TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 53 
every effort to force our way to the westward from 
this place, so as to make the entrance of our hopeful 
inlet, Lancaster’s Sound. We are not indeed quite in 
the parallel of latitude * of it yet, but as the land 
trends a little to the eastward on the south side of that 
opening, a passage across at this place will be shorter - 
than farther to the eastward. 
This day, in addition to its being fine and clear, 
was, I think, the warmest. day that. we have had 
since we left England, for at two o’clock in the af; 
ternoon the thermometer in the sun rose to 82. 
In the evening, as we were making the best of 
our way to the westward, a large bear was observed 
on a piece of ice close to us, but time was deemed 
too precious to lose any of it in going after him. 
Saturday, 24th. — Little has occurred during 
these two days past deserving of remark. We got 
beset amongst the ice on the evening of the 22d, and 
have been so situated ever since. We have at differ- 
ent times during that period endeavoured to force 
the ships through by warping, but have made but 
very little progress, the ice being so close and heavy, 
that our utmost efforts avail very ‘little ; there are pros- 
pects, however, of clear water to the westward, for 
the sky in that direction has.a watery appearance, 
_ and the ice is dissolving very fast, its surface being 
full of pools of water, in one of which was caught, 
two days ago, a small fish answering to the descrip- 
tion of the Gadus Virens of Lin. 
As there was nothing particularly doing, a series 
of experiments were again performed this afternoon, 
* The entrance of Lancaster’s Sound may be said to be in 
latitude 74° N., and ours to-day at noon was 72° 58! 12’ N. 
E 3 
