A VOYAGE TO 
250 
1779. 
J ul y- 
i - - 
Friday 16. 
Saturday 17, 
Sunday 18. 
courfe according to the trending of the ice, which in many 
parts formed deep bays. 
In the morning of the 16th, the wind frefhened, and was 
attended with thick and frequent fhowers of fnow. At 
eight in the forenoon, it blew a ftrong gale from the Weft. 
South Weft, and brought us under double-reefed top-fails ; 
when, the weather clearing a little, we found ourfelves 
embayed ; the ice having taken a fudden turn to the South 
Eaft, and in one compact body furrounding us on all fides, 
except on the South quarter. We therefore hauled our 
wind to the Southward, being at this time in latitude 70° 8' 
North, and in twenty-fix fathoms water; and, as we fup- 
pofed, about twenty-five leagues from the coaft of Ame¬ 
rica. The gale increafing, at four in the afternoon we 
clofe reefed the fore and main-top-fails, furled the mizen- 
top-fail, and got the top-gallant-yards down upon deck. 
At eight, finding the depth of water had decreafed to 
twenty-two fathoms, which we confidered as a proof of 
our near approach to the American coaft, we tacked and 
flood to the North. We had blowing weather, accom¬ 
panied with fnow, through the night; but next morning, 
it became clear and moderate; and, at eight in the fore¬ 
noon, we got the top-gallant-yards acrofs, and made fail 
with the wind ftill at Weft South Weft. At noon, we were 
in latitude, by obfervation, 69° 55', longitude 194 0 30'. 
Toward evening, the wind flackened, and at midnight it 
was a calm. 
On the 18th, at five in the morning, a light breeze fprung 
up from the Eaft North Eaft, with which we continued our 
courfe to the North, in order to regain the ice as foon as 
poftible. We patted fome fmall logs of drift-wood, and 
10 faw 
