ROSS'S SECOND VOYAGE. 201 



keeping south of Matty Island, along the coast of the 

 continent ; but, observing that it formed an extensive 

 bay with winding shores, to follow the sinuosities of 

 which would have consumed too much time, they pushed 

 forward in a direct line over the frozen surface of the sea. 

 On the 8th June they arrived in a very exhausted state 

 in the neighborhood of Nei-tyel-le, where they met a 

 party of natives, who received them hospitably, and 

 eupplied them so plentifully with fish, that they were 

 ible to take a day's rest, and proceed at leisure to the 

 ressel, which they reached on the 13th. 



Meantime, Captain Ross himself had made a journey, 

 though of more limited extent, with the intention of sur- 

 veying the isthmus of Boothia, when he made the partial 

 discovery of another large lake, to which he gave the 

 name of Lady Melville. 



The nephew, upon his return, found that he had 

 arrived just in time. The early spring, the only season 

 when travelling is practicable in this region, was over. 

 The thaw had set in with extraordinary rapidity ; the 

 country was under water ; the streams impassable, and 

 the surface of the ocean could not have been traversed 

 without the greatest danger. Except a short excursion 

 to procure fish, all their attention and efforts were 

 directed to the extrication of the vessel with a view to 

 her voyage northward, in which direction alone they 

 could now hope to discover a passage to the western 

 sea. But month after month rolled on, the height of 

 summer passed, and the sea remained still bound in 

 Icy chains. In August its aspect began to present 

 hopes, but these were followed by successive disap- 

 pointments. Its close arrived, and they had the morti- 

 fication to reflect that they had remained eleven months 

 a period in which they might have circumnavigated 

 the globe fixed to that dreary spot. 



