426 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



north than at this time, and this was five leagues short of the 

 point to which we advanced last season. 



"In the afternoon we saw two white bears in the water, 

 to which we immediately gave chase in the jolly boat, 

 and had the good fortune to kill them both. The larger, 

 which probably was the dam of the younger, being shot first, 

 the other would not quit it, though it might easily have 

 escaped on the ice while the men were reloading, but 

 remained swimming about, till after being fired upon 

 several times, it was shot dead. The weight of the largest 

 was 436 pounds. 



" These animals afforded us a few excellent meals of fresh 

 meat. The flesh had indeed a strong fishy taste, but was in 

 every respect infinitely superior to that of the sea-horse ; 

 which, nevertheless, our people were again persuaded, with- 

 out much difficulty, to prefer to their salted provisions. 



" At eight in the morning of the 21st, the wind freshening 

 and the fog clearing away, we saw the American coast to the 

 south-east, at the distance of eight or ten leagues, and 

 hauled in for it, but were again stopped by the ice, and 

 obliged to bear away to the westward along the edge 

 of it. 



" Thus a connected solid field of ice, rendering every 

 effort we could make to a nearer approach to the land 

 fruitless, and joining, as we judged, to it, we took a farewell 

 of the north-east passage to Old England.* I shall beg 

 leave to give, in Captain Clerke's own words, the reasons of 

 this his final determination, as well as of his future plans ; 

 and this the rather, as it is the last transaction his health 

 permitted him to write down. 



" ' It is now impossible to proceed the least farther to the 

 northward upon this coast (America) ; and it is equally as 

 improbable that this amazing mass of ice should be dis- 

 solved by the few remaining summer weeks which will 

 terminate this season ; but it will continue, it is to be 

 believed, as it now is, an insurmountable barrier to every 

 attempt we can possibly make. I therefore think it the 

 best step that can be taken for the good of the service, 

 to trace the sea over to the Asiatic coast, and to try if I can 

 find any opening that will admit me farther north ; if not, 

 to see what more is to be done upon that coast, where I 

 hope, yet cannot much flatter myself, to meet with better 

 success, for the sea is now so choked with ice, that a passage, 

 I fear, is totally out of the question/ 



* This was first accomplished three quarters of a century after- 

 wards by Sir Robert M'Clure. The highest latitude attained by 

 Captain Clerke appears to have been 71 56' N., which is to the 

 northward of Icy Cape. 



