PACIFIC   OCEAN.                         ^^
 

CHAP. IV.
 

Attempt to pajs the Ice to the north-Wefl—Critical
Situation oJ the Dijcovery'—Sea Horjes kiUed—•
Greatly ob/lru£ied by the Ice-—Damages Juflained
by the njcovery—-Captain Clerke rejolves to pro¬
ceed to the Southward'-'-'The Crews rejoice greatly
on that Occaflon'--Pajs Serdze Kamen—Through
Beering's Straits-—Objervations on the Extent of
the North-Eafl Coafl of Afla—Reafons for re¬
jecting  Mailer's  Map------ImpraEticability  of a

North-Eafl or North-Wefl Paffage from the At¬
lantic into the Pacific Ocean-—The Progrejs made

in 1778,  compared with that made in 1779------

Obfervations on the Sea, Sea Coafls, &c. North
of Beering's Straits—Rejume the Hiflory oJ the
^ f^oyage—The Ifland oJ St. Lawrence—-Ifland oJ
Medoni—Death oJ Captain Clerke—-Enumeratiou
cj his Services.

IN confequence of Captain Cleark's determina-
tion to relinquifh all attempts on the Ame¬
rican coaft, and to make his final efforts, in
fearch of a paffage, on the coaft of the Afiatic
continent, we fteered weft-north-weft, during the
afternoon of the 21ft of July, through a great
quantity of loofe ice. About ten o'clock in the
evening, difcovering the main body of ice through
the fog, right ahead, and very near us, and being

D 2               unwilling