set his hand to a rope's end upon occasion. He
lived with the dry caplin that I took when I was searching in the
pinnace, and did eat dry new land fish.

All this while, God be thanked, our people were in very good health, only
one young man excepted, who died at sea the 14th of this month, and the
15th, according to the order of the sea, with praise given to God by
service, was cast overboard.

The 17th of this month, being in the latitude of 63 degrees 8 minutes, we
fell upon a most mighty and strange quantity of ice, in one entire mass,
so big as that we knew not the limits thereof, and being withal so very
high, in form of a land, with bays and capes, and like high cliff land as
that we supposed it to be land, and therefore sent our pinnace off to
discover it; but at her return we were certainly informed that it was
only ice, which bred great admiration to us all, considering the huge
quantity thereof incredible to be reported in truth as it was, and
therefore I omit to speak any further thereof. This only, I think that
the like before was never seen, and in this place we had very stickle and
strong currents.

We coasted this mighty mass of ice until the 30th of July, finding it a
mighty bar to our purpose: the air in this time was so contagious, and
the sea so pestered with ice, as that all hope was banished of
proceeding; for the 24th of July all our shrouds, ropes, and sails were
so frozen, and encompassed with ice, only by a gross fog, as seemed to be
more than strange, since the last year I found this sea free and
navigable, without impediments.

Our men through this extremity began to grow sick and feeble, and withal
hopeless of good success; whereupon, very orderly, with good discretion
they entreated me to regard the state of this business, and withal
advised me that in conscience I ought to regard the safety of mine own
life with the preservation of theirs, and that I should not, through my
overboldness, leave their widows and fatherless children to give me
bitter curses. This matter in conscience did greatly move me to regard
their estates, yet considering the excellency of the business, if it
might be obtained, the great hope of certainty by the last year's
discovery, and that there was yet a third way not put in practice, I
thought it would grow to my disgrace if this action by my negligence
should grow into discredit: whereupon seeking help from God, the fountain
of all mercies, it pleased His Di