1787. LOWENORN, EGEGE, AND ROTHE. 333 



instead of land, they saw nothing but an immense 

 and impenetrable extent of ice, in which rose 

 enormous mountains of ice. The vapour and fog 

 occasioned by the great extent of ice prevented 

 them from seeing the coast, even if near it ; but 

 if the land here had been mountainous, they must 

 have perceived its summits at a great distance 

 across the ice, as from time to time the fog cleared 

 away. 



The extent of ice^ which hitherto had lain in 

 the direction of N.E. and S.W., in this bay took a 

 turn to the W. and a little to the N., allowing 

 the ships to hold a westerly course. On the 2d 

 July, at mid-day, they were at least 160 miles 

 from Snoefell Jokul) in latitude 65" 6'— longitude 

 32"" 3' W. of Paris, and, according to the old charts, 

 they ought then to be very near Old Greenland. 

 In going westerly they constantly observed to- 

 wards the north a certain glimmering, (ice blink,) 

 which is an indication of an uninterrupted track of 

 ice, and which generally shews itself when at the 

 distance of ten or twelve miles, and frequently at 

 a much greater distance ; but it is never observed 

 where there are only patches of floating ice. The 

 clouds assumed at times the. appearance of. land. 

 On the 3d July, at mid-day, when at a distance of 

 270 miles from Snoefell Jokul, being in latitude 

 65° 1 V, longitude 35"" 8', while surrounded whh 

 ice, they first discovered land. The variation of 

 the compass was here 45° 10'. This land was 

 composed of very high mountains towards the 



