ward. On the 15th, the wind freihened from the Weftward,
and having, in a great meafure, difperfed the fo g , w e im mediately
flood to the Northward, that we m igh t take a
nearer view o f the ice ; and in an hour w ere clofe in w ith it,
extending from North North Weft, to North Eaft. We found
it to be compadt and folid ; the outer parts were ragged, and
o f different h e ights ; the interiour furface was even ; and,
we judged, from eight to ten feet above the level o f the
fea. The weather becoming moderate for the remaining
part o f the day, w e d h e fted our courfe according to the -
trending o f the ice, w hich in many parts formed deep
bays. '
In the morning o f the 16th, the wind freihened, and was
attended with thick and frequent ihowers o f 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, w e found ourfelves
embayed; the ice ha vin g taken a fudden turn to the South
Eaft, and in one compaft body furrounding us on all fxdes,
except on the South quarter. We therefore h auled our wind
to the Southward, being at this time in latitude 70° 8' North,
and in twenty-fix fathoms w a te r ; and, as we fuppofed, about
twenty-five leagues from the coaft o f America. T h e gale
increafing, at four in the afternoon we clofe reefed the fore
and main-top-fails, fu r led the mizen top-fail, and got the
top-gallant-yards down upon deck. At eight, finding the
depth o f water had decreafed to twenty-two fathoms, w h ich
w e confidered as a proof o f our near approach to the Am e rican
coaft, we tacked and flood to the North. We had
blowin g weather, accompanied with fnow, through the
7. n ig h t ; but next morning, it became clear and moderate;,
and, at e igh t in the forenoon, w e got the top-gallant yardsacrofis,
acrofs, and m ade fail w ith the wind ftill at Weft South Weft. yw-
A t noon, w e were in latitude, b y obfervation, 69° 55', long i-
tude 194° 30'. Toward evening, the wind flackened, and at
midnight it was a calm.
On the 18th, at five in the morning, a ligh t breeze fprun g Sunday .s.
up from the Eaft North Eaft, w ith w hich we continued our
courfe to the North, .in order to regain the ice as foon as pofi-
fible. W e palled fome fmall logs o f drift-wood, and faw
abundance o f fea-parrots, and the fmall ice-birds, and lik e -
w ife a number o f whales. At noon, the latitude, b y obfervation,
was 70° s6', and longitude 194 54 '; the depth o f
water twenty-three fathoms ; the ice ftretched from North to
Eaft North Eaft, and was diftant about three miles. At one
in the afternoon, finding that w e were clofe in with a firn
united field o f it, extending from Weft North Weft to Eaft,
w e tacked, and, the wind coming round to the Weftward,
flood on to the Eaftward, along its edge, till eleven at night.
A t that time a ve ry thick fo g coming on, and the water
ihoa ling to nineteen fathoms, w e hauled our wind to the
South. T h e variation obferved this day was 3 1° 20' Eaft. Ic
is remarkable, that though w e faw no fea-horfes on the
body o f the ice, yet they were in herds, and in greater
numbers, on the detached fragments, than w e had ever
obferved before. About nine in the evening, a white
bear was feen fw im m in g clofe b y the D ifco v e ry ; it afterward
made to the ice, on w h ich were alfo two others.
On the 19th, at one in the morning, the weather clearing Monday 19.
up, w e again fleered to the North Eaft, till two, w h en we
were a fecond tithe fo completely embayed, that there was
no opening left, but to the S ou th ; to which quarter we accordingly
directed our courfe, returning through a remark-
K k 2 ably