208 DISCOVERIES OF l6l5. 



making an observation for the longitude ; justly 

 remarking, tliat " if observations of this kinde or 

 some other, at places farre remote, as at the Cape 

 Bona Speranza, Bantam, Japan, Nova Albion and 

 ^Magellan Straits, I suppose we should have a 

 truer geography then we have." 



The ice at length opening afforded an opportu- 

 nity for the ship to escape ; they next approached 

 Salisbury Island, a little to the northward of which 

 was a cluster or group, to which they gave the 

 name of Mill Islands, from the grinding of one 

 mass of ice against the other. The latitude of the 

 main island of this group was observed to lie in 

 64°. In the narrow sounds made bv these islands, 

 the ice runnins; one wav and the current the other, 

 the ship was frequently in the utmost danger ; 

 " but God," says Baffin, '* which is still stronger 

 then either ice or streame, preserved ns and our 

 shippe from any hanne at all." They continued 

 advancing slowly to the north-westward; and 

 finding the flood coming down from the north- 

 ward, they were " put in great comfort and 

 hope of a passage in this place," on which 

 account the master called the cape or headland 

 Cape Comfort ; and the hope was increased by 

 finding the depth of one hundred and forty 

 fathoms not a leao-ue from the shore. The lat. 

 of this cape is 6.0'' and long. 85° '^O' W. of 

 London. " But this our sudaine comfort," says 

 Baffin, " was as soone quailed;" for having passed 



