1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 173 



party. The sailors were highly delighted with this 

 mode of conveyance ; and what diverted them still 

 more was, that the two boat-hooks had also a sledge 

 appropriated to themselves. These sledges are so light, 

 and their construction so well adapted to the pur- 

 poses for which they are intended, that they went 

 with great expedition and perfect safety over the 

 ice, which it would have been impossible for us with 

 all our caution to have passed on foot. 



On our return we found the boats towing the ship 

 toward the village, and at seven we got close to the 

 ice, and moored with the small bower to the north- 

 east and best bower to the south-west, the entrance 

 of the bay bearing south by east and south three 

 quarters east, and the ostrog north one "quarter east, 

 distant one mile and a half. The next morning the 

 casks and cables were got upon the quarter-deck, in 

 order to lighten the ship forward, and the carpenters 

 were set to work to stop the leak, which had given 

 us so much trouble during our last run. It was 

 found to have been occasioned by the falling of some 

 sheathing from the larboard-bow, and the oakum 

 between the planks having been washed out. The 

 warm weather we had in the middle of the day began 

 to make the ice break away very fast, which drifting 

 with the tide had almost filled up the entrance of the 

 bay. Several of our gentlemen paid their visits to 

 the serjeant, by whom they were received with great 

 civility ; and Captain Gierke sent him two bottles of 

 rum, which he understood would be the most ac- 

 ceptable present he could make him, and received in 

 return some fine fowls of the grouse kind, and twenty 

 trouts. Our sportsmen met with but bad success ; 

 for though the bay swarmed with flocks ofducks of 

 various kinds and Greenland pigeons, yet they were 

 so shy that they could not come within shot of them. 



In the morning of the 1st of May, seeing the Dis- 

 covery standing into the bay, a boat was immediately 

 sent to her assistance, and in the afternoon she 



