1741. CHRISTOPHER MIDDLETON. 279 



proceedings was ever published ; but they arc 

 supposed to have reached only to about 6^h^ of 

 northern latitude, confirming however the former 

 reports of Fox, Button, and Scroggs with regard 

 to the set of the tide from the northward. 



Mr. Dobbs, it seems, was by no means satisfied 

 with the proceedings of these two vessels. Indeed 

 he treats the Hudson's Bay Company with very 

 little ceremony, accusing them of intentionally 

 preventing rather than encouraging discoveries. 

 '' The Company," he says, " avoid all they can 

 making discoveries to the northward of Churchill, 

 or extending their trade that way, for fear they 

 should discover a passage to the western ocean of 

 America, and tempt by that means the rest of 

 the English merchants to lay open their trade, 

 which they know they have no legal right to ; 

 which, if the passage was found, would not only 

 animate the rest of the merchants to pursue the 

 trade through that passage, but also to find out the 

 great advantages that might be made of the trade 

 of the rivers and countries adjoining to the bay, 

 by .which means they would lose their belo\ed 

 monopoly; but though they are fully informed of 

 a fine copper mine, on a navigable arm of the sea 

 north-westward of fVhale Cove, and the Indians 

 have offered to carry their sioops to it, yet their 

 fear of discovering the passage puts bounds to 

 their avarice and prevents their going to the mine, 

 which by all accounts is very rich ; and the 



T 4 



