168 SCORESBT'S DISCOVERIES. 



foot had ever trodden, was defeated by an impassable 

 barrier of ice ; and a similar one having closed in behind 

 him, he was obliged t:> sail back and forward several 

 days through a narrow channel. During this interval 

 he had a good opportunity of taking the bearings and 

 directions of the principal objects on land. The lati- 

 tude, as given in the maps, was tolerably correct, and 

 was, indeed, his only guide in tracing the positions ; 

 for the longitude, after the most careful observation, 

 was found to differ seven degrees from that in the best 

 charts, and ten degrees from what is found in those 

 usually supplied to the whale-fishers. The country was 

 generally mountainous, rugged, and barren, bearing 

 much resemblance to Spitsbergen, though less covered 

 with snow. 



Scoresby followed the usual system of naming the 

 more prominent objects in the territory embraced by hia 

 discoveries. The two principal bays, or inlets, were 

 designated Captain Kater and Sir Walter Scott ; while 

 two spacious forelands, or projecting peninsulas the 

 former supposed to be an island were assigned to 

 Dr. Wollaston and Sir Everard Home. Other bays and 

 capes were bestowed on some of the author's personal 

 friends. He now made a movement eastward, in search 

 of whales, of which he found no traces in the vicinity of 

 land. 



On the 19th of July the navigators came in view of a 

 range of coast of a very bold and peculiar character, 

 extending about forty miles. It presented a mountain 

 chain from three to four thousand feet high, rising at 

 once from the beach in precipitous cliffs, which termi- 

 nated in numberless peaks, cones, and pyramids. In 

 one instance there appeared to rise six or seven tall 

 parallel chimneys, one of which, crowned with two ver- 

 tical towers, was called Church Mount. This coast 



