206 ROSS'S SECOND VOYAGE. 



were to proceed by slower marches, but more heavily 

 loaded. 



On this laborious journey Ross had an opportunity 

 of examining the coast, and ascertaining that the large 

 inlet in Brentford Bay was formed merely by a river, 

 and could afford no passage to the western sea. On 

 the 25th of June he met the advanced party, who 

 reported that they had found three of the boats washed 

 away, but enough still left for their purpose, and all the 

 provisions in good condition. On the 1st of July the 

 whole crew reached their destination. They imme- 

 diately enjoyed a hearty meal, and soon reared a canvas 

 mansion, which they named Somerset House. 



The month of July was spent in fitting out the boats, 

 which were ready by the 1st of August, when there 

 appeared a considerable extent of open sea, cheering 

 them with the hope of being able to penetrate through 

 Barrow's Strait into Baffin's Bay. The voyage, how- 

 ever, proved very difficult ; masses of ice, still tossing 

 amid the waves, placed them sometimes in dangerous 

 positions ; and, when they sought shelter on the beach, 

 it was mostly bordered by lofty, precipitous cliffs, from 

 which, at this season of thaw, fragments were often 

 detached, one of which might have crushed them to 

 pieces. It was the 29th of August before they passed 

 Cape Seppings, and arrived at the junction between 

 Prince Regent's Inlet and Barrow's Strait. After sev- 

 eral attempts to run along the latter, rendered fruitless 

 by the ice, they were obliged to haul the boats on shore 

 and pitch their tents. There was still time to have 

 accomplished their object ; but repeated surveys from 

 the neighboring mountains convinced them that Bar- 

 row's Strait was now, and had been during the whole 

 summer, an impenetrable mass. 



By the 24th of September all were agreed that no 



