243 



A VOYAGE TO 



1779- rounded us. Our people were more fuccefsful than they 

 ^1" ^J .,, had been before, returning with three large ones, and a 

 young one; befkles killing and wounding feveral others. 

 The gentlemen who went on this party were witncfTes of 

 feveral remarkable instances of parental affection in thofe 

 animals. On the approach of our boats toward the ice, 

 they all took their cubs under their fins, and endeavoured 

 to efcape with them into the fea. Several, whofe young 

 were killed or wounded and left floating on the furface, 

 rofe again, and carried them down, fometimes juft as our 

 people were going to take them up into the boat ; and might 

 be traced bearing them to a great diftance through the wa- 

 ter, which was coloured with their blood: we afterward ob- 

 ferved them bringing them, at times, above the furface, as 

 if for air, and again diving under it with a dreadful bellow- 

 ing. The female, in particular, whofe young had been de- 

 ftroyed, and taken into the boat, became fo enraged, that (he 

 attacked the cutter, and flruck her two tulks through the 

 bottom of it. 



At eight in the evening, a breeze fprung up to the Eaft- 

 ward, with which we flill continued our courie to the South- 

 ward, and at twelve fell in with numerous large bodies of 

 ice. We endeavoured to pufli through them with an eafy 

 fail, for fear of damaging the fliip: and having got a little 

 farther to the Southward, nothing was to be feen, but one 

 compact field of ice, ftretching to the South Weft, South 

 Eaft, and North Earl, as far as the eye could reach. This 

 unexpected and formidable obftaclc put an end to Captain 

 Gierke's plan of vifuing the Tfchutfki ; for no f pace remain- 

 ed open, but back again to the Northward. Accordingly, 

 Sunday ii. at three in the morning of the nth, we tacked, and Hood 



to 



