Beside these arguments, which proceed upon an admission of the hypothesis that the ice in those seas comes from the rivers, there are others which give great room to suspect the truth of the hypothesis itself. Captain Cook, whose opinion respecting the formation of ice had formerly coincided with that of the theorists we are now controverting, found abundant reason in the present voyage for changing his sentiments. We found the coast of each continent to be low, the soundings gradually decreasing toward them, and a striking resemblance between the two; which, together with the description Mr. Hearne gives of the Coppermine river, afford reason to conjecture that whatever rivers may empty themselves into the Frozen Sea from the American continent, are of the same nature with those on the Asiatic side; which are represented to be so shallow at the entrance as to admit only small vessels; whereas the ice we have seen, rises above the level of the sea to a height equal to the depth of those rivers; so that its entire height must be at least ten times greater.
The curious reader will also in this place be led naturally to reflect on another circumstance, which appears very incompatible with the opinion of those who imagine land to be necessary for the formation of ice; I mean the different state of the sea about Spitzbergen, and to the north of Beering’s Straits. It is incumbent on them to explain how it comes to pass that in the former quarter, and in the vicinity of much known land, the navigator annually penetrates to near 80° north latitude; whereas, on the other side, his utmost efforts have not been able to carry him beyond 71°; where, moreover, the continents diverge nearly east and west, and where there is no land yet known to exist near the pole. For the farther satisfaction of the reader on this point, I shall beg leave to refer him to Observations made during a Voyage round the World, by Dr. Forster, where he will find the question of the formation of ice fully and satisfactorily discussed, and the probability of open polar seas disproved by a variety of powerful arguments.
I shall conclude these remarks with a short comparative view of the progress we made to the northward, at the two different seasons we were engaged in that pursuit, together with a few general observations relative to the sea, and the coast of the two continents which lie to the north of Beering’s Straits.
It may be observed, that in the year 1778 we did not meet with the ice till we advanced to the latitude of 70°, on August 17th; and that then we found it in compact bodies, extending as far as the eye could reach, and of which a part or the whole was moveable, since, by its drifting down upon us, we narrowly escaped being hemmed in between it and the land. After experiencing both how fruitless and dangerous it would be to attempt to penetrate farther north, between the ice and the land, we stood over toward the Asiatic side, between the latitude of 69° and 70°, frequently encountering in this tract large and extensive fields of ice; and though, by reason of the fogs and thickness of the weather, we were not able absolutely and entirely to trace a connected line of it across, yet we were sure to meet with it before we reached the latitude of 70°, whenever we attempted to stand to the northward. On the 26th of August, in latitude 693⁄4°, and longitude 184°, we were obstructed by it in such quantities, as made it impossible for us to pass either to the north or west, and obliged us to run along the edge of it to the south south-west till we saw land, which we afterward found to be the coast of Asia. With the season thus far advanced, the weather setting in with snow and sleet, and other signs of approaching winter, we abandoned our enterprize for that time.
In this second attempt we could do little more than confirm the observations we had made in the first; for we were never able to approach the continent of Asia higher than the latitude of 67°, nor that of America in any parts, excepting a few leagues between the latitude of 68° and 68° 20ʹ, that were not seen the last year. We were now obstructed by ice 3° lower, and our endeavours to push farther to the northward were principally confined to the mid-space between the two coasts. We penetrated near 3° farther on the American side than on the Asiatic, meeting with the ice both years sooner, and in greater quantities on the latter coast. As we advanced north, we still found the ice more compact and solid; yet as in our different traverses from side to side, we passed over spaces which had before been covered with it, we conjectured that most of what we saw was moveable.
Its height on a medium, we took to be from eight to ten feet, and that of the highest to have been sixteen or eighteen. We again tried the currents twice, and found them unequal, but never to exceed one mile an hour. By comparing the reckoning with the observations, we also found the current to set different ways, yet more from the south-west than any other quarter; but whatever their direction might be, their effect was so trifling that no conclusions respecting the existence of any passage to the northward, could be drawn from them. We found the month of July to be infinitely colder than that of August. The thermometer in July was once at 28°, and very commonly at 30°; whereas the last year, in August, it was very rare to have it so low as the freezing point.
In both seasons we had some high winds, all of which came from the south-west. We were subject to fogs whenever the wind was moderate, from whatever quarter, but they attended southerly winds more constantly than contrary ones.
The straits between the two continents, at their nearest approach, in latitude 66°, were ascertained to be thirteen leagues, beyond which they diverge to N. E. by E. and W. N. W.; and in latitude 69°, they become 14° of longitude or about one hundred leagues asunder. A great similarity is observable in the appearance of the two countries to the northward of the straits. Both are destitute of wood. The shores are low, with mountains rising to a great height farther up the country. The depth of water in the mid-way between them was twenty-nine and thirty fathoms, decreasing gradually as we approached either continent, with the difference of being somewhat shoaler on the American than on the Asiatic coast, at the same distance from land. The bottom in the middle was a soft slimy mud; and on drawing near to either shore, a brown sand, intermixed with small fragments of bones, and a few shells. We observed but little tide or current; what there was came from the westward.
But it is now time to resume the narrative of our voyage, which was broken off on the 31st of July, on which day at noon we had advanced eighteen leagues to the southward of the East Cape.
We had light airs from the south-west till noon of the 1st of August, at which time our latitude, by observation, was 64° 23ʹ, longitude 189° 15ʹ, the coast of Asia, extended from north-west by west to west half south, distant about twelve leagues; and the land to the eastward of St. Laurence bore south half west. On the 2d, the weather becoming clear, we saw the same land at noon, bearing from west-south-west half west to south-east, making in a number of high hummocks, which had the appearance of separate islands; the latitude, by observation, was 64° 3ʹ longitude 189° 28ʹ, and depth of water seventeen fathoms. We did not approach this land sufficiently near to determine whether it was one island, or composed of a cluster together. Its westernmost part we passed July 3d, in the evening, and then supposed to be the island of Saint Laurence; the easternmost we ran close by in September last year, and this we named Clerke’s Island, and found it to consist of a number of high cliffs, joined together by very low land. Though we mistook, the last year, those cliffs for separate islands, till we approached very near the shore, I should still conjecture that the island Saint Laurence was distinct from Clerke’s island, since there appeared a considerable space between them, where we could not perceive the smallest rising of ground. In the afternoon, we also saw what bore the appearance of a small island, to the north-east of the land, which was seen at noon, and which from the haziness of the weather we had only sight of once. We estimated its distance to be nineteen leagues from the island of Saint Laurence, in a north-east by east half east direction. On the 3d, we had light variable winds, and directed our course round the north-west point of the island of Saint Laurence. On the 4th at noon, our latitude, by account, was 64° 8ʹ, longitude 188°; the island Saint Laurence bearing south one quarter east, distant seven leagues. In the afternoon, a fresh breeze springing up from the east, we steered to the south-south-west, and soon lost sight of Saint Laurence. On the 7th, at noon, the latitude, by observation, was 59° 38ʹ, longitude 183°. In the afternoon it fell calm, and we got a great number of cod in seventy-eight fathoms of water. The variation was found to be 19° E. From this time to the 17th, we were making the best of our way to the south, without any occurrence worth remarking, except that the wind, coming from the western quarter, forced us farther to the eastward than we wished, as it was our intention to make Beering’s Island.