372 VOYAGE TO THE 



C xf P * °f a m ^ e P er hour, and three hours afterward N. E. 



s - p v^-' five-eighths per hour, which appeared to be the regu- 

 1826.' lar tide. In the evening the wind again blew from 

 the northward, and brought a thick fog with it. 

 We stood off and on, guided by the soundings. 



In the morning of the 12th we saw a great many 

 birds, walrusses, and small white whales; from which 

 I concluded that we were near a stream of ice, but 

 only one piece was seen in the evening aground. 

 We tacked not far from it in ten fathoms. As we 

 stood in-shore, the temperature of the sea always 

 decreased ; the effect, probably, of the rivers of 

 melting snow mingling with it. 



As it was impossible to determine the continuity 

 of coast, with the weather so thick, farther than by 

 the gradual decrease of the soundings, I stood to the 

 northward to ascertain the position of the ice, the 

 wind having changed to E. N. E. and become 

 favourable for the purpose. At eight o'clock in the 

 morning of the 13th, the fog cleared off, and exhi- 

 bited the main body of ice extending from N. 79° E. 

 to S. 29 W. (true). At nine we tacked amongst 

 the brash, in twenty-three fathoms water, in lat. 71° 

 08' N., long. 163° 40' W. The wind was blowing 

 along the ice, arid the outer part of the pack was in 

 streams, some of which the ship might have entered, 

 and perhaps have proceeded up them two or three 

 miles ; but as this would have served no useful pur- 

 pose, and would have occasioned unnecessary delay, 

 I again stood in for the land, which at eight o'clock 

 at night was seen in a low unbroken line, extending 

 to the westward as far as Icy Cape, and to the east- 

 ward as far as the state of the weather would per- 

 mit. We tacked at nine, in five fathoms water, 

 within two miles of the shore ; and Lieutenant Bel- 



