THEPACIFICOCEAN. 457 



main ice was about two leagues to tlie North. At half pad '77?- 



one, we got in with the edge of ir. It was not fo com- v , — j 



pac^ as that which we had feen tojthc Northward ; but it was 

 too clofe, and in too large pieces, to attempt forcing the 

 fliips through it. On the ice lay a prodigious number of 

 fea-horfes ; and, as we were in want of frelh provilions, the 

 boats from each Ihip were fcnt to get fomc. 



By feven o'clock in the evening, we had received, on board, 

 the Refolution, nine of thefe animals ; which, till now, we' 

 had fuppofed to be fea-cows ; fo that we were not a little dif- 

 appointed, efpecially fome of the feamcn, who, for the no- 

 velty of the thing, had been feafling their eyes for fome days 

 part. Nor would they have been difappointed now, nor have 

 known the diiference, if we had not happened to have one 

 or two on board, who had been in Greenland, and declared 

 what animals thefe were, and that no one ever eat of them. 

 But, notwithftanding this, we lived upon them as long as 

 they lafted ; and there were few on board who did not prefer 

 them to our fait meat. 



The fat, at firft, is as fweet as marrow ; but in a few 

 days it grows raucid, unlefs it be faked ; in which flate, it 

 will keep much longer. The lean flefla is coarfe, black, and 

 has rather a flrong tafte ; and the heart is nearly as well 

 tafted as that of a bullock. The fat, when melted, yields a 

 good deal of oil, which burns very well in lamps; and their 

 hides, which are very thick, were very ufeful about our 

 rigging. The teeth, or tulks, of mofl of them were, at this 

 time, very fmall ; even fome of the largcft and oldeft of thefe 

 animals, had them not exceeding fix inches in length. From 

 this we concluded, that they had lately flied their old 

 teeth. 



Vol. II. 3 N They 



