THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 255 



CHAP. IV. 



Fruitlefs Attempts to penetrate through the Ice to the North 

 Weft. — Dangerous Situation of the Difcovtry. — Sea- 

 horfes killed. — Frefb Obftruclions from the Ice. — Report 

 of Damages received by the Difcovery. — Captain Gierke's 

 Determinatio?i to proceed to the Southward. — jfoy of the 

 Ship's Crews on that Occafon. — Pafs Serdze Kamen. — 

 Return through Beerings Straits. — Inquiry into the Ex- 

 tent of the North Eaft Coaft of Afta. — Reafons for re- 

 jecting Mullers Map of the Promontory of the Tfchutfki. 

 — Reafons for believing the Coaft does not reach a higher 

 Latitude than yol° North. — General Obfervations on the 

 Impracticability of a North Eaft> or North IV eft Pajfage 

 from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean. — Compa?'ative 

 View of the Progrefs made in the Tears 1778 and 1779. 

 — Remarks on the Sea, and Sea- coaft s, North of Beer- 

 ings Straits. — Hiftory of the Voyage refumed. — Pafs 

 the Ifland of St. Laurence. — The If and of Mednoi. 

 — Death of Captain Clerke. — Short Account of his 

 Services. 



c 



Aptain Clerke having determined, for the reafons l 779- 

 affigned at the conclufion of the laft Chapter, to give 



up all farther attempts on the coaft of America, and to make 

 his laft efforts, in fearch of a paffage on the coaft of the op- 



1 pofite 



