord Mulgrave ; another voyage was 

 ordered to be undertaken for that purpose, and 

 Captain James Cook, who had twice circumnavi- 



X 4 



