1779' COOK A^^D CLERKE. 5l9 



the latitude then being 69° 37', and the position 

 of the ships nearly in the mid channel, between 

 two continents ; the ice extending from E. N. E. 

 to W. S.W. They proceeded along the edge to- 

 wards the coast of America, and, on the 18th, 

 were in latitude 70° 26', longitude 194° 54'. The 

 following day they found themselves so com- 

 pletely embayed in the ice as to have but one 

 opening to the southward, through which they 

 directed their course. This was the farthest point 

 to which they proceeded, being in latitude 70° 33', 

 which is five leagues short of the point to which 

 Captain Cook had proceeded the former year. 

 On the 21st they got sight of the American coast 

 at the distance of eight or ten leagues, and hauled 

 in for it ; but were again stopped by the ice, and 

 obliged to bear away to the westward, along the 

 edge of it. " Thus," observes the writer of the 

 voyage (Captain King), " a connected, solid field 

 of ice rendering every effort we could make to a 

 nearer approach to the land fruitless, and joining, 

 as we judged, to it, we took a last farewell of a 

 north-east passage to England." 



After this the ships stood over to the eastward, 

 and on the 27th came in sight of the Asiatic con- 

 tinent, beyond large fields and masses of ice, in 

 which the Discovery had been beset and so 

 seriously damaged, as to require at least three 

 weeks repair, for which purpose it would be ne- 

 cessary to go into some port. As there was 

 thus Uttle or no prospect of advancing to the 



