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 body of the ice, yet they were in herds, and in greater numbers on the detached fragments, than we had ever observed before.  About nine in the evening, a white bear was seen swimming close by the Discovery; it afterward made to the ice, on which were also two others.

On the 19th, at one in the morning, the weather clearing up, we again steered to the N.E. till two, when we were a second time so completely embayed, that there was no opening left but to the south; to which quarter we accordingly directed our course, returning through a remarkably smooth water, and with very favourable weather, by the same way we had come in.  We were never able to penetrate farther north than at this