1818. BUCK AN, PARRY, AND FRANKLIN. 375 



tain Phipps; but the two vessels employed on this 

 service having unfortunately got hampered and 

 entangled in the shallow sea and among the islands 

 on the northern and north-eastern side of Spitz- 

 bergen, at an advanced period of the season, it 

 returned without making any discovery. 



The case is different with regard to the north- 

 west passage. From the very frequent attempts 

 which have been made for its discovery, it is now 

 known pretty nearly whereabouts such a passage, 

 if it exists at all, must be looked for. It has, for 

 instance, been ascertained, that there is no passage 

 on the coast of America below the arctic circle ; 

 but beyond this it has not been ascertained whe- 

 ther this coast rounds off to the eastward in a 

 continuous line into Old Greenland, forming what 

 is named Baffin's Bay on the charts, or whether it 

 does not turn in a contrary direction to the west- 

 ward, and fall in with the general trending of the 

 northern coast of America; which, from three 

 nearly equidistant points, seen by Cook, Mackenzie 

 and Hearne, may be considered to run within a 

 degree either way of the 70th parallel of lati- 

 tude. 



Many reasons have been assigned for the latter 

 supposition. The constant current that descends 

 down the Welcome on the one side, and towards 

 the coast of Greenland on the other; the logs of 

 mahogany and the remains of the North Ame- 

 rican Qx brought from the north-west by that 



