THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
CHAP. IV. 
Fruitlefs Attempts to penetrate through the Ice to the North 
IVeft.—Dangerous Situation of the Difcovery. — Sea-horfes 
killed,—Frefh ObftruBions from the Ice.—Report of Da¬ 
mages received by the Difcovery.—Captain Gierke’s Deter¬ 
mination to proceed to the Southward.—Joy of the Ships 
Crews on that Occafton.—Pafs Serdze Kamen.—Return 
through Beering'’s Strait.—Inquiry into the Extent of the 
North Eaf Coajl of Afia.—Reajons for rejeBing Muller’s 
Map of the Fromontory of the Tfchutfki.—Reafons for be¬ 
lieving the Coajl does not reach a higher Latitude than 701° 
North.—General Obfervations on the ImpraBicability of a 
North Eaf, or North Weft Paftage from the Atlantic into 
the Pacific Ocean.—Comparative View of the Progrefs 
made in the Tears 1778 and 1779 .—Remarks on the Sea , 
and Sea-coafts , North of Beering’s Strait.—Hiftory of the 
Voyage refumed.—Pafs the IJland of St. Laurence.—The 
Iftand of Mednoi. — Death of Captain Clerke .— Short Ac¬ 
count of his Services. 
C aptain Clerke having determined, for the reafons i 779 . 
affigned at the conclufion of the laft Chapter, to give t July ' 
up all farther attempts on the coaft of America, and to make 
his laft efforts, in fearch of a paftage, on the coaft of the 
oppoftte continent, we continued, during the afternoon of 
the 
