JOHN ROSS MISSES BELLOT STRAIT 197 



the ice was in motion and fast clearing away. We 

 therefore resolved to wait patiently till we could see 

 an opening ; and proceeded to the northern quarter of 

 this spot to make some observations on the dip of the 

 magnetic needle. . . . To this place I gave the name 

 Brown Island, after the amiable sister of Mr. Booth ; 

 the inlet was named Brentford Bay, and the islands 

 Grimble Islands." And in his book is a beautiful steel 

 engraving by W. Chevalier, " Taking Possession. 

 Cape Hussard, Grimble Isle, Brentford Bay, Brown's 

 Island." In short, Ross found the place, landed 

 on it, took possession of it, named it and sketched 

 it. " The sketches from which the drawings were 

 made were taken by Mr. Ronald's invaluable per- 

 spective instrument, and therefore must be true de- 

 lineations." 



And Ross passed on, apparently quite pleased with 

 himself. But the Fates had again been against him, for 

 this was the very North-West Passage he had come 

 specially to find ; the bay, as Kennedy was to show, 

 being the entrance to Bellot Strait in which the Fox 

 was to winter when on the Franklin search. He had 

 blundered along from the island of North Somerset to 

 the mainland of America, and passed unheeded its 

 northernmost point, which M'Clintock was to name 

 Cape Murchison. 



Working down the coast of the newly-named 

 Boothia, the Victory reached Felix Harbour, and there 

 she wintered. No Eskimos were seen until the 9th of 

 January, when thirty-one came to the ship and were 

 invited on board, a return visit being paid next day to 

 their village, which Ross named North Hendon. As 



