ust, though for a reason unknown to
Cook. The chemical reader will perceive we allude to the circumstance
of the absorption of heat that takes places during the liquefaction
of ice, in consequence of which the temperature of the surrounding
atmosphere is reduced so much, as to prevent any more of the ice being
dissolved. A contrary operation, as is now well known, takes place
during the congelation of water, and heat is evolved. Thus then the
cold of winter is moderated. And so, on the whole, the temperature
is kept more uniform, than, without such adjustment, would be the
case.--E.]

A thick fog, which came on while I was thus employed with the boats,
hastened me aboard, rather sooner than I could have wished, with one
sea-horse to each ship. We had killed more, but could not wait to
bring them with us. The number of these animals, on all the ice that
we had seen, is almost incredible. We spent the night standing off and
on amongst the drift ice; and at nine o'clock the next morning,
the fog having partly dispersed, boats from each ship were sent for
sea-horses. For, by this time, our people began to relish them, and
those we had procured before were all consumed. At noon, our latitude
was 69 deg. 17', our longitude 183 deg., the variation by the morning
azimuths, 25 deg. 56' E., and the depth of water twenty-five fathoms. At
two o'clock, having got on board as much marine beef as was thought
necessary, and the wind freshening at S.S.E., we took on board the
boats, and stretched to the S.W. But not being able to weather the ice
upon this tack, or to go through it, we made a board to the east,
till eight o'clock, then resumed our course to the S.W., and before
midnight were obliged to tack again, on account of the ice. Soon
after, the wind shifted to the N.W., blowing a stiff gale, and we
stretched to the S.W., close hauled.

In the morning of the 29th, we saw the main ice to the northward, and
not long after, land bearing S.W. by W. Presently after this, more
land shewed itself, bearing W. It shewed itself in two hills like
islands, but afterward the whole appeared connected. As we approached
the land, the depth of water decreased very fast; so that at noon,
when we tacked, we had only eight fathoms, being three miles from the
coast, which extended from S., 30 deg. E., to N., 60 deg. W. This last extreme
terminated in a bluff point, being one of the hills above mentioned.

The weather at this time was very hazy, wit