THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



H5 



Having little wind in the afternoon, we hoifted out the '779- 



boats in purfuit of the fea-horfes, which were in great <-— ' 



numbers on the detached pieces of ice ; but they foon re- 

 turned without fuccefs ; thefe animals being exceedingly 

 ihy, and before they could come within gun-fhot, always 

 making their retreat into the water* 



At feven in the evening, we hoifted in the boats, and the 

 wind frefhening from the Southward, we flood on to the 

 North Eaft, with a view of exploring the continent of Ame- 

 rica, between the latitudes of 68° and 6g°, which, owing to 

 the foggy weather laft year, we had not been able to exa- 

 mine. In this attempt we were again in part difappointed. 

 For, on the 7th, at fix in the morning, we were flopped by Wednef. 7. 

 a large field of ice, ftretching from North Weft to South 

 Eaft ; but foon after, the horizon becoming clear, we had 

 fight of the coaft of America, at about ten leagues diftance, 

 extending from North Eaft by Eaft to Eaft, and lying, by ob- 

 fervation, between the 68° and 68* 20' of latitude. As the 

 weather was clear, and the ice not high, we were enabled 

 to fee over a great extent of it. The whole prcfentcd a folid 

 and compact furface, not in the fmalleft degree thawed; 

 and appeared to us likewife to adhere to the land. 



The weather foon after changing to hazy, we faw no 

 more of the land; and there not remaining a poflibility of 

 approaching nearer to it, we flood to the North North Weft, 

 keeping the ice clofe on board, and get round its Weftern 

 extremity by noon, when we found it trending nearly North. 

 Our latitude at this time was, by account, 68° 22', and lon- 

 gitude 192° 34'. We continued our courfe to the North 

 North Eaft, along the edge of the ice, during the remain- 

 ing part of the day, paffing through many loofe pieces that 



n had 



