cove or bay, having a beach composed of small pieces of limestone, which make the water almost as white as milk. Landing in one of these coves, we carried the boat above high-water mark; and making a tent of her sail, lay very comfortably du. ring the night. When the boat first touched the beach, we observed an innumerable quantity of the little fish called sillocks swimming about, several of which were killed by the boat-hooks or taken in the hand. A great number of white whales, seals, and narwhals were also playing about near the beach during the night. The white whales were the most numerous; the noise these animals made resembled a hoarse, low-toned barking more than any other to which I can compare it; and we re. marked that their colour was whiter than any we had before seen.

As soon as it was daylight Mr. Ross and myself ascended the hill above our sleeping-place, from whence we could perceive land stretching round to the westward and northward, so as apparently to leave no opening in that quarter. We were much surprised at the low and yellowish appearance of this land, both of which circumstances we were at a loss to reconcile with Captain Middleton's descrip. tion of the bold shore of the American Continent, on the western side of the Welcome, about this lat. itude. It was pleasing, however, to observe a large expanse of sea, wholly unencumbered with ice, in the direction we were now about to pursue; and we therefore hastened to the beach to continue the survey of the strait, that no time might be lost in taking advantage of this favourable circumstance. After completing our observations and examinaVOL. LS

tion of the channel, we reached the ship by eight A.M., the Fury having, with great attention, been kept close off the entrance of the strait during the night. The Hecla had at this time just hove in sight, under a press of sail, to the eastward, having at length, with much difficulty, succeeded in getting into clear water.

At half past nine on the 17th we got under way, and stood under all sail to the N.N.E., where alone, as on the preceding evening, there appeared the smallest chance of finding any outlet.

Having determined the continuity of land all round this magnificent bay, possessing so many ad. vantages that would render it invaluable in a more temperate climate, the officers honoured it with the name of the Duke of York's BAY, in consequence of the expedition having first entered it on the birthday of his royal highness.

It being now evident that the inlet into which, in the course of our endeavours to penetrate to the westward, we had unavoidably been led, would afford us no passage in that direction, I gave orders for weighing at the turn of tide, being determined at once to run back through the narrow channel by which we had entered, and to push to the northward without delay, in search of some more favourable opening.

Our uncertainty respecting the true situation of the Frozen Strait, together with the want of observations during the day, left us, at this time, in doubt whether we had already penetrated through that passage, or had still to encounter the difficulties which the former accounts of it had led us to anticipate.

We stood up the bay towards daylight, and at

seven A.M. I left the Fury, accompanied by a large party of officers, having by signal requested Cap. tain Lyon to join us. We landed upon a point just to the eastward of this bight, in which neighbour. hood are several little islands and coves, probably affording good anchorage, but which the more im mediate objects we had in view did not permit us to examine. Upon the point we found the remains of no less than sixty Esquimaux habitations, consisting of stones laid one over the other in very regular circles, eight or nine feet in diameter, besides nearly a hundred other rude, though certain. ly artificial structures, some of which had been fireplaces, others storehouses, and the rest toler. ably-built walls four or five feet high, placed two and two, and generally eight or nine feet apart, which these people use for their canoes, as well as to keep the dogs from gnawing them. A great many circles of stones were also seen more inland. About three miles to the N.N.W. of our landing. place, our people reported having seen fifteen others of the same kind, and what they took to be a burying-ground, consisting of nine or ten heaps of large stones, of three feet in diameter, and as many in height. Under these were found a variety of little implements, such as arrow or spear heads tipped with stone or iron, arrows, small models of ca. noes and paddles, some rough pieces of bone and wood, and one or two strips of asbestos, which, as Crantz informs us, is used by the natives of Greenland for the wick of their lamps, and for applying hot, in certain diseases, to the afflicted part. Un

*

* Crantz, i., 236. The Esquimaux on this part of the coast use it only as sticks for trimming their lamps.

der these articles were found smaller stones, placed as a pavement, six or seven feet in length, which, in the part not concealed by the larger stones, was covered with earth. Our men had not the curiosity or inclination to dig any deeper, but a human scull was found near the spot. Our people also reported that, several miles inland of this, they observed stones set up as marks, many of which we also met with in the neighbourhood of the point. Of these marks, which occur so abundantly in every part of the American coast that we visited, we could not then conjecture the probable use, but we afterward learned that the Esquimaux set them up to guide them in travelling from place to place, when a cov. ering of snow renders it difficult to distinguish one spot from another. We found among the stones some seals' bones, with the flesh still upon them, which seemed to indicate that the natives had occupied this station during a part of the same sea. son; and judging from the number of circles collected in this place, and still more from our subse. quent knowledge of these people, it is probable that not less than one hundred and twenty persons had taken up their residence here at the same time.

The latitude observed on shore was 66° 30′ 58′′, being the first observation we had yet obtained so near the Arctic Circle, but far to the southward of that given by Captain Middleton.* The longitude,

The difference amounts to about twenty miles. It is but justice, however, to the memory of Captain Middleton to add, that several miles of this error may have been occasioned by the imperfection of nautical instruments in his day, combined with the unavoidable inaccuracy of observations made by the horizon of the sea when encumbered with much ice. On this latter account, as well as from the extraordinary terrestrial refraction, no observation can be here depended upon, unless made with an ar tificial horizon.

by chronometers, was 86° 30′ 20′′; the dip of the magnetic needle, 88° 07′ 28′′; and the variation, 48° 32′ 57′′ westerly; being only a degree and a half less than that observed by Middleton in 1742.

CHAPTER III.

Return to the Eastward through the Frozen Strait. - Discovery of Hurd Channel.-Examined in a Boat.-Loss of the Fury's Anchor.-Providential Escape of the Fury from Shipwreck.-. Anchor in Duckett Cove.-Farther Examination of the Coast by Boats and Walking-parties.-Ships proceed through Hurd Channel.-Are drifted by the Ice back to Southampton Island.-Unobstructed run to the entrance of a large Inlet leading to the Northwestward.-Ships made fast by Hawsers to the Rocks.-Farther Examination of the Inlet commenced in the Boats.

HAVING now satisfactorily determined the nonexistence of a passage to the westward through Repulse Bay, to which point I was particularly direct. ed in my instructions, it now remained for me, in compliance with my orders, to "keep along the line of this coast to the northward, always examining every bend or inlet which might appear likely to afford a practicable passage to the westward." It was here, indeed, that our voyage, as regarded its main object, may be said to have commenced, and we could not but congratulate ourselves on having reached this point so early, and especially at having passed, almost without impediment, the strait to which, on nearly the same day* seventy-nine years before, so forbidding a name had been applied.

Middleton discovered the Frozen Strait on the 20th August 1742, according to the New Style.