LATITUDE OF THE FROZEN OCEAN. 
3 $ 
Misty and stormy weather prevented us from making any great 
progress for three days. On the fourth we descried the ocean, 
covered with immense sheets of ice, that, at a distance, ap¬ 
peared to he one compact mass; but were, as we discovered on 
a nearer view, driven together towards the shore by a north-east 
wind and the tide. VVe endeavoured to penetrate betwixt the 
ice and the shore, but were compelled, towards evening, to give 
up the attempt, and seek a shelter under the projecting rocks of 
a little river flowing from the mountains. The shore extended 
by an ascent of four fathoms above the surface of the water to 
the l ock of Baranow. It was covered with moss and sea-weeds, 
having here and there a scattered flower, willow, or shrub, that 
was almost too small to be distinguishable. The summits of 
the mountains, and even the declivities of the rocks below, were 
incrusted with congealed snow. During the three days spent 
here, we discovered four bears and a whole herd of reindeer. 
The wind changing on the fourth day, and driving the ice more 
directly towards us, we were compelled to weigh anchor, and, 
with infinite difficulty as w 7 ell as danger, to force our way close by 
the pendant rock. We succeeded very soon in finding a retreat 
near the opening of a mountain, from which issued a spring of 
pure water. Here we caught a vast quantity of herrings in nets, 
and saw r some sea-calves. 
From different observations we fixed the latitude of this place 
at 69 0 29', although all maps have hitherto assigned to the shore 
of the Frozen Ocean a position tw r o degrees more northerly. 
CHAP. V. 
FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO FIND A PASSAGE TO THE 
NORTH AND EAST.-ANCHORAGE OFF THE ISLAND OF 
BARANOW-REINDEER-WILD GEESE CIIACE-THEIR 
PRESERVATION.—THE INHABITANTS OF THIS PART- 
REMARKS ON THE FROZEN OCEAN.-RETURN TO 
SREDNE-KOLYMSK. 
On the first of July we weighed anchor, and made two trials 
to proceed, first in a northerly, and afterwards in an easterly, 
direction; but the mist and the ice w'ere each time unfavourable 
to our designs. My little bark was frequently in danger of being 
shattered to pieces by the masses of ice which were driving around 
us with impetuosity, and at length our safety obliged us to retreat 
towards the shore of the rock of Baranow. 
During our stay he; e we sent our steersman up the rock to 
take a survey of the ocean. He brought us the intelligence, 
that he had observed, from the snmmit of the loftiest mountain, 
S A R Y T S C H E W r * ~j E 
