On comparing the dimensions of this with Lord Mulgrave’s white bear, they were found almost exactly the same, except in the circumference, where our’s fell exceedingly short.
These animals afforded us a few excellent meals of fresh meat. The flesh had indeed a strong fishy taste, but was, in every respect, infinitely superior to that of the sea-horse; which, nevertheless, our people were again persuaded, without much difficulty, to prefer to their salted provisions.
At six in the morning of the 20th, a thick fog coming on, we lost sight of the ice for two hours; but the weather clearing, we saw the main body again to the south south-east, when we hauled our wind, which was easterly, toward it, in the expectation of making the American coast to the south-east, and which we effected at half past ten. At noon, the latitude, by account, was 69° 33ʹ, and longitude 194° 53ʹ, and the depth of water nineteen fathoms. The land extended from south by east, to south south-west half west, distant eight or ten leagues, being the same we had seen last year; but it was now much more covered with snow than at that time; and, to all appearance, the ice adhered to the shore. We continued, in the afternoon, sailing through a sea of loose ice, and standing toward the land, as near as the wind, which was east south-east, would admit. At eight, the wind lessening, there came on a thick fog; and, on perceiving a rippling in the water, we tried the current, which we found to set to the east north-east, at the rate of a mile an hour, and therefore determined to steer, during the night, before the wind, in order to stem it, and to oppose the large fragments of loose ice, that were setting us on toward the land. The depth of the water, at midnight, was twenty fathoms.
At eight in the morning of the 21st, the wind freshening, and the fog clearing away, we saw the American coast to the south-east, at the distance of eight or ten leagues, and hauled in for it; but were stopped again by the ice, and obliged to bear away to the westward, along the edge of it. At noon, the latitude, by account, was 69° 34ʹ and longitude 193°, and the depth of water twenty-four fathoms.
Thus, a connected, solid field of ice, rendering every effort we could make to a nearer approach to the land fruitless, and joining, as we judged, to it, we took a last farewell of a north-east passage to Old England. I shall beg leave to give, in Captain Clerke’s own words, the reasons of this his final determination, as well as of his future plans; and this the rather, as it is the last transaction his health permitted him to write down.
“It is now impossible to proceed the least farther to the northward upon this coast (America); and it is equally as improbable that this amazing mass of ice should be dissolved by the few remaining summer-weeks which will terminate this season; but it will continue, it is to be believed, as it now is, an insurmountable barrier to every attempt we can possibly make. I, therefore, think it the best step that can be taken, for the good of the service, to trace the sea over to the Asiatic coast, and to try if I can find any opening, that will admit me farther north; if not, to see what more is to be done upon that coast; where I hope, yet cannot much flatter myself, to meet with better success; for the sea is now so choked with ice, that a passage, I fear, is totally out of the question.”
CHAP. IV.
FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO PENETRATE THROUGH THE ICE TO THE NORTH-WEST.—DANGEROUS SITUATION OF THE DISCOVERY.—SEA-HORSES KILLED.—FRESH OBSTRUCTIONS FROM THE ICE.—REPORT OF DAMAGES RECEIVED BY THE DISCOVERY.—CAPTAIN CLERKE’S DETERMINATION TO PROCEED TO THE SOUTHWARD.—JOY OF THE SHIPS’ CREWS ON THAT OCCASION.—PASS SERDZE KAMEN.—RETURN THROUGH BEERING’S STRAITS.—INQUIRY INTO THE EXTENT OF THE NORTH-EAST COAST OF ASIA.—REASONS FOR REJECTING MULLER’S MAP OF THE PROMONTORY OF THE TSCHUTSKI.—REASONS FOR BELIEVING THE COAST DOES NOT REACH A HIGHER LATITUDE THAN 701⁄2° NORTH.—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE IMPRACTICABILITY OF A NORTH-EAST, OR NORTH-WEST PASSAGE FROM THE ATLANTIC INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.—COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE YEARS 1778 AND 1779.—REMARKS ON THE SEA, AND SEA COASTS, NORTH OF BEERING’S STRAITS.—HISTORY OF THE VOYAGE RESUMED.—PASS THE ISLAND OF SAINT LAURENCE.—THE ISLAND OF MEDNOI.—DEATH OF CAPTAIN CLERKE.—SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVICES.
Captain Clerke having determined, for the reasons assigned at the conclusion of the last chapter, to give up all farther attempts on the coast of America, and to make his last efforts in search of a passage on the coast of the opposite continent, we continued, during the afternoon of the 21st of July, to steer to the west north-west, through much loose ice. At ten at night, discovering the main body of it through the fog, right ahead, and almost close to us, and being unwilling to take a southerly course, so long as we could possibly avoid it, we hauled our wind, which was easterly, and stood to the northward; but, in an hour after, the weather clearing up, and finding ourselves surrounded by a compact field of ice, on every side, except to the south south-west, we tacked, and stood on in that direction, in order to get clear of it.
At noon of the 22d, our latitude, by observation, was 69° 30ʹ, and longitude 187° 30ʹ. In the afternoon, we again came up with the ice, which extended to the north-west and south-west, and obliged us to continue our course to the southward, in order to weather it.