THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 247 



meter was, in the night-time, 28 , and at noon 30*. We '779- 



continued to fleer Weft South Weft, as before, keeping as ' ' 



near the large body of ice as we could, and had the mif- 

 fortune to rub off fome of the fheathing from the bows 

 agamft the drift pieces, and to damage the cutwater. In- 

 deed, the fhocks we could not avoid receiving, were fre- 

 quently fo fevere, as to be attended with confiderable danger. 

 At noon, the latitude, by account, was 69 12', and longi- 

 tude 188 5'. The variation, in the afternoon, was found to 

 be 29° 30' Eaft. 



As we had now failed near forty leagues to the WefUvard, 

 along the edge of the ice, without feeing any opening, or a 

 clear fea to the Northward beyond it, and had therefore no 

 profpect of advancing farther North for the prefent, Captain 

 Clerke refolved to bear away to the South by Eaft (the only 

 quarter that was clear), and to wait till the feafon was more 

 advanced, before he made any farther efforts to penetrate 

 through the ice. The intermediate time he propofed to 

 fpend in examining the bay of St. Laurence, and the coaft to 

 the Southward of it ; as a harbour fo near, in cafe of future 

 damage from the ice, would be very dcfirablc. We alfo 

 wifhed to pay another vifit to our Tfchutfki friends ; and, 

 particularly, fince the accounts we had heard of them from 

 the Commander of Kamtfchatka. 



We therefore flood on to the Southward, till the noon of 

 the icth, at which time we paffed great quantities of drift- Saturday 

 ice, and the wind fell to a perfect calm. The latitude, by 

 obfervation, was 63° i' ; longitude 188 30'. We paffed fc- 

 veral whales in the forenoon ; and, in the afternoon, hoifted 

 out the boats, and fent them in purfuit of the fea-horfes, 

 which were in great numbers en the pieces of ice that fur- 



round 



