r 7 4 AVOYAGETO 



'779- " land: and that, at laft, wanting food for his dogs, many 

 < tJ- — ' " of them died, which obliged him to return." 



Befides thefe arguments, which proceed upon an admif- 

 fion of the hypothefis, that the ice in thofe feas comes from 

 the rivers, there are others which give great room to 

 fufpect the truth of the hypothefis itfelf. Captain Cook, 

 whofe opinion refpecfting the formation of ice had formerly 

 coincided with that of the theories we are now controvert- 

 ing, found abundant reafon, in the prefent voyage, for 

 changing his fentiments. We found the coaft of each con- 

 tinent to be low, the foundings gradually decreafing toward 

 them, and a ftriking refcmblance between the two •, which, 

 together with the description Mr. Hearne gives of the copper- 

 mine river, afford reafon to conjecture, that whatever rivers 

 may empty themfelves into the Frozen Sea, from the Ame- 

 rican continent, are of the fame nature with thofe on the 

 Afiatic fide ; which are reprefented to be fo fhallow at the 

 entrance, as to admit only fmall veiTels; whereas the ice we 

 have fcen, rifes above the level of the fea to a height equal 

 to the depth of thofe rivers ; fo that its entire height mull 

 be at lead ten times greater. 



The curious reader will alfo, in this place, be led naturally 

 to reflect on another circumftance, which appears very in- 

 compatible with the opinion of thofe who imagine land to 

 be necellary for the formation of ice ; I mean the different 

 flate of the fea about Spitfbergen, and to the North of Beer- 

 ing's Straits. It is incumbent on them to explain how it 

 comes to pafs, that in the former quarter, and in the vicinity 

 of much known land, the navigator annually penetrates to 

 near 8o° North latitude ; whereas, on the other fide, his ut- 



moft 



