LXXXIV 
Ick. 
wi alae Viale OR 7 hk S es ea ak 
attempt was made to cut a paflage through the ice;* after a perfeverance worthy 
of Britons, it proved fruitlefs. The commander, at all times mafter of himfelf, 
directed the boats to be made ready to be hauled over the ice, till they arrived at 
navigable water (a tafk alone of feven days) and in them to make their voyage to 
England. "The boats were drawn progreflively three whole days *. At length a 
wind fprung up, the ice feparated fufficiently to yield to the preffure of the full- 
failed fhips, which, after laboring againft the refifting fields of ice +, arrived on the 
roth of Augu/f? in the harbor of Szmeeringberg, at the weft end of Spitzlergen, be- 
tween it and Hackluyt’s Headland. 
It was the hard fortune of Lord Adulgrave, at this-feafon, to meet with one of 
thofe amazing fhoals of ice which cover, at times, thefe feas, for multitudes of 
leacues. He made the fulleft trial, from long. 2 to 2t eaft, and from about lat. 
80. 40, as low as about 78. 30, oppofed by a face of ice without the Jeaft opening, 
and with all the appearance of a folid wall. {t is well known, that the coafts of 
Sibiria are, after a northern tempeft, rendered inacceffible for a vaft extent, by the 
polar ice being fet in motion. It is as well known, that a ftrong fouthern wind 
will again drive them to their former feats, and make the fhores of the Frozen ocean 
as clear as the equatorial feas. A farther difcovery on this fide was denied to the 
noble navigator. His misfortune will for ever redound to his honor, as it proved 
his fpirit, his perfeverance, and a foul fertile in expedients among the greateft dif- 
ficulties ! 
That navigators have gone into higher latitudes I cannot deny : the authenticated 
inftances only fhew their accidental good fortune, in having the ice driven towards 
the pole, and in making a retreat before they were enveloped in the returning ice. 
The Ruffians, under vice-admiral T/hit/haghef, within thefe very few years, made an 
attempt to fail to the pole by the eaftern fide of Spitzbergen; but after fuffering 
great hardfhips, returned without effecting any difcovery. Curiofity has been 
amply fatisfied: and I believe we may reft fully content with the common paf- 
fage to India, on the conviction of this traé being totally impracticable. 
The forms affumed by the ice in this chilling climate, are extremely pleafing to 
even the moft incurious eye. ‘The furface of that which is congealed from the 
fea-water (for I muft allow it two origins) is flatand even, hard, opake, refembling 
white fugar, and incapable of being flid on, like the Britifb ice {. ‘The greater 
pieces, or fields, are many leagues in length: the lefler, are the meadows 
* Phips Voy. tab. v. 
+ Same, tab. vis 
Y Crantz. i. 336 
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