fetting u s on toward the land. T h e depth o f the water, at
midnight, was twenty fathoms.
At e igh t in the morning o f the 21ft, the wind freihening,
and the fo g clearing away, we faw the American coaft to
the South Eaft, at the diftance o f e igh t or ten leagues, and
hauled in for i t ; but were flopped a gain b y the ice, and
obliged to bear away to the Weft ward, a lon g the edge o f it.
At noon, the latitude, b y account, was 69 34', and long itude
193°, and the depth o f water twenty-four fathoms.
T h u s , a connected, folid field o f ice, rendering every e f fo
rt we could make to a nearer approach to the land fru it-
lefs, and joining, as w e judged, to it, w e took a la ftfa r ew e l
o f a North Eaft paflage to Old England. I ih a ll beg leave to
g iv e/ in Captain Clerke’s own w ords, the reafons o f this his
final determination, as w e ll as o f his future p lan s ; and this
the rather, as it is the laft tranfa&ion his health permitted
h im to write down.
“ It is now impoffible to proceed the leaft farther to the
“ Northward upon this coaft (America); and it is equ ally
,l as improbable that this am az in g mafs o f ice Ihould be
j diflolved by the few remaining fummer-weeks w h ich w ill
41 terminate this feafon ; but it w ill continue, it is to be be-
“ lieved, as it now is, an infurmountable barrier to every
“ attempt w e can poffibly make. I, therefore, th in k it the
“ ^ ( 1 ftcp that can be taken, for the good o f the fervice, to
<< trace the fe a o v e r to the Afiatic coaft, and to try i f I can find
** any o p e n in g , th a t w ill admit me farther North; i f not, to
“ fe e w h a t m o r e is to b e done upon that coaft; where Ihope,
41 y e t c a n n o t m u c h f la t te r m y f e l f , to^ meet with better fuc-
‘ ‘ c e f s ; f o r th e fe a is n o w fo choaked with ice, that a paf-
fa g e , I fe a r , is to t a l ly ou t o f the queftion.”
C H A P . IV.
Fruitlefs Attempts to penetrate through the Ice to the North
jPefi.— Dangerous Situation of the Difcoiitry. Sea- .
horfes killed.— Frefi ObftruBions from the Ice.— Report
of Damages received by the Difcovery.— Captain Clerkes
Determination to proceed to the Southward.— Joy of the
Ship's Crews on that Occafion.— Paß Serdze Kamen.
Return through Beerings Straits.— Inquiry into the E x tent
of the North Eafi Coafi o f Afta.— Reafons fo r re-
jeBing Muller s Map of the Promontory of the Tfchutfki.
Reafons for believing the Coaß does not reach a higher
Latitude than 70" North.— General Obfervations on the
Impracticability of a North Eafi, or North Weft Pajfage
from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean. — Comparative
Et View o f the Progrefs made in the Tears 1 7 7 8 and 1779.
Remarks on the Sea, and Sea-coafis, North of Beerings
Straits. — Hiftory o f the Voyage refumed.— Pafs
the Ifiand of St. Laurence.— The I f and of Mednou
— Death ■ of Captain Clarke. — Short Account o f his
S erv icesu
CA p t a i n C l e r k e h a v in g d e t e rm in e d , f o r th e r e a fo n s
a f f ig n e d a t th e c o n c lu f io n o f th e la f t C h a p t e r , to g iv e
u p a l l fa r th e r a t tem p t s o n th e c o a f t o f A m e r ic a , a n d to m a k e
his. la ft e ffo r ts ,. in fe a r c h o f a p a f la g e o n th e c o a ft o f th e o p -
i / p o lite