‘ Captain Blyth, of the Brunswick, went no 
higher then about 74°, 20'; found a great quan¬ 
tity of ice, more and heavier than on former 
years ; the season has been uncommonly severe 
in May and June, and much ofthe ice was form¬ 
ed then. 
‘ Capt. Ivnill, of the Ingria, went to 75° ; very 
severe season, ice very heavy, 7°, 10', and 12 
feet thick ; upon the whole, there was more ice 
than in former years. 
‘ Capt. O ton, of the Andrew Marble, made 
his fishery in the south-east Bay, lat. 68°, to 69°; 
had severe weather; with strong northerly 
gales; the ice increased much daring his stay 
by freezing, and the coming of fresh ice down 
the Straits ; the season was much severer than 
last vear, but he thinks the winter had been 
mild, the natives having told him that the coun¬ 
try was several times broken up during the 
winter 
« Capt. Brass, of the Thomas, reached 77°, 
30', fine whether when there, thermometer a- 
bout 40°, clear water, saw land both to the east 
and west ; thinks the east land a continent, and 
the west islands had a level from the south¬ 
ward, current in the same direction ; there ap¬ 
peared to be a passage to the north and west, 
hut could not say how far it extended ; season 
very severe ; Bay ice formed in one night an 
inch thick in the middle of July; yet he thinks 
the country clearer of ice than last year.* 
' ‘ Remarks.—It appears that the highest lati¬ 
tude attained by any of the whale fishers was 
77°, 30'; but probably a large deduction must 
be made from this, on account of the greater 
refraction occasioned by-the ice. I should 
judge from 40°, to 50°. The longitudes of these 
ships is very uncertain, the masters being too 
much occupied by the business of the voyage, 
to make the necessary observations. 
‘ The summer has undoubtedly been much 
more severe than usual, but it seems probable 
that the winter was milder, not only by the ac¬ 
count given to Capt. Orton, by the natives, bat 
also from the circumstance of the high latitudes 
being almost clear of floating ice. 
( It seems, however, that a greater quantity 
of ice found- in 68°, to 72° or 73° than usual, 
which may probably account for the more ster¬ 
ile appearance ofthe land in these latitudes. 
4 It should be observed, that every year a 
great quantity of ice accumulates here, occa 
sioned by the grounding of bergs on a reef of 
rocks, stretching across the Straits in the lati¬ 
tude about 68 degrees. And this forms the 
impediments to ships proceeding up the Straits, 
which can seldom be accomplished until a late 
period of the year, and sometimes is altogether 
impracticable. 
