6o JOURNAL. 



July. ten or twelve leagues, over one continued plain of fmooth 



unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon : they alfo 

 faw land ftretching to the S E, laid down in the Dutch 

 Charts as iflands. The main body of ice, which we had 

 traced from Weft to Eaft, they now perceived to join to 

 thefe iflands, and from them to what is called the North 

 Eaft land. In returning, the ice having clofed much 

 iince they went, they were frequently forced to haul the 

 boat over it to other openings. The weather exceedingly 

 fine and mild, and unufually clear. The fcene was beau- 

 tiful and pi£lurefque ; the two fhips becalmed in a large 

 bay, with three apparent openings between the iflands 

 which formed it, but every-where furrounded with ice 

 as far as we could fee, with feme ft reams of water ; not 

 a breath of air ; the water perfedly fmooth j the ice 

 covered with fnow, low, and ev^en, except a few broken 

 pieces near the edges : the pools of water in the middle 

 of the pieces were frozen over with young ice. 



31ft. At nine in the morning, having a light breeze 

 to the Eaftward, we eaft off, and endeavoured to force 

 through the ice. At noon the ice was fo clofe, that being 

 unable to proceed, we moored again to a field. In the 

 afternoon we filled our cafk with frefti water from the ice, 

 which we found very pure and foft. The Carcafs moved, 

 and made faft to the fame field with us. The ice meafured 

 eight yards ten inches in thicknefs at one end, and feven 



yards 



