ould not determine
this with greater certainty; but prudence would not permit me to venture
near a coast, subject to thick fogs, on which there was no anchorage;
where every port was blocked or filled up with ice; and the whole
country, from the summits of the mountains, down to the very brink of
the cliffs which terminate the coast, covered, many fathoms thick, with
everlasting snow. The cliffs alone was all which was to be seen like
land.

Several large ice-islands lay upon the coast; one of which attracted my
notice. It had a flat surface, was of considerable extent both in height
and circuit, and had perpendicular sides, on which the waves of the sea
had made no impression; by which I judged that it had not been long from
land, and that it might lately have come out of some bay on the coast,
where it had been formed.

At noon we were east and west of the northern part of Cape Montagu,
distant about five leagues, and Freezeland Peak bore S. 16 deg. east,
distant twelve leagues; latitude observed 58 deg. 25' S. In the morning the
variation was 10 deg. 11' east. At two in the afternoon, as we were standing
to the north, with a light breeze at S.W., we saw land bearing N. 25'
east, distant fourteen leagues. Cape Montagu bore at this time, S. 66 deg.
east; at eight it bore S. 40 deg. east; Cape Bristol, S. by E.; the new land
extending from N. 40 deg. to 52 deg. east; and we thought we saw land still more
to the east, and beyond it.

Continuing to steer to the north all night, at six o'clock the next
morning a new land was seen bearing N. 12 deg. east, about ten leagues
distant. It appeared in two hummocks just peeping above the horizon; but
we soon after lost sight of them; and having got the wind at N.N.E. a
fresh breeze, we stood for the northernmost land we had seen the day
before, which at this time bore E.S.E. We fetched in with it by ten
o'clock, but could not weather it, and were obliged to tack three miles
from the coast, which extended from E. by S. to S.E., and had much the
appearance of being an island of about eight or ten leagues circuit. It
shews a surface of considerable height, whose summit was lost in the
clouds, and, like all the neighbouring lands, covered with a sheet of
snow and ice, except in a projecting point on the north side, and two
hills seen over this point, which probably might be two islands. These
only were clear of snow, and seemed covered with a green turf. Some
large ice islands lay