The weather becoming moderate for the
remaining part of the day, we directed our course according to the trending
of the ice, which in many parts formed deep bays.

In the morning of the 16th the wind freshened, and was attended with thick
and frequent showers of snow. At eight in the forenoon, it blew a strong
gale from the W.S.W., and brought us under double-reefed top-sails; when
the weather clearing a little, we found ourselves embayed, the ice having
taken a sudden turn to the S.E., and in one compact body surrounding us on
all sides, except on the south quarter. We therefore hauled our wind to the
southward, being at this time in latitude 70 deg. 8' N., and in twenty-six
fathoms water; and, as we supposed, about twenty-five leagues from the
coast of America. The gale increasing, at four in the afternoon we close
reefed the fore and main top-sails, furled the mizen-top-sail, and got the
top-gallant-yards down upon deck. At eight, finding the depth of water had
decreased to twenty-two fathoms, which we considered as a proof of
our near approach to the American coast, we tacked and stood to the north.
We had blowing weather, accompanied with snow, through the night; but next
morning it became clear and moderate, and at eight in the forenoon we got
the top-gallant yards across, and made sail with the wind still at W.S.W.
At noon we were in latitude, by observation, 69 deg. 55', longitude 194 deg. 30'.
Toward evening the wind slackened, and at midnight it was a calm.

On the 18th, at five in the morning, a light breeze sprung up from the
E.N.E., with which we continued our course to the north, in order to regain
the ice as soon as possible. We passed some small logs of drift-wood, and
saw abundance of sea-parrots, and the small ice-birds, and likewise a
number of whales. At noon the latitude, by observation, was 70 deg. 26', and
longitude 194 deg. 54'; the depth of water twenty-three fathoms; the ice
stretched from N. to E.N.E., and was distant about three miles. At one in
the afternoon, finding that we were close in with a firm united field of
it, extending from W.N.W. to E., we tacked, and the wind coming round to
the westward, stood on to the eastward, along its edge, till eleven at
night. At that time a very thick fog coming on, and the water shoaling to
nineteen fathoms, we hauled our wind to the south. The variation observed
this day was 31 deg. 20' E. It is remarkable, that though we saw no sea-horses
on the bod