134 PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE. 



Having passed Gore Inlet, the discoverers found 

 themselves among those numerous isles described by 

 Middleton, which formed a complete labyrinth of various 

 shapes and sizes, while strong currents setting between 

 them in various directions, amid fogs and drifting ice, 

 rendered the navigation truly perilous. However, one 

 channel was observed, by which the mariners at last 

 made their way through this perilous maze. No soonei 

 had they reached the open sea, than, being obliged to 

 run before a strong northerly breeze, they were much 

 disheartened to find themselves, on the 3d of Septem- 

 ber, at the very point which they had left on the 6th of 

 August. All the interval had been employed in the 

 merely negative discovery, that there was nothing to 

 discover. 



The commander soon reached the northern coast, and 

 resumed his task, which was rendered very tedious by 

 the necessity of examining every opening and channel, 

 in the hope that each might prove the desired passage 

 into the Polar Ocean. He first explored a large inlet, 

 the name of which he gave to Captain Lyon ; then a 

 smaller one, which was named from Lieutenant Hopp- 

 ner ; and by connecting these with Gore Inlet, he com- 

 pleted his delineation of the coast. 



The seamen had the pleasure of opening a traffic with 

 a party of Esquimaux, whose first timidity was soon 

 overcome by the hope of being supplied with some iron 

 tools. In the course of this transaction, the surprise 

 of the crew was roused by the conduct of a lady, who 

 had sold one boot, but obstinately retained the other, 

 in disregard of the strongest remonstrances as to the 

 ridiculous figure she in consequence made. At length 

 suspicion rose to such a pitch, that, all courtesy being 

 set aside, her person was seized, and the buskin pulled 

 off. Then, indeed, it proved a complete depository of 



