Account of a Vojage to Spitjbergen, I43 



•are is taken to avoid ftrlking againft thofe maffes, which 

 fometinxes are fo clofe that there remains only a narrow 

 channel for the {hip to fail through. I have feen this con- 

 tinue for 24 Incurs or longer. When this is the cafe, the 

 commander Hands in the main or fore-top, and fometimes 

 higher, and calls down to the men at the wheel how to fteer. 

 This navigation is attended with great danger, as the ice 

 projects under water fometimes two or three fathoms. 



After navigating through thofe floating mafles, we faw the 

 land of Spitfbergen eaft from us. It is feen at an almoft in- 

 credible diftance, fometimes at thirty leagues ; a proof of its 

 immenfe height. It cenerally appears amazingly bright, of 

 tlie colour of the full moon ; while the fky above it looks 

 white and cold. 



In 79° and 80^ you are prevented from going further to 



the northward bv a folid continent of ice, or a collection 



of ice-fields, as they are called ; fome of which are many 



liles in extent. You make the fhip fad there with an ice 



mchor, and look out for whales, having two or three boats 



pn the watch conftantly. 



No fliip could ever poffibly navigate through the huge 



lalfes of ice, which mull necefl'arily be pafled before it 



in reach this high latitude, but for a circumftance vi'hich 



irould on .firft view be little expcfted — ^The fea there is 



llways as perfeJ^ly fmooth as the Ri\er Thames : the irre- 



ilarly difpofed mafles of ice prevent the water from ever 



cquiring, by the im])uire of the wind, thofe regular undu- 



iltions, if I may ufe the term, which, by long continuance 



bf the fame impulfe, would olherwife at laft raile it in bil- 



3WS. 



As foon as we got into fmooth water, perhaps forty or 

 pfty leagues from the land, the fevere climate and inltn fe 

 sld we had experienced on the paflage in a more fouthern 

 ititudc before we made the ice, changed into a much 

 lilder one; and when it was fine weather it was quite 

 farm, fo that (he icicles that hulio; from the larjie mafles of 



