1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 227 



dashed all our hopes of penetrating farther ; which 

 had been considerably raised, by having now ad- 

 vanced near ten leagues through a space, which, on 

 the 9th, we had found occupied by impenetrable ice. 

 Our latitude, at this time, was 69° 37' ; our position 

 nearly in the mid channel between the two con- 

 tinents ; and the field of ice extending from east 

 north-east, to west south-west. 



As there did not remain the smallest prospect of 

 getting farther north in the part of the sea where we 

 now were, Captain Clerke resolved to make one more 

 and final attempt on the American coast, for Baffin's 

 Bay, since we had been able to advance the farthest 

 on this side last year. Accordingly, we kept work- 

 ing the remaining part of the day, to the windward, 

 with a fresh easterly breeze. We saw several fulmars 

 and arctic gulls, and passed two trees, both appearing 

 to have lain in the water a long time. The larger 

 was about ten feet in length, and three in circum- 

 ference, without either bark or branches, but with 

 the roots remaining attached. 



On the 14th, we stood on to the eastward, with 

 thick and foggy weather, our course being nearly 

 parallel to that we steered the 8th and 9th, but six 

 leagues more to the northward. On the I5th, the 

 wind freshened from the westward, and having in a 

 great measure, dispersed the fog, we immediately 

 stood to the northward, that we might take a nearer 

 view of the ice ; and in an hour were close in with it 

 extending from north north-west, to north-east. We 

 found it to be compact and solid; the outer parts 

 were ragged, and of different heights ; the interior 

 surface was even j and, we judged, from eight to ten 

 feet above the level of the sea. The weather becom- 

 ing moderate for the remaining part of the day, we 

 directed our course according to the trending of the 

 ice, which in many parts formed deep bays. 



In the morning of the 16th, the wind freshened, 



