1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. ££5 



noon 30°. We continued to steer west south-west as 

 before, keeping as near the large body of ice as we 

 could, and had the misfortune to rub off some of the 

 sheathing from the bows against the drift pieces, and 

 to damage the cutwater. Indeed the shocks we could 

 not avoid receiving, were frequently so severe as to 

 be attended with considerable danger. At noon, the 

 latitude by account was 69° 12', and longitude 188° 

 5\ The variation in the afternoon was found to be 

 29° 30' E. 



As we had now sailed near forty leagues to the 

 westward, along the edge of the ice, without seeing 

 any opening, or a clear sea to the northward beyond 

 it, and had therefore no prospect of advancing farther 

 north for the present, Captain Clerke resolved to bear 

 away to the south by east, (the only quarter that was 

 clear) and to wait till the season was more advanced, 

 before he made any farther efforts to penetrate through 

 the ice. The intermediate time he proposed to spend 

 in examining the bay of St. Laurence, and the coast 

 to the southward of it ; as a harbour so near, in case 

 of future damage from the ice, would be very desi- 

 rable. We also wished to pay another visit to our 

 Tschutski friends ; and particularly since the accounts 

 we had heard of them from the commander of 

 Kamtschatka. 



We therefore stood on to the southward till the 

 noon of the 10th, at which time we passed great 

 quantities of drift-ice, and the wind fell to a perfect 

 calm. The latitude by observation was 68° 1', lon- 

 gitude 18S° 30'. We passed several whales in the 

 forenoon, and in the afternoon hoisted out the boats, 

 and sent them in pursuit of the sea-horses, which 

 were in great numbers on the pieces of ice that sur- 

 rounded us. Our people were more successful than 

 they had been before, returning with three large ones 

 and a young one ; besides killing and wounding 

 several others. The gentlemen who went on this 

 party were witnesses of several remarkable instances 



vol. vn. o. 



