T H E P A C I F r C O C E A N. 4^3 



Weft South Weft, as far each way as the eye could reach; '77^' 



•' •' Auguft. 



Having but little wind, I went with the boats, to examine 

 the ftate of the ice. I found it confifling of loofe pieces, of 

 various extent, and fo clofe together, that I could hardly 

 enter the outer edge with a boat ; and it was as impofllble 

 for the fhips to enter it, as if it had been fo many rocks. I 

 took particular notice, that it was all pure tranfparent ice, 

 except the upper furface, which was a little porous. It ap- 

 peared to be entirely compofed of frozen fnow, and to have 

 been all formed at fea. For, fetting afide the improbability, 

 or rather impoflibility, of fuch huge maflcs floating out of 

 rivers, in which there is hardly water for a boat, none of the 

 productions of the land were found incorporated, or fixed 

 in it; which muft have unavoidably been the cafe, had it 

 been formed in rivers, either great or fmall. The pieces of 

 ice that formed the outer edge of the field, were from forty 

 or fifty yards in' extent, to four or five ; and I judged, that 

 the larger pieces reached thirty feet, or more, under the fur- 

 face of the water. It alfo appeared to me very improbable, 

 that this ice could have been the production of the preced- 

 ing winter alone. I fliould fuppofe it rather to have been 

 the produftion of a ^reat many winters. Nor was it lefs 

 improbable, according to my judgment, that the little that 

 remained of the fummer, could deftroy the tenth part of what 

 now fubfifted of this mafs ; for the fun had already exerted 

 upon, it the full influence of his rays. Indeed I am of opi- 

 Bion, that the fun contributes very little toward reducing 

 thefe great malles. For although that luminary is a con- 

 fiderable while above the horizon, it feldom fliines out for 

 more than a few hours at a time; and often is not feen for 

 feveral days in fucceflion. It is the wind, or rather the 



2 -wayes 



