82 ROSS AND PARRY. 



but Captain Ross satisfied himself that he had distinctly 

 eeen it, at the distance of eighteen leagues, completely 

 enclosed by land. He soon arrived at an extensive 

 bay, which had hitherto been unobserved ; afterwards 

 to that which Baffin called Alderman Jones's Sound ; 

 but in respect to both, the ice at their entrance, and the 

 apparent boundary of high land in the interior, led, as 

 in the other instances, to an unfavorable conclusion. 



The season was now somewhat advanced, the end of 

 August approached, the sun set after an uninterrupted 

 day of two months and a half, and a thick fog rendered 

 the lengthening nights more gloomy. The land, seen 

 at some distance, consisted of very high and steep hills, 

 presenting, however, some spots fit for human habita- 

 tion. An opening forty-five miles wide, to the south- 

 ward of a promontory which was named Cape Charlotte, 

 was decided against on the uoual grounds. On the 30th 

 of August the expedition came to a most magnificent 

 inlet, bordered by lofty mountains of peculiar grandeur, 

 while the water, being clear, and free from ice, pre- 

 sented so tempting an appearance, that it was impossi- 

 ble to refrain from entering. This channel, which soon 

 proved to be Lancaster Sound, was ascended for thirty 

 miles, during which run officers and men crowded the 

 topmast, filled with enthusiastic hope, and judging that 

 it afforded a much fairer prospect of success than any 

 of those so hastily passed. Captain Ross, however, 

 eoon thought that he discovered a high ridge stretching 

 directly across the inlet ; and though a great part of it 

 was deeply involved in mist, a passage in this direction 

 was by him judged to be hopeless. The sea being 

 open, however, the commander proceeded ; but about 

 twelve o'clock, Mr. Beverley, the assistant-surgeon, 

 came down from the crow's nest, and stated that he had 

 ieen the land extending very nearly across the entire 



