t 45 1 



Northward, and before they returned back, the ice fet in with 

 the land, fo that they have been obliged to leave the mips to the 

 Earl: of Spitzbergen. 



N. B. The ice always fets in. with, the land the back of the 

 vear- 



IL From Captain Humphry Ford of the 



Manchefter. 



i ft. I was once as high as the latitude 8i° 30' North, in the 

 mip Dolphin of Newcaftle, in the year 1759 or 60, and have 

 been feveral times fmce as high as the latitude 8i° in the mips 

 Annabella and Manchefter, in which latitude I never met with 

 any uncommon circumftances, but fuch as I have met with in 

 the latitudes 75, 76, 77, 78, and 79 0 ; if to the weftward, I 

 was commonly incumbered with large quantities of ice. 



2d. I fuppofe that the Greenland feas are moft incumbered 

 with ice in the months of December, January, February, and 

 March ; for in the latter part of April, and the firft of May, .the 

 ice generally begins to feparate and open ;' and in the months of 

 June and July, we generally find the Greenland feas moft clear 

 of ice. 



3d. The only precaution to be taken, in order to proceed - to- 

 wards the Pole, is to fit out two ftrong fhips that are handy and 

 fail faft, well equipped, and fecured in the manner of thofe that 

 are generally feat to Greenland on the whale fiflrery. . Such mips 

 mould be manned with about forty able feamen in each,, and 

 victualled for eighteen months or two- years j and be entirely 

 under the command of fome expert, able, and experienced fea- 

 man, who has frequented thofe feas for fome time paft. They 

 mould fail from England about the middle of April, in-order to 



