462 A V O Y A G E T O 



»778. feveral loofc pieces about us. A light breeze now fprung 



y , ' up at North Eafl: ; and, as the fog was very thick, I fteered 



to the Southward, to clear the ice. At eight o'clock next 

 Sunday 23. momipg, thc fog difpcrfcd, and 1 hauled to the Weitward. 

 For finding that I could not get to the North near the coaft, 

 on account of the ice, I refolved to try what could be done 

 at a diftance from it; and as tlie wind fcemed to be fettled 

 at North, I thought it a good opportunity. 



Moiic^ay 24. As wc advauccd to the Wefl:, the water deepened gradually 



uc uay 2j. ^^ twenty-eight fathoms, which was the mod we had. With 



the Northerly wind the air was raw, fliarp, and cold ; and 



we had fogs, funfliine, fliowers of fnow and fleet, by turns. 



Wednef. z6. At ten in the morning of the 26th, we fell in with the ice. At 

 noon, it extended from North Weft to Eaft. by North, and ap- 

 peared to be thick and compacft. At this time, we wei e, by 

 obfervation, in the latitude 69° 36', and in the longitude of 

 184°; fo that it now appeared we had no becter prolpeift of 

 getting to the North here, than nearer the fliore. 



I continued to (land to the Weftward, till five in the after- 

 noon, when we were in a manner embayed by i!ie ice, 

 which appeared high, and very clofe in the North Weft; and 

 North Eaft quarters, with a great deal of loofe ice about 

 the edge of the main field. At this time, we had baffling 

 light winds ; but it foon fixed at South, and increafed to a 

 fiefli gale, with fliowers of rain. We got the tack aboard, 

 and ftretchcd to the Eaftward ; this being the only direction 

 in which the fea was clear of ice. 



Thurfdayz;. -At four in the moming of the 27th, we tacked and ftood 

 to thc Weft, and at icyen in the evening we were clofe in 

 with thc edge of the ice, which lay Eaft North Eaft, and 



Weft 



