282 ACCOUNT DF THE AllCTlC REGIONS. 



Among this ice, many whales were seen and caught 

 at a very late season. 



The season of 1815 was also open in the month 

 of April. In May a loose body of ice, partly occu- 

 pied the opening in the 79th degree of latitude, 

 and remained about a month. In June it dispersed. 

 The fishery to the northward was closed by the mid- 

 dle of June ; but it recommenced about the end of 

 the month, in latitude 76°, at the edge of the ice, 

 and continued during two or three weeks of July, 

 a little within the borders of the ice, in the same 

 parallel. 



In 1816, we had a season partially open; the 

 most early fishers having sailed without obstruction 

 to a high northern latitude, while the later arrivals 

 had to pass through a considerable open pack. The 

 northern parts of the country were filled with bay 

 ice most of the month of May. The fishery became 

 general in June, but was not very prosperous. 



The season of 1817 was remarkable, on account 

 of its openness, and on account of the westerly posi- 

 tion and peculiar penetrability of the ice. To the 

 northward of latitude 74°, the Spitzbergen Sea is 

 seldom navigable to the westward of the meridian 

 of London ; but, in this season, I had an opportu- 

 nity of sailing as far as longitude 11° 40' W. in la- 

 titude 75° 28' N. ; to longitude 10° W. in latitude 

 75° 10' N. ; and to longitude 10° 37', (by chronome- 

 ter,) in latitude 74° N. In the two first instances. 



