determined. Such ice is found in the Greenland feas all the
fummer long; and I think it-cannot-be colder there in the
fummer, than it is here. Be this as it may, we certainly
had no thaw; on the contrary,, the mercury in Fahrenheit’s
thermometer kept generally below the freezing point, although
it was the middle of fummer.
It is a general-opinion, that the ice I have been fpeakingof, is
formed in bays and rivers. Under this fuppofition we were led
to believe that land was not far diftant; and that it even lay
to the fouthward behind the ice, which alone hindered us
.from approaching.to it. Therefore, as we had now failed
above 30 leagues along the edge of the ice, without finding
a paffage to the South, I determined to run 30 or 40 leagues
to the Eaft, afterwards endeavour to get to the fouthwards,.
and, if I met with no land, or other impediment, , to get be
hind the ice, and put the matter out of all manner of dif-
pute. With this view, we kept Handing to the N. W., with
the wind at N. E. and N„ thick foggy weather, with fleet and
fnow, till fix in the evening, when the wind veered to N. W
and we tacked and flood to the eaftward, meeting with
many iflands of ice of different magnitudes, and fome
loofe pieces : the thermometer from 30.to 34; weather very
hazy, with fleet and fnow, and more fenfibly colder than
the thermometer feemed to point out, infomuch that the
whole crew complained. In order to enable them to fupport
this weather the better, I caufed the fleeves .of their jackets
(which were fo fkort as to expofe their arms) to be lengthened
with baize; and had a cap made for each man of the fame
fluff, together with canvas; which proved of great fervice
to them. e
Some of our people appearing to have fymptoms of the EJJ^ec_
feurvy, the furgeons began to give them frefli wort every <— -— '
day, made from the malt we had on board for that purpofe.
One man in particular was highly fcorbutic ; and yet he
had been taking of the rob of lemon and orange .for fome
time, without being benefited thereby. On the other hand,
Captain Furneaux told me, that he had two men who,
though far gone in this difeafe, were now in a manner entirely
cured by it.
We continued Handing- to' the eaftward till eight o’clock
in the morning of the 21ft; when, being in the latitude of Monday in,
53° so', and longitude 390 24' Eaft, we hauled to the South
with the wind at Weft, a frefh gale and hazy, with fnow.
In the evening the wind fell, and the weather cleared up,
fo as that we could fee a few leagues round us; being in the
latitude of s4° 43' South, longitude 290 30' Eaft.
At ten o’clock, feeing, many iflands of ice a-head, and
the weather coming-on foggy, with fnow, we wore and flood
to the northward, till three in the morning, when we flood TueKay
again to the South. At eight, the'weather cleared up, and
the wind came to W. S. W., with which we made all the fail
we could to the South; having never lefs than ten or twelve
iflands of ice in fight.'
Next day we had the wind at S. W. and S. S,- W„ a gentle Wedncf_ 23...
gale, with now and then fhowers of fnow and hail. In the
morning, being in the latitude of 550 20' South, and longitude
gx° 30' Eaflf, we hoifted out a boat to fee if there was
any current; but found none. Mr. Forfter, who went in the
boat, fhot fome of' the fmall grey birds, before mentioned,
which were of. the peterel tribe, and about the fize of a fmall
pigeon,.