ot been able to carry him beyond 71 deg.; where,
moreover, the continents diverge nearly E. and W., 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.[32]

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 coasts of the two continents, which lie to the north of
Beering's Strait.

It may be observed, that in the year 1778 we did not meet with the ice till
we advanced to the latitude of 70 deg., 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 69 deg. and 70 deg., 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 deg., whenever we attempted to
stand to the northward. On the 26th of August, in latitude 69-3/4 deg., and
longitude 184 deg., 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 S.S.W., 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 67 deg., nor that of America in
any parts, excepting a few leagues betw