GREENLAND OR POLAR ICE. 



pther persons, were sent to explore the ocean north 

 of Russia, by order of the Russian Government ; 

 but being foiled in his object, by the immense 

 aggregation of drift-ice, he conceived the design 

 of trying during the winter season to travel over 

 the then more compact ice. Accordingly, he pre- 

 pared several of the country sledges, drawn by 

 dogs, and, accompanied by eight persons, he set 

 out on the 15th of March (O. S.) from the mouth 

 of the Yani, on the coast of Siberia, in latitude 

 71 ° N. and longitude about 132° £. He proceed- 

 ed for seven days northward, until he reached the 

 77th or 78th degree of north latitude, when his 

 progress was impeded by ice elevated into pro- 

 digious mountains. From the top of these, he 

 could see nothing but mountainous ice to the 

 northward ; at the same time falling short of pro- 

 visions for his dogs, he returned with difficulty : 

 several of his dogs died for want, and were given 

 to the rest for their support. On the 3d of April 

 he reached the Siberian shore, after an absence of 

 nineteen days, during which he travelled 800 miles. 



Here, therefore, is a fact of a continent, if we 

 may so speak, of mountainous ice existing, and 

 probably constantly increasing in the ocean, at a 

 distance of between three and four hundred miles 

 from any known land : indeed, it must be so com- 

 pletely sheltered by the exterior drift or field ice 

 in every direction, that there seems every facility 

 afforded for its growth, that a sheltered bay in the 

 land could supply. 



