144 Account of a Voyage to Sp'ifJhefgCftt 



ice diflblved and kept dropping till a return of colder whi- 

 ther. Among the fields of ice, but more fo in the harbours, 

 it is confiderably warmer than on the paflage near North 

 Cape. 



In the month of June we killed feven large whale fifh, and 

 went with them into Magdalcna Bay, to cut the blubber up 

 into fmall bits to fill the blubber-butts ; which bufinefs is 

 called making ojf'. As the killing of the whales has been 

 very well defcribed by Zorgdrager and others, I need not 

 dcfcribe it. 



When you approach a harbour on the coaft of Spitfber- 

 gen, and, judging by the eye, expeft to get in and come to 

 anchor in three or four hours time, you are perhaps not lef* 

 than ten or twelve leagues from it. This deception is owing 

 to the immenfe heights of the rocky mountains, covered with 

 fnow, and bordered with ice towards thefea-fide, which make 

 very large harbours appear like fmall bafons, and the largeft 

 Ihips, when clofe under them, like a boat on the Thames. 

 Magdalena Bay, in 79° north, is capacious enough to hold 

 the whole Britifli na\'y; but, on account of the immenfe 

 mountains which furround it, appears like a vi.Ty fmall inlet. 

 We came to anchor in this bay, where we lay three weeks. 

 W^hile the people were making off, the mafters, furgeons, 

 &c. of the different veflels then there vifited each other, and 

 diverted themfclveS in the beft way they were able. Such 

 vifits laft fometime§ 24 hours, for there is no night to inter- 

 rupt the entertainment. 



The firft thing that ftrikes a curious mind here is that fo- 

 lemn filence which reigns around ; fometimes interrupted 

 with a noife, like thunder heard at a diftance, occafioned by- 

 huge fragments of ice and rocks rolling down from the im- 

 menfe fteeps into the fea. 



I attempted to afcend one of thefe mountains called Roche 



Hill. I got up about half way, which took fcveral hours 



hard labour. At that height I found the rocks covered with 



kirds eggs of diflferent fizes. 



There 



