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556 PHIPPS’S JOURNAL.
found feveral openings to the northward, of two or three miles deep ; into every one
of which we ran, forcing the fhip, wherever we could, by a prefs of fail, among{t the
loofe ice which we found here in much larger pieces than to the weftward. At fix in
the morning the variation, by the mean of fix azimuths, was 11° 56’ W.; the horizon
remarkably clear. At noon, being clofe to the main body of the ice, the latitude by
obfervation was 80° 36’: we founded in one hundred and one fathom, muddy ground.
In the afternoon the wind blew frefh at N. E., with a thick fog; the ice hung much
about the rigging. The loofe ice being thick and clofe, we found ourfelves fo much
engaged in it, as to be obliged to run back a confiderable diftance to the weltward and
fouthward, before we could extricate ourfelves: we afterwards had both the fea and the
weather clear, and worked up to the north-eaftward. At half paft five the longitude of
the fhip was 15° 16’ 45°E. At feven the eafternmoft land bore E. half N., diftant
about feven or eight leagues, appearing like deep bays and iflands, probably thofe called
in the Dutch charts the Seven Iflands; they feemed to be furrounded with ice. I ftood
to the fouthward, in hopes of getting to the fouth-eaftward round the ice, and between
it and the land, where the water appeared more open.
The twenty-ninth, at midnight, the latitude by obfervation was 80° 21’. At four,
tacked clofe to the ice, hauled up the fore-fail, and backed the mizen-top-fail, having
too much way amongft the loofe ice. At noon, latitude obferved 80° 24’ 56’. An
opening, which we fuppofed to be the entrance of Waygat’s Straits, bore fouth ; the
northernmoft land N. E. by E.; the neareft fhore diftant about four miles. In the
afternoon the officer from the deck came down to tell me, we were very near a {mall rock
even with the water’s edge ; on going up, I faw it within little more than a fhip’s length on
the lee-bow, and put the helm down : before the fhip got round we were clofe to it, and
perceived it to be a very {mall piece of ice, covered with gravel. In the evening, feeing
the northern part of the iflands only over the ice, I was axious to get round it, in hopes
of finding an opening under the land. Being near a low flat ifland oppofite the Way-
gat’s Straits, not higher, but much larger than. Moffen ifland, we had an heavy {well
from the fouthward, with little wind, and from ten to twenty fathom: having got paft
this ifland, approaching to the high land to the eaftward, we deepened our water very
fuddenly to one hundred and feventeen fathom. Having little wind, and the weather
very clear, two of the officers went with a boat in purfuit of fome fea-horfes, and after-
wards to the low ifland. At midnight we found by obfervation the latitude 80° 27’ 3”,
and the dip 82° 2’ 30%. At four in the morning I found, by Bouguer’s log, that
the current fet two fathom to theeaftward. At fix in the morning the officers returned
from the ifland; in their way back they had fired at and wounded a fea-horfe, which:
dived immediately, and brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an
attack upon the boat, wrefted an oar from one of the men, and were with difficulty pre-
vented from ftaving or overfetting her; but a boat from the Carcafs joining ours they
difperfed. One of that fhip’s boats had before been attacked in the fame manner off
Moffen ifland. From Dr. Irving, who went on this party, I had the following account
of the low ifland.
“« We found feveral large fir-trees lying on the fhore, fixteen or eighteen fect above
the level of the fea: fome of thefe trees were feventy feet long, and had been torn up
by the roots; others cut down by the axe, and notched for twelve-feet lengths > this
timber was no ways decayed, or the ftrokes of the hatchet in the leaft effaced. There
were likewife fome pipe-{taves, and wood fafhioned for ufe. The beach. was formed of
old timber, fand, and whale-bones.
¢¢ The
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