THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
271 
a» 
in July? and perhaps in a part of September it may be Hill 
more free. But, after the equinox, the days fhorten fo 
faft, that no farther thaw can he expected; and we can¬ 
not rationally allow fo great an effect to the warm weather 
in the firft half of September, as to imagine it capable of 
difperling the ice from the molt Northern parts of the 
American coaft. But admitting this to be poffible, it mull 
at leaft be granted, that it would be madnefs to attempt 
to run from the Icy Cape to the known parts of Baffin’s 
Bay (a diftance of four hundred and twenty leagues), in 
fo ffiort a time as that palTage can be fuppofed to continue 
open. 
Upon the Afiatic fide, there appears ftill lefs probability 
of fuccefs, both from what came to our own knowledge, 
with refpeCt to the ftate of the fea to the Southward of 
Cape North, and alfo from what we learn from the expe¬ 
rience of the * Lieutenants under Beering’s direction, and 
the journal of Shalauroff, in regard to that on the North of 
Siberia. 
The voyage of Deffineffi if its truth be admitted, proves 
undoubtedly the poffibility of palling round the North Eaft 
point of Alia; but when the reader reflects, that near a cen¬ 
tury and a half has elapfed fince the time of that navigator, 
during which, in an age of great curiofity and enterprize, 
no man has yet been able to follow him, he will not enter¬ 
tain very fanguine expectations of the public advantages 
that can be derived from it*. But let us even fuppofe, that in 
fome Angularly favourable feafon a Blip has found a clear 
palTage round the coaft of Siberia, and is fafely arrived at 
the mouth of the Lena, ftill, there remains the Cape of Tai- 
1779. 
* See Gmeliiij pages 369. 374. 
mura, 
