iy 7 8. 
Auguft. 
THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 461 
morning, the fog difperfed, and I hauled to the Weft ward. 
For finding that I could not get to the North near the coaft, 
on account of the ice, I refolved to try what could be done Sunday 23. 
at a diftance from it; and as the wind feemed to be fettled 
at North, I thought it a good opportunity. 
As we advanced to the Weft, the water deepened gradu- Monday 24. 
ally to twenty-eight fathoms, which was the moft we had. U } 25 * 
With the Northerly wind the air was raw, ftiarp, and cold; 
and we had fogs, funfhine, fhowers of fnow and lleet, by 
turns. At ten in the morning of the 26th, we fell in with Wednef.26. 
the ice. At noon, it extended from North Weft to Eaft by 
North, and appeared to be thick and compacft. At this 
time, we were, by obfervation, in the latitude 69° 36', and 
in the longitude of 184°; fo that it now appeared we had no 
better profped of getting to the North here, than nearer 
the ftiore. 
I continued to ftand to the Weft ward, till five in the af¬ 
ternoon, when we were in a mariner embayed by the ice, 
which appeared high, and very dole in the North Weft and 
North Eaft quarters, with a great deal of loofe ice about 
the edge of the main field. At this time, we had baffling 
light winds; but it foon fixed at South, and increafed to a 
frefh gale, with fhowers of rain. We got the tack aboard, 
and ftretched to the Eaftward; this being the only direction 
in which the fea was clear of ice. 
At four in the morning of the 27th, we tacked and flood Thurfday 27. 
to the Weft, and at feven in the evening we were dole in 
with the edge of the ice, which lay Eaft North Eaft, and 
Weft South Weft, as far each way as the eye could reach. 
Having but little wind, I went with the boats, to examine 
the ftate of the ice. I found it confifting of loofe pieces, of 
various extent, and fo clofe together, that I could hardly 
♦ enter 
