The curious reader will also, in this place, be led naturally to reflect on another circumstance, which appears very incompatible with the opinion of those who imagine land to be necessary for the formation of ice; I mean the different state of the sea about Spitsbergen, and to the north of Beering's Strait. It is incumbent on them to explain how it comes to pass, that in the former quarter, and in the vicinity of much known land, the navigator annually penetrates to near 80 deg. N. latitude; whereas, on the other side, his utmost efforts have not been able to carry him beyond 71 deg.; where, moreover, the continents diverge nearly E. and W., and where there is no land yet known to exist near the Pole. For the farther satisfaction of the reader on this point, I shall beg leave to refer him to _Observations made during a Voyage round the World_, by Dr Forster, where he will find the question of the formation of ice fully and satisfactorily discussed, and the probability of open polar seas disproved by a variety of powerful arguments.[32] I shall conclude these remarks with a short comparative view of the progress we made to the northward, at the two different seasons we were engaged in that pursuit, together with a few general observations relative to the sea, and the coasts of the two continents, which lie to the north of Beering's Strait. It may be observed, that in the year 1778 we did not meet with the ice till we advanced to the latitude of 70 deg., on August 17th, and that then we found it in compact bodies, extending as far as the eye could reach, and of which a part or the whole was moveable, since, by its drifting down, upon us, we narrowly escaped being hemmed in between it and the land. After experiencing both how fruitless and dangerous it would be to attempt to penetrate farther north, between the ice and the land, we stood over toward the Asiatic side, between the latitude 69 deg. and 70 deg., frequently encountering in this tract large and extensive fields of ice; and though, by reason, of the fogs and thickness of the weather, we were not able absolutely and entirely to trace a connected line of it across, yet we were sure to meet with it before we reached the latitude of 70 deg., whenever we attempted to stand to the northward. On the 26th of August, in latitude 69-3/4 deg., and longitude 184 deg., we were obstructed by it in such quantities, as made it impossible for us to pass either to the north or west, and obliged us to run along the edge of it to the S.S.W., till we saw land, which we afterward found to be the coast of Asia. With the season thus far advanced, the weather setting in with snow and sleet, and other signs of approaching winter, we abandoned our enterprize for that time.