THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 245 
wind frefhening from the Southward, we ftood on to the 1779. 
North Eaft, with a view of exploring the continent of Ame- t ^ Iy ° _ 
rica, between the latitudes of 68° and 69°, which, owing to 
the foggy weather laft year, we had not been able to exa¬ 
mine. In this attempt we were again in part difappointed. 
For, on the 7th, at lix in the morning, we were flopped by wednef. 7. 
a large field of ice, firetching from North Weft to South 
Eaft ; but foon after, the horizon becoming clear, we had 
fight of the coaft of America, at about ten leagues diftance, 
extending from North Eaft by Eaft to Eaft, and lying, by 
obfervation, between the 68° and 68° 20" of latitude. As the 
weather was clear, and the ice not high, we were enabled 
to fee over a great extent of it. The whole prefented a folid 
and compadt furface, not in the fmalleft degree thawed ; 
and appeared to us likewife to adhere to the land. 
The weather foon after changing to hazy, we faw no 
more of the land; and there not remaining a poflibility of 
approaching nearer to it, we ftood to the North North Weft, 
keeping the ice clofe on board, and got round its Weftern 
extremity by noon, when we found it trending nearly North. 
Our latitude at this time was, by account, 68° 22', and lon¬ 
gitude 192 0 34'. We continued our courfe to the North 
North Eaft, along the edge of the ice, during the remaining 
part of the day, palling through many loofe pieces that had 
been broken off from the main body, and againft which, 
notwithftanding all our caution, the fhips were driven with 
great violence. At eight o’clock in the evening, we paffed 
fome drift-wood; and at midnight the wind fhifted to the 
North Weft : the thermometer fell from 38° to 31 0 , and we 
had continued fhowers of fnow and fleet. 
On the 8th, at five in the morning, the wind coming ftill Thurfday 8, 
more to the Northward, we could no longer keep on the 
fame 
