26o AVOYAGETO 



1779- As it was now neceffary to come to fome determination 



v " y ' / with rcfpcct to the courfe we were next to fleer, Captain 

 Clerke lent a boat, with the carpenters, on board the Difco- 

 very, to inquire into the particulars of the damage fhe had 

 fuftained. They returned, in the evening, with the report 

 of Captain Gore, and of the carpenters of both mips, that 

 the damages they had received were of a kind that would 

 require three weeks to repair; and that it would be necef- 

 fary, for that purpofe, to go into fome port. 



Thus, finding a farther advance to the Northward, as well 

 as a nearer approach to either continent, obftructed by a fea. 

 blocked up with ice, we judged it both injurious to the fer- 

 vice, by endangering the fafety of the fhips, as well as 

 fruitlcfs, with refpect to the defign of our voyage, to make 

 any farther attempts toward a paffage. This, therefore, 

 added to the reprefentations of Captain Gore, determined 

 Captain Clerke not to lofe more time in what he concluded 

 to be an unattainable object, but to fail for Awatfka Bay, to 

 repair our damages there ; and, before the winter fliould fet 

 in, and render all other efforts toward difcovery impractica- 

 ble, to explore the coall of Japan. 



I will not endeavour to conceal the joy that brightened 

 the countenance of every individual, as foon as Captain 

 C lcrkc's refolutions were made known. We were all hear- 

 tily fick of a navigation full of danger, and in which the 

 utmoft perfeverance had not been repaid with the fmalleft 

 probability of fuccefs. We therefore turned our faces 

 toward home, after an abfencc of three years, with a de- 

 light and fatisfaction, which, notwithftanding the tedious 

 voyage we had ftill to make, and the immenfc diftance wc 

 had to run, were as freeiy entertained, and perhaps as 

 2 fully 



