444 Thirty Years 
hale the air frequently. Those of the white kind 
make their appearance when there are but small spaces 
of open water; and we afterwards saw two black 
whales in a similar situation. One might also infer 
from these circumstances that they do not remove very | 
far. Is it probable that they go, at the close of the 
autumn, to a warmer climate ? or can the sea be less 
closely covered with ice in the high northern latitudes ? 
The situation of our encampment was observed to be, 
latitude 69° 19’ N. ; longitude 138° 103’ W. ; varia- 
tion 46° 16’ E. ; and a rise and fall of nine inches in 
the water. The wind blew from the west during the 
night, and drove much ice near the boats.; but as the 
masses tock ground a little way from the shore, we 
were spared the trouble of removing the boats higher 
up the beach. 
Sunday, We were favored in the forenoon of the 16th, 
by astroug breeze from the land, which, in the course 
of a few hours, drove away many of these pieces to- 
wards Point Kay, and opened a passage for boats, 
We immediately embarked to sail over to the western 
side of Phillips Bay, concluding, from the motion of 
the ice, that it must now be detached from that shore. 
On reaching it, we had the pleasure of finding an open 
channel close to the beach, although the entrance was 
barred by a stream of ice lying aground on a reef. 
The boats being forced by poles over this obstruction, 
