From this time, till the 26th of March following, Captain Cook traverfed
thofe feas in fearch of land, in almoft every direction, and in every latitude,
as high as 61° 52’ fouth, in feas covered with lofty mountains and extenfive
fields of ice, amidft fogs, Tain, hail, and fnow, with heavy feas, and intenfe
cold, though it was now the fummer feafon in that hemifphere. •
P - 24. December 14th, /landing to the ibuthward, they were flopped by an i m -
menfe field of low ice, to which they could fee 110 end, either to the eaft,
weft, or fouth. In different parts of this field were iflands or hills of ice, like
thofe they had found floating alone; and fome on board thought they law land
alifo. over the ice, bearing S. W. by S. Captain Cook even thought fo himfelf,
but changed his opinion upon more narrowly examining the ice hills, and the
various appearances they made through the haze. On the north fide o f the
ice they faw many whales, penguins, fome white birds, pintadoes, &c.
p- 25. Next day, the 15th, the fog was fo thick, with much fnow, that, at times,
they could not fee the length of the fhip; and they had much difficulty to
avoid the many iflands of ice that furrounded them. About noon the thermometer,
which in the open air was at 32°, in- the furface of the fea was at 30";
and, after being immerged one hundred fathom for about fifteen or twenty
minutes came up at 340, .which is only 2° above freezing.
p. 27. On the 18 th they had got clear of the field of ice, bur at the fame time
were carried in among the ice iflands, in a manner equally dangerous, and
which, with much difficulty, they got clear of. Dangerous as it is to fail
among thefe floating rocks in a thick fog, they thought this preferable to being
entangled with immenfe fields of ice, under the fame circumftances.
Xhe great danger to be apprehended in the latter cafe, is the getting faft on the
ice; a fituation that would be exceedingly alarming. What is called field ice.
in Greenland; is thicker than in thefe feas; and the. whole field, be it ever io
large, confifts o f one piece: whereas this, from its immenfe extent, confifts
o f many pieces of various fizes, both in thicknefs and furface, from thirty or
forty feet fquare to three or four, packed clofe together, and in places heaped
one upon another. “ How long it may have lain, or will lie here, obferves
Captain
Captain Cook, is a point not eafilÿ detérmined. Such4 icé is fouñd in the p- 28.
Greenland feas al'l the fummér long, but it cannot: be colder there in the
fummer than it is here.” Be that as it may, in the cli'maté they then were,
they had no thaw; on the contrary, the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermOmétei1
kept generally below thé freezing point, although it was the ffiiddle of thé
fummer.
It being the général' Opinion that the íce hère défcribed is formed in bays p- 28.
and rivers, under this fuppbfitioh, Captain Cook was led to BfelieVe that land
/vas not far di/larit;- and fhat; it evéïï lay to the ibuthward, behind the ice,
which alone hindered their approaching it. Therefore, as he had failed about
thirty leagues along the edge of the ice, without finding a paflage to the
fouth, he determined to run thirty or forty leagues to the eaft, afterwards
endeavour to get to tfté: fóuthward, and, i f hé met with do land or other
impediment; to get behind thé ice, and put the matter out of all maniier of
difpute.
With this? view4, on thé' wind’s véèrîng to thé N;. W. in- the' evènihg, hé
tacked1 and flood to- the- Caftward; meeting with many iflands o f idé Of different
magnitudes', and fome: lbofè pieces. The thefmoriieter froni 3 ^ to 34%
weather very hazÿ, with fleet arid fnow, and more fenfibly coldèf than the
thermometer feemed to point out; infoniuch that the whòle créw còffipl ai ri ed .
He Continued ftanding tb the eaflWard till the 2i ft; WHèn at eight o’cloék, A. p. 29.
M. being1 in latitude ç 'f 50', and longitude 29" 24’ eaft; he hauled1 to thé
ibuth; with the wirid at'weft, a frefli gale, and hazÿ, with fnow.
Some df the"people'btgirtiîing'tò hart' iÿmptoth's of the fcUrvy, the fúrgéons p. 29.
begin to’'give tHttiSf f i f t f f l i f r b m theJmált tliéy liad' on 'board'fdr
th'ar purpofé. One1 iffart i« particular wás highly fcorbutic, ribtwíthiiañdihg
he h‘ad been taking the rob o'f lemon and orange for lomé time, which ufuàliÿ
is efteemed an effettuai remedy, and the beriefi't Of which, two men on b'ddfd:’
the Adventure had experienced, who, though they were far gone in that
difeale, were in a ' liiâh'nèr' c u tCd : b y i 11
Being