18th, Continued forcing our way slowly through bay ice; almost no wind. In sultry days, and, indeed, in all weathers, navigators are much harassed in those seas by the fogs; they, however, chiefly occur towards the latter end of summer. They are excessively dense, and at a distance are frequently mistaken for land. In winter, when the cold is intense, a vapour called _fog smoke_ frequently arises from the chinks of the ice, which is so acrid as to excoriate the face and hands of those who approach it. We this day observed a _fog bank_, a little to the north-east, which at first we mistook for Hackluyt’s Headland, from which, however, we were then at a considerable distance. The edges of these _fog banks_ are so well defined, that the most experienced sailors often fall into such mistakes. 20th, Latitude by observation 79° 50´. Sea clear of ice, with a smart easterly breeze. In this parallel of latitude we ran 12° to the west in eighteen hours. This will not appear surprising on considering that a degree of longitude in this parallel is little more than ten miles. 21st, Fell in with a dead fish. This whale had been killed for a considerable time, and was entirely covered with Mallemukkes, and other voracious birds. At a distance it resembled a floating mass of feathers, but on our approaching it, we were almost stunned by the quarrelling noise of these _Harpies_. We brought it alongside and stripped it of its remaining blubber. 22d, After having stripped off the blubber, we sailed north-east; the sea was clear of ice, and the weather serene. A distant view of the icebergs reflecting the rays of the sun, added an inexpressible beauty and grandeur to the scene. They had all the appearance of illuminated Gothic castles, and realized the magnificence of fairy scenes. 23d, Killed a large whale. This animal, the largest with which men are as yet acquainted, is of that genus of fish termed cetaceous. Some classifiers of animals, because the cetaceous fish breathe by lungs, and not gills, and because they suckle their young, have, by a learned and laughable absurdity, ranked them among _quadrupeds_. It is needless, however, to say, that they want the distinguishing and decisive characteristics of quadrupeds; and hence, though they may correspond with them in some respects, they should assuredly be held to be of a different race.