Next day, the 15th, we had the wind at N.W., a small gale, thick foggy weather, with much snow; thermometer from 32 to 27; so that our sails and rigging were all hung with icicles.  The fog was so thick at times, that we could not see the length of the ship; and we had much difficulty to avoid the many islands of ice that surrounded us.  About noon, having but little wind, we hoisted out a boat to try the current, which we found set S.E. near 3/4 of a mile an hour.  At the same time, a thermometer, which in the open air was at 32 deg., in the surface of the sea was at 30 deg.; and, after being immerged 100 fathoms deep for about fifteen or twenty minutes, came up at 34 deg., which is only 2 deg. above freezing.[5] Our latitude at this time was 55 deg. 8’.

The thick fog continued till two o’clock in the afternoon of the next day, when it cleared away a little, and we made sail to the southward, wind still at N.W. a gentle gale.  We had not run long to the southward before we fell in with the main field of ice extending from S.S.W. to E. We now bore away to east along the edge of it; but at night hauled off north, with the wind at W.N.W., a gentle gale, attended with snow.

At four in the morning on the 17th, stood again to the south; but was again obliged to bear up on account of the ice, along the side of which we steered betwixt E. and S.S.W., hauling into every bay or opening, in hopes of finding a passage to the south.  But we found every where the ice closed.  We had a gentle gale at N.W. with showers of snow.  At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 55 deg. 16’ S. In the evening the weather was clear and serene.  In the course of this day we saw many whales, one seal, penguins, some of the white birds, another sort of peterel, which is brown and white, and not much unlike a pintado; and some other sorts already known.  We found the skirts of the loose ice to be more broken than usual; and it extended some distance beyond the main field, insomuch that we sailed amongst it the most part of the day; and the high ice islands without us were innumerable.  At eight o’clock we sounded, but found no ground with 250 fathoms of line.  After this we hauled close upon a wind to the northward, as we could see the field of ice extend as far as N.E.  But this happened not to be the northern point; for at eleven o’clock we were obliged to tack to avoid it.

At two o’clock the next morning we stood again to the northward, with the wind at N.W. by W., thinking to weather the ice upon this tack; on which we stood but two hours, before we found ourselves quite imbayed, being then in latitude 55 deg. 8’, longitude 24 deg. 3’.  The wind veering more to the north, we tacked and stood to the westward under all the sail we could carry, having a fresh breeze and clear weather, which last was of short duration.  For at six o’clock it became hazy, and soon after there was thick fog; the wind veered to the N.E., freshened and brought with it snow and sleet, which froze on the rigging as it fell.  We were now enabled to get clear of the field of ice:  but at the same time we were carried in amongst the ice islands, in a manner equally dangerous, and which with much difficulty we kept clear of.